His appointment was announced in September by the Dutch investment bank, subject to regulatory approval. The position has now been cleared by regulators and shareholders.

After the extraordinary shareholders' meeting this week, Carsten Bittner was appointed as chief innovation & technology officer and member of the executive board of ABN AMRO Bank NV. He will be starting in January 2023 for a four-year stint.

His appointment was announced last September, subject to approval by the European Central Bank and discussion with the bank's shareholders and depositary receipt holders. Both conditions have now been met, the firm said in a statement this week.

Prior to his official appointment, ABN AMRO convened an extraordinary general meeting to introduce Carsten Bittner to the firm.

Bittner is currently chief technology officer at Commerzbank AG. Before joining Commerzbank, he held various management positions at international media and services group Bertelsmann SE & Co. KGaA and Accenture, the bank continued.

Welcoming him to the firm, ABN AMRO CEO Robert Swaak, said: “I am very much looking forward to the arrival of Carsten Bittner. Carsten is an authority on IT and innovation strategy and has a strong track record as a leader in complex commercial organisations in change. He will be central to ABN AMRO’s strategy to become a personal bank in a digital age with a strong focus on our clients.”

Bittner, of German nationality, is married with two children, and holds a PhD as an economist from the University of Karlsruhe.

The move comes after former ABN AMRO CI&TO Christian Bornfield left the Dutch investment bank in May 2022, after four years at the firm.