A French Banker's German Encounter

When Philippe Oddo, managing partner of the Franco-German financial group Oddo BHF, attended a dinner in Ulm with a group of German industrialists, he did not expect to walk away with a parliamentary membership invitation. A Bundestag deputy handed him his card and described the 'Europa Union', a transpartisan movement that unites MPs from all mainstream German parties — CDU-CSU, SPD, FDP and the Greens — around a shared commitment to the European project. The movement, which excludes only the far-right AFD and the left-wing Die Linke, counts 17,000 members.

"We would like you to join us," the deputy said. The moment left the French banker exhilarated. "That's Germany for you," he later remarked, marvelling at a political culture where cross-party cooperation on Europe remains possible. The encounter is not an isolated incident; it reflects Oddo's deeply held belief that France and Germany must act as the engine of a more integrated Europe.

That belief has been translated into action at Oddo BHF, a bank that has methodically expanded into Germany over the past decade. In 2016 it acquired the private bank BHF, investment bank Seydler and asset manager Meriten, effectively turning a Paris-based firm into a true Franco-German house. Today, the bank's motto — "making every day an opportunity" — hangs in both French and German at its Paris headquarters, a quiet testament to Oddo's conviction.

The Strategic Roots of Oddo's Franco-German Focus

More than a business strategy

Oddo's German foray was initially driven by the search for scale and a platform in Europe's largest economy. But the acquisitions came with a cultural commitment that goes beyond the usual cross-border integration. In an industry where trust and long-standing relationships matter, the bank's deep embedding in both French and German ecosystems is a competitive asset. It grants access to the affluent Mittelstand, a segment of wealthy family-owned businesses that few foreign players have managed to penetrate deeply.

While other European banks have retreated from the cost of maintaining dual-country operations, Oddo BHF has leaned in — leveraging its dual identity to attract clients who value stability across borders. Philippe Oddo's personal engagement with German politics and industry figures isn't just a hobby; it reinforces the bank's local credentials and builds the kind of goodwill that can tip a mandate in a low-margin, high-trust business.