Mariana Kühnel is the new Executive Director of the Austrian Financial Market Authority (FMA) with effect from 06 July 2025. The position was publicly advertised and she was nominated by the Federal Minister of Finance and then appointed by the Federal President for a five-year term. Mariana Kühnel succeeds Eduard Müller, whose term finished on 05 July 2025. Helmut Ettl continues as the other Executive Director.
In a joint message to FMA staff members, Kühnel and Ettl wrote, “We are looking forward to working together at the FMA. Together, we will devote our energy in the years ahead in ensuring a strong and stable Austrian financial market that is able to fulfil its role in financing the Austrian economy, and to provide reliable financial services for companies and households.”
Mariana Kühnel was born on 31 January 1983 in Vienna and holds a degree in Business Administration from the Vienna University of Economics and Business. Following a further master’s degree in European and International Relations at the College of Europe in Bruges, she became Chief Policy Advisor to Othmar Karas MEP in 2009. Her duties in particular included European legislation following the Great Financial Crisis. From 2010 to 2018 Kühnel held various roles at Erste Group Bank, including as Head of European Affairs, as Head of the CEO Office to Andreas Treichl and most recently as Executive Director for Group Board Support & Stakeholder Management. In addition, between 2022 and 2025 she was also a member of Erste Group Bank’s supervisory board. From 2018 until recently, she was Deputy Secretary General of the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber (WKÖ ), responsible for policy areas including foreign trade, European policy, and innovation and digitalisation.
Journalists may address further enquiries to:
Boris Gröndahl (FMA Media Spokesperson)
Telephone: +43 (1) 249 59-6010
Mobile: +43 676 8824 9995
E-Mail: [email protected]