This is the new one at the top of the Kreissparkasse

"We can do more than we are expected to do," says Udo Stefan Schlipf. The 55-year-old is the new member of the Kreissparkasse board. Read what he thinks about the bank, the district and his tasks here

Miesbach - There are pictures of the family on the desk, otherwise the room appears structured and tidy. Udo Stefan Schlipf likes it purist. He says and laughs. At the beginning of the year, the 55-year-old took over the office from his predecessor Erwin Graf with a view of the roundabout at the Kreissparkassen headquarters in Miesbach. As reported, he had retired for health reasons. Together with Martin Mihalovits (50), the long-time chairman of the board, Schlipf will form the bank's management duo as a new board member.

That says Udo Schlipf about himself

"I was fascinated by banking from an early age," says the doctor of social and economic science, who grew up in the Swabian Jura and has lived in Stuttgart for the past 25 years. He knows the business from the bottom up. His basic knowledge always helped him later, whether at Hypovereinsbank in Munich, Volksbank Schwarzwald-Donau-Neckar or most recently at Liechtenstein's commercial and commercial bank. In Miesbach, the father of three sons, one of them still compulsory at school, prevailed against 40 competitors. So everything went right in his life. Bad mood? Doesn't actually know slip. "I'm a consistently positive person," he says, laughing again. "I'm fine with myself."

About the district

The new environment contributes to this. The family's new home in Miesbach will be ready for occupancy in March, and the area offers opportunities for all of his hobbies: skiing, sailing, cycling, motorcycling, soccer. Schlipf is currently still looking for a club. Getting involved in society, giving something back, that is his goal. "Miesbach is an extremely pleasant, life-affirming district," says the new Sparkassen board and adds: "The opportunities that are offered here are probably only appreciated if you come from outside."

Over the bank

He quickly arrived at the Kreissparkasse. "After only six weeks, I realized that landing in the house is easy," he says. The employees would have welcomed him benevolently, but also with a certain curiosity and expectations. “The Kreissparkasse is well positioned and has an enormous reputation and great importance in the district,” says Schlipf. "Tradition and values ​​play an important role here." At the same time, it is more innovative than you think. "We can do more than we are expected to do," says the 55-year-old. In his eyes, the bank is of a good size to remain independent in the future.

About his tasks

In order not to get under the edge, the Sparkasse must constantly reinvent itself. Schlipf, who takes care of the internal issues on the board, sees three major challenges: the changed customer behavior, the low interest rate phase and the increasing regulation. Despite cost pressures, “headless retreat from the surface” is out of the question. "As a bank, we have to be able to feel it locally," he emphasizes. Whether the new Holzkirchner branch concept in this form also makes sense in other municipalities cannot be said after just a few weeks of operation. The first feedback is at least encouraging. "We all don't know what the branch of the future actually looks like," says Schlipf. "But we are tackling the issue."

About new formats

He has regular information events in mind for him - initially in Holzkirchen, later also elsewhere. No big customer events, rather small, uncomplicated keynote speeches of a maximum of one hour. In cooperation with the criminal police, there will soon be the first information stand on fraud prevention in the counter hall of the main office. And the novelty of the innovation conference FIT-Forum is planned for November. "An institute like ours also has the task of leading current social debates," said Schlipf. "We cannot be well if people are not well."

Also read: Kreissparkasse in a race against falling interest rates and Sparkasse opens "Branch of the future"