October Edition

Hello from Frankfurt, 

From China to Senegal, we’ve supported our clients with projects across the world. Our teams in India lent a helping hand to kids going back to school, while, in Berlin, we celebrated the launch of an exhibition for our Artist of the Year 2024. 

Scroll on for more of our top moments from September – happy reading! 

Top business stories 

China's return to the euro sovereign bond market 

First, we’re off to China, where we recently acted as Joint Lead Manager and Bookrunner for China’s Ministry of Finance on its successful 2 billion euro sovereign bond issuance.  

This dual-tranche transaction, with three and seven-year maturities, marks China's first return to the euro bond market since 2021 and sets a new pricing benchmark for Chinese corporate offshore bond issuances.  

The issuance was met with strong demand, reaching an 8.1 times oversubscription. This widespread interest from global investors, including central banks, sovereign wealth managers, and institutional fund managers, highlights the attractiveness of Chinese assets. 

Read more on db.com.

Bringing solar-powered lighting to public spaces in Senegal 

Streetlights do more than just light the way. They make roads safer for those driving, cycling or walking along them, reducing the number of accidents.  

We’re proud to have played a leading role in securing financing for 100,000 solar-powered streetlights in the Republic of Senegal. The funding will go towards lighting up approximately 4,000 km of road in a project spearheaded by Salvi Lighting Systems .  

But that’s not all. The solar-powered lights will save more than 22,500 tonnes of CO2 per year compared to lights that use power generated by burning fossil fuels.  

Read more in our media release.

Top awards 

Double win for FX expertise  

We were honoured to be named "Best FX Bank" in Western Europe and Asia-Pacific at the Euromoney FX Awards 2024, acknowledging our global expertise and dedication to meeting evolving client needs. In Asia, we also received two prestigious awards at the Asia Risk 2024 awards: "Currency Derivatives House of the Year" and "Deal of the Year." These accolades highlight our leading FX derivatives capabilities, particularly in Renminbi (RMB) FX, and our commitment to innovative structuring solutions. 

More on our recent award wins.

Top sustainability projects 

Deutsche Bank strengthens its ocean protection policies under #BackBlue initiative 

We are enhancing our due diligence requirements related to ocean protection during the fourth quarter of 2024 and onwards. This move builds upon our commitment to the #BackBlue initiative, which we joined in 2023, as the first bank. Led by Deutsche Bank’s partner, the Ocean Risk and Resilience Action Alliance (ORRAA), and backed by the United Nations , #BackBlue focuses on developing financial solutions that support ocean protection.  

These new policies, guided by international frameworks like the Sustainable Blue Economy Finance Principles, include stricter guidelines for maritime transport, protection of sensitive marine areas, and expanded due diligence for fisheries and marine aquaculture. We've also prohibited direct financing of deep-sea mining projects, recognizing the need for further scientific understanding of its impact. 

More details on the updated policies can be found in our Environmental and Social Policy Framework.

Top in tech 

Five clues about the future of AI 

The summer may be over but artificial intelligence is as hot as ever. Google searches for technology terms continue to be dominated by AI, with ChatGPT making a recent surge, possibly as students ease the pain of that first post-vacation assignment. But what does it tell us about the future of AI? 

Adrian Cox from our research team unpacks five recent headlines for clues as to where AI might be heading. Watch his short video below and discover more on our microsite Artificial Intelligence - Deutsche Bank Research. 

Top in culture 

Meet our Artist of the Year 2024 

Heading to Berlin anytime soon? Be sure not to miss the exhibition by Rohini Devasher, our Artist of The Year 2024, which opened on 12 September at the Palais Populaire.  

First launched in 2010, our Artist of the Year award focuses on promising artists who have produced artistically and socially significant works which develop new perspectives on the present. 

In her work, Rohini explores physics, astronomy and art - all the subjects that intrigued her as a child. Borrowed Light, Rohini’s first solo institutional exhibition in Europe, showcases her longtime fascination with astronomy, where light plays a pivotal role. Rohini says she has been an amateur astronomer for as long as she has been an artist!   

The exhibition runs until 10 March 2025 Rohini Devasher: Borrowed Light – PalaisPopulaire. 

Top CSR initiatives 

Going back to school in India 

Every child should have access to education regardless of their background. That’s why, as part of our corporate social responsibility (CSR) programme, we work with various organisations to help build a brighter future for schoolchildren. 

Our colleagues in India have been busy helping kids get ready for the new school year. In Mumbai and Bengaluru, members of our leadership team spent a day in the classroom, sharing their experiences and insights with children from low-income backgrounds. Partnering with Teach For India, the event took place as part of India’s Teachers’ Day celebrations. 

And for the ninth year in a row, our teams in Mumbai and Pune participated in the annual school kit drive, where they prepared and distributed school kits to students from marginalised and tribal communities. A joint initiative with the Seva Sjayog and Umang foundations, the kits were packed full of essentials like notebooks, crayons, geometry sets and pencil boxes, helping to ensure every child has the tools they need to succeed. 

Top people story 

Turning a hobby into a job 

Many of us have thought at some point about turning a hobby into a job. Enjoy baking? Why not open a patisserie. Into surfing? Maybe it’s time to teach others to ride the waves. But how many of us actually take the plunge?  

Well, for our colleague and food enthusiast Aman, the dream became reality when in 2019, he decided to leave his role at Deutsche Bank to launch his own cloud kitchen – facilities that produce food specifically for delivery. 

Aman’s new business taught him essential insights in strategy, service, and shaping operations. But it also reignited his passion for his original skillset: finance. When he returned to Deutsche Bank, our Resume your Résumé programme in India gave him the guidance to make the best use of every skill he has. It is a 12-week programme designed to support professionals who have taken a career break of 18 months or more. Aman recently shared his experience of the programme across our social media channels. 

Explore the programme Returners – Deutsche Bank Careers. 

Top number(s) 

Did you know? At least one out of seven people aged 15 and above lacks basic literacy skills, and some 250 million children of 6-18 years old are out of school. The International Literacy Day on September 8 aims to highlight the critical importance of literacy for creating a more just, peaceful, and sustainable society.  

At Deutsche Bank, we are dedicated to helping people from all walks of life reach their full potential. We aim to improve access to education and to remove barriers to educational attainment through over 130 projects.  

Since 2014, our education initiatives have reached over 6 million people in more than 30 countries.  

Learn more about our educational programmes.

Top links  

• Christian Sewing's keynote at the Handelsblatt Banking Summit 2024 

• What Next: From data theft to ransomware – threats and protection in the financial sector 

• Deutsche Bank Research: Macro MATTers – Outlook for the Fed, Rates & the US Economy 

• TikTok: A day in my life as the TikTok admin  

We'll be back with more insights and stories in the next edition of our newsletter!  

This is Top of Deutsche Bank – the newsletter bringing you the latest developments, ideas and stories from the world of banking and finance.