Deutsche Bank Names Alison Harding-Jones as Global Head of M&A

Deutsche Bank has promoted Alison Harding-Jones, the former head of Citigroup's M&A division in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, to its global Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) team. The news comes at a difficult moment for the M&A sector, which saw a 17% drop in transactions to $2.9 trillion last year, the first drop below $3 trillion since 2013.

Alison, a seasoned dealmaker with over 30 years of experience, will begin her new post in London next week, reporting to Mark Fedorcik, co-head of Deutsche's investment bank. In order to improve its position in a competitive industry driven mostly by Wall Street, Deutsche Bank intends to harness Alison’s expertise.

M&A activity has been sluggish, resulting in a 26% drop in M&A fees, which have reached their lowest level since 2016 at $29 billion. This slump is expected to have an influence on investment bankers' annual bonus pools, which are set to be finalized this month.

After years of restructuring and cutbacks at Deutsche Bank's investment bank, Harding-Jones has a significant job in restoring the bank's prominence in M&A. According to Dealogic statistics from 2023, the bank presently ranks 17th globally and 11th in the EMEA area. Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan, Morgan Stanley, and Bank of America continue to top the worldwide mergers and acquisitions league tables.

With her considerable expertise, including noteworthy transactions such as Philip Morris International's acquisition of Swedish Match and the Central Group and Signa purchase of Selfridges, Harding-Jones is well-positioned to guide Deutsche Bank through these trying times.