Schroder Bank Elects Risk Expert to Its Board

Switzerland's Schroder & Co Bank has elected a long-time Swiss Re manager to its board of directors. Originally, she had trained as a veterinarian.

Martin Eckert has stepped down from the board of directors of Schroder & Co Bank after more than two decades. Annebelle Hett-Essinger was elected in his place, Schroder announced on Monday.

During her career, Hett-Essinger has repeatedly impressed with strategic foresight and the ability to form teams that deliver far above-average results, said Schroder Chairman Peter Hall, according to the statement.

Doctorate in Radiology and Nuclear Medicine

Hett-Essinger, who grew up in Bergisch Gladbach, Germany, worked until last year at Swiss Re, Switzerland's largest reinsurer, where she joined in 2002 as a risk expert. Most recently, she had headed the «Swiss Re Institute Engagement & Development».

Originally, she studied veterinary medicine at the University of Bern and subsequently worked in an equine clinic and for the Federal Veterinary Office. However, Hett-Essinger earned her doctorate in radiology and nuclear medicine. This is where she discovered her interest in technology and analytical thinking, she says.

The mother of a son is involved in various non-profit organizations, for example as co-founder of the think tank «FemaleShift».