At the Annual General Meeting on 26 March, SaarLB’s shareholders appointed Iljana Raute as Frank Eloy’s successor. His contract is due to expire in 2027 as scheduled. Frank Eloy has thus served as a member of the Executive Board at SaarLB for more than 25 years.
Iljana Raute currently works at NORD/LB as Head of the Affiliates and Corporate Clients North division. She will join SaarLB in the second half of 2026, initially as a general representative, and is subsequently due to be appointed as Executive Director of Sales – subject to regulatory approval. In this role, she will take over responsibility for corporate clients, property finance, project finance, business payment services and the Franco-German Pôle from Frank Eloy.
This means that the succession has been settled well in advance, and at the same time the appointment marks a milestone: Iljana Raute will become the first woman on the SaarLB Executive Board.
Cornelia Hoffmann-Bethscheider, President of the Saar Savings Banks Association and Chair of the Annual General Meeting, explains: “Iljana Raute brings proven expertise in corporate banking and leadership experience from a major regional bank. She therefore embodies both continuity and further development. We would like to thank Frank Eloy today for 25 years of exceptional commitment and for the strong positioning of SaarLB in its core business areas – particularly in its Franco-German focus.”
Jakob von Weizsäcker, Minister for Finance and Science and a member of the General Meeting, emphasises: “SaarLB is a key partner for businesses, investment and transformation in the Saarland. In Iljana Raute, we have appointed a successor who has an excellent understanding of corporate banking and working within the group – this sends an important signal of stability and sustainability.”
Stephan Wilcke, Chairman of the Board of Directors of SaarLB: “We began the search for a suitable successor to our Chief Sales Officer, Frank Eloy, at an early stage. I am delighted that, in Iljana Raute, we have been able to secure a highly experienced leader for SaarLB as early as 2026. This ensures a smooth handover of responsibilities.”
Iljana Raute says of her future role: “I would like to thank the shareholders for their trust. SaarLB is a special bank – with strong regional roots, a close relationship with its corporate clients and clear expertise in Franco-German affairs. I look forward to continuing this successful development alongside the Executive Board and all staff, and to actively shaping the next steps.”
About the person: Iljana Raute (53) holds a degree in banking and finance and has many years of management experience in corporate banking. Since April 2023, she has been Head of the “Network and Corporate Clients North” division at NORD/LB in Hanover, reporting directly to the Executive Board. She manages the North region, which comprises several branches, and is responsible for around 120 staff members.
Prior to this, she held senior positions in corporate and business banking at UniCredit Bank AG in Hanover, including Managing Director for the Lower Saxony market region and Director of Corporate Banking. Her career also took her to Santander Bank, as well as previously to NORD/LB and the cooperative banking sector.
