OLB Appoints Johannes Knolle as Head of Acquisition Finance

Acquisition Finance is one of the most successful growth areas within OLB’s Corporates & Diversified Lending business segment. Now the Bank itself has completed an important acquisition: Johannes Knolle will join OLB as Head of Acquisition Finance effective 1 January 2027. Over the past twelve years, he has served as Head of Acquisition and Leveraged Finance at DZ Bank. At OLB, he succeeds Christian Rothhardt, who left the Bank in July 2026.

“I am delighted that we have succeeded in convincing Johannes Knolle of OLB’s strategy and future ambitions,” said Chris Eggert, Member of the Management Board of OLB and Chief Investment Officer responsible for Corporates & Diversified Lending. “He is a highly respected expert with an extensive network in the market. With his expertise and strong drive, he will play a key role in expanding our Acquisition Finance activities and further developing the entire Corporates & Diversified Lending segment.”

Johannes Knolle has headed Acquisition and Leveraged Finance at DZ Bank since late 2014. He joined the DZ Bank as a Director in 2011 after working in Financial Restructuring at Houlihan Lokey. Prior to that, he gained several years of experience in Acquisition and Leveraged Finance at, among others, UniCredit and Dresdner Kleinwort.

In his new role at OLB, Johannes Knolle will lead a team of approximately 30 employees. As of 31 December 2025, the Acquisition Finance portfolio comprised financing commitments of more than EUR 2 billion.