BayernLB takes over IT management responsibilities from Unicredit.
The Bavarian State Bank (BayernLB) has announced the appointment of Ahmad Zia Hoshyarzai as its new IT board member, effective October 1, subject to approval from the banking supervisory authority. Hoshyarzai, a seasoned IT professional with extensive experience in digitalisation, is expected to significantly accelerate the modernisation of IT and further digitalisation at BayernLB.
Born in 1978, Hoshyarzai came to Germany as a child refugee from Afghanistan and initially lived in an orphanage. He later built a successful career in the IT sector, rising through the ranks to become the CEO of the German branch of the Italian bank Unicredit.
Hoshyarzai's role at BayernLB will primarily focus on leading and modernising the IT infrastructure to make the bank more agile, technologically advanced, and competitive in the rapidly digitalising financial market. The bank aims to leverage Hoshyarzai's expertise to prioritise digital innovation and drive the transformation towards a modern, customer-oriented financial institution.
CEO Stephan Winkelmeier emphasised Hoshyarzai's "valuable international experience, which will enrich us as a team." The bank expects Hoshyarzai to shape the digital strategy, promote technological change, and intensify digitalisation efforts to secure the bank's future and strengthen its position in the German and European banking market.
One of Hoshyarzai's main tasks will be the Kopernikus project, which covers the topics of finance, risk, and regulation. The project, which started in 2022, has been taking longer and costing more than planned, but BayernLB does not anticipate any disruptions in its work.
Hoshyarzai has been based in Munich since the early 1990s and previously served as the IT chief of HypoVereinsbank, a subsidiary of Unicredit. His responsibilities at Unicredit included further developing IT, digital, and procurement services. After studying business administration, he began his career in 2007 as an auditor for PricewaterhouseCoopers.
The vacancy in the IT board position at BayernLB, previously held by Markus Wiegelmann, who left the bank at the end of June, did not result in any delays, according to the bank. Wiegelmann had focused on the Kopernikus project during his tenure.
[1] Source: BayernLB press release, July 2025.
1.Ahmad Zia Hoshyarzai, with his extensive background in the IT sector and proven track record in digitalization, will utilize his expertise to drive the modernization of IT and prioritize digital innovation at BayernLB, aiming to make the bank more competitive in the fast-changing digital business environment.
- As a key part of his role, Hoshyarzai will manage the Kopernikus project, focusing on finance, risk, and regulation, which is essential for the bank's strategic digital transformation in the ever-evolving financial technology landscape.
