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Individuelle Restrukturierungs- und Zukunftskonzepte für Regionalbanken
Individuelle Restrukturierungs- und Zukunftskonzepte für Regionalbanken

Tailored restructuring and future concepts for regional banks and specialized institutions

Content
Initial situation & main drivers
Our range of services
References & experience
Contact

Many regional and specialized banks are currently facing profound changes: Increasing economic pressure, weak earnings, growing credit risks and tightening regulatory requirements are challenging the banks. In some cases, instability and external intervention are imminent; in others, the step towards active realignment has already become necessary.

We support banks at every stage – whether early monitoring, prevention or even restructuring – and work together to develop viable future concepts that secure their stability and open up new prospects.

Initial situation & main drivers: why restructuring concepts are becoming ever more important

The increasing impact on many financial institutions is currently reflected in four key developments:

  • Accumulation of support cases: Several banks needed to be stabilized in 2024/25, including VR-Bank Bad Salzungen-Schmalkalden, Volksbank Düsseldorf-Neuss and Volksbank Dortmund-Nordwest. Risk provisions rose to EUR 4.9 billion in 2024 – that is around EUR 3 billion more than in the previous year.
  • Increasing loan defaults: A weak economy and rising insolvencies are weighing on regional banks in particular. Poor decisions, such as the investment in the faltering agricultural group BayWa, have led to losses of around EUR 400 million.
  • Regulatory pressure: The National Association of German Cooperative Banks (BVR) is tightening the rules for the protection scheme and is planning special inspections, stricter escalation mechanisms and additional intervention rights.
  • Consolidation momentum: The BVR continues to expect up to 40 mergers per year in response to economic pressure and structural problems.
     

These factors mean that banks are increasingly required to review their business models, structures and steering mechanisms – in a timely, structured and forward-looking manner.

Sources: FAZ, Börsen-Zeitung (multiple cases).

Our range of services

We support you in safeguarding your ability to act and developing new prospects for the future – regardless of whether you operate as a regional bank, specialized institution or member of an association, and irrespective of your status.

1. Monitoring & prevention: recognizing risks, ensuring stability

We support you in recognizing risks at an early stage and interpreting signs of crisis correctly. Our starting point is a sound analysis of the financial, organizational and strategic status quo. Based on this, we develop targeted measures to stabilize and strengthen the future viability of your institution.


We create transparency about the actual earnings and capital base, identify potential risks in the portfolio and in the environment, and uncover internal weaknesses in structures and processes. We help you to recognize potential crises in good time and actively avert them.

2. Realignment & transformation: making business models fit for the future

The focus is on developing a future-proof business model that fits your market position and regional structure. We work with you to define a viable target organization and support you in adapting business and cost structures.

 

Customer segments, product portfolios as well as governance and steering mechanisms are aligned in such a way as to ensure long-term profitability. The result is an institution that is prepared for change – efficient, focused and with a clear strategy.

3. Recovery & stabilization: restoring the ability to act

In acute crisis situations, we provide structured support for your company. We develop robust recovery and restructuring concepts and coordinate communication with supervisory authorities, associations and protection schemes.

 

In doing so, we create short-term stability, initiate realistic measures to strengthen liquidity and capital, for mergers or restructuring, and ensure that your institution remains resilient in the long term after recovery.

References & experience

Over the past decades, zeb has successfully assisted numerous regional banks, cooperative banks and specialized institutions in their strategic realignment, restructuring and recovery.


This experience enables us to develop tailored and viable solutions that meet both regulatory requirements and the specific challenges of your institution.

Your advantage: security in uncertain times

Whether it is about monitoring, prevention or recovery, we work with you to develop the right path to a stable and successful future.


Together, we will find a solution – and jointly implement it.

Feel free to contact us

Marc Girlinger, zeb

Marc Girlinger

Senior Manager
Philipp Weckelmann, zeb

Philipp Weckelmann

Manager