Levin Holle is the man for big numbers. And the CFO of Deutsche Bahn will continue to work with large sums when he transitions to the Chancellery as an economic and financial advisor to Friedrich Merz, heading up the Department of Economic and Financial Policy. This role also includes serving as the Sherpa for the Chancellor at G7 and G20 summits. The Sherpa acts as the German coordinator within the group of seven major industrial nations, as well as the expanded G20, which includes emerging economies. In times of an unpredictable US administration and a shifting global economic order, this position is likely to be as challenging as that of the Chancellor's foreign policy advisor.

The 57 year old doctorate-holding lawyer Holle will mainly need to focus on the economic transition in Germany. It's clear that the large sums needed for infrastructure must be converted into growth-boosting investments if this government is to succeed. The hard work lies within the specific ministries, but the Chancellery must unite them and sometimes push forward or apply the brakes.

Holle has always been careful with other people's money. As a member of the Deutsche Bahn board since 2020, responsible for finance and logistics, he has fought against high levels of debt. The state-owned company recently had a turnover of 26 billion and net financial debt of 33 billion euros. In 2024, Holle launched an efficiency program. He successfully sold the foreign subsidiary Arriva and logistics giant Schenker. The completion of the sale of Schenker to Danish logistics company DSV practically served as a farewell gift for Holle.

He is certainly no stranger to moving between the spheres of business and politics. In 2012, Wolfgang Schäuble (CDU) brought Holle to the Ministry of Finance, where he led the large and influential Financial Markets Department. This department handles financial market regulation and oversight, financial market stability, debt management including the Finance Agency, and the fight against illegal financial flows. International financial relations were a key part of the job, not only at the monthly Eurogroup and Ecofin meetings in Brussels, but also at G7 and G20 summits.

At the Ministry, Holle worked with the financial supervisor BaFin to address the fallout of the financial crisis. His tenure coincided with the low-interest rate phase, which posed challenges for insurers and pension funds. Holle has always seen digitalisation in the financial sector as an opportunity, and has allowed new initiatives to flourish – while remaining cautious. He has sought a market-appropriate approach to sustainable finance.

Before his time at the Ministry, Holle worked for 15 years at Boston Consulting, including leading the Berlin office as a Senior Partner. His career path took him from his hometown of Düsseldorf to Hong Kong, to Warsaw, and finally to the German capital. His projects focused on transformations in the financial sector, and the impact on finance departments at companies. Holle gained early political experience as vice president of the RCDS (Reform-Christian Democratic Student Union) during his studies, but he initially did not pursue it any further. Merz can meet the very tall Holle at eye level, if not even need to look up a bit.