Bankers need to take on roles as green consultants to support transition finance, says DBS’s Muenkel

HELGE Muenkel describes himself as “insanely passionate about sustainability”. He admits this is “amazingly cliche”, but he believes passion is necessary in a role such as his.

Muenkel was appointed chief sustainability officer at DBS in January. Because sustainability requirements are changing fast, Muenkel says technical skills for the role can become outdated quickly. Passion for the topic is therefore of the “utmost importance”.

He also says the role of the banker, particularly as transition finance takes centre stage, has evolved – to be less financier and more consultant.