finews.com in December identified Peter Hinder as a banker to watch this year. And true enough, the banker at Deutsche has been quick to put in the gear after succeeding Marco Bizzozero as head of private banking Europe, Middle East and Africa (Emea).

The former UBS banker is determined to expand Deutsche Bank’s private-banking business, while the group in is still reeling and trying to recover. And Switzerland features prominently in his expansionary plans, according to an interview with «Reuters».

The Germans in Switzerland

Hinder has set his sights on a very specific group of customers in Switzerland. He plans to attract mainly German customers who already have a Swiss account – but at another bank.

The private banker is certain that the target group provides a rich source of growth for Deutsche Bank: «It isn’t our aim to replace the local market leaders,» he cautions.

In other words, it is mainly the medium sized companies in Switzerland who ought to keep an eye on the German competitor. Paul Arni (pictured below), will managed the Swiss wealth management business at the German giant starting next month.

With the appointment, the Swiss unit has been strengthened within the group as Switzerland previously had been managed by Carsten Kahl, the head of Northern and Central Europe.

Arni used to be in charge of the Zurich region at Julius Baer private bank and was the deputy head of Switzerland.

Russians in the U.K.

Not unlike Julius Baer, Hinder also aims to tackle the U.K. market, despite concern about the potential consequences from the country’s departure from the European Union. After all, London remains a favorite haunt of Sheiks and Russian oligarchs.

Hinder says that Deutsche Bank hasn’t yet achieved in the U.K. what its potential would suggest it could. The team currently consists of ten high-ranking bankers, and Hinder will expand this team significantly.

The banker expects to hire some 20 relationship managers in the Emea region this year.

The new hires don’t face an easy task though, because the bank’s private customers are said to have been put off by the troubles that have engulfed the bank. Assets under management have declined by about 15 billion euros in the Emea region over the course of last year. But, according to Hinder, the bank at least has managed to get two thirds of those customers back.