Organisation

Helmut Ettl was born on 23 August 1965, and studied Economics at the Johannes Kepler University in Linz. After completing his alternative service, he worked in various managerial positions for the City of Linz child-welfare services. In 1995, he moved to Vienna and joined the Foreign Research Division of the Oesterreichische Nationalbank (OeNB), his thematic focus being on economic and monetary union. In 2001, he was appointed deputy head of the Banking Analysis and Inspections Division and became its head in 2003. In 2008, Helmut Ettl was appointed as FMA Executive Director. Since 2011 he has been a member of the Board of Supervisors of the European Banking Authority (EBA) and European Systemic Risk Board (ESRB). Between 2008 and 2010 Helmut Ettl was a member of the Committee of European Banking Supervisors (CEBS). His current term as FMA Executive Director runs until 13 February 2028. Since January 2014 Helmut Ettl has been a voting member of the Supervisory Board of the Single Supervisory Mechanism of the European Central Bank (ECB). Between 2021 and 2023, he was a Member of the Management Board of the European Banking Authority (EBA) and was elected the Alternate Chair of the European Banking Authority (EBA) in July 2023.

SSM Calendars

Mariana Kühnel has served as a Member of the Executive Board of the Austrian Financial Market Authority (FMA) since July 2025. In this capacity, she is also a member of the Board of Supervisors of the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA), a member of the Board of Supervisors of the European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority (EIOPA) and a member of the Financial Market Stability Board (FMSG). She has many years of experience in banking, financial market regulation, national and European advocacy, and strategic crisis management.

Prior to joining the FMA, she served as Deputy Secretary General of the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber (WKÖ) from 2018, where she was responsible for foreign trade, European policy, education, innovation, digitalization, and strategic crisis management. Before that, she held several senior positions at Erste Group Bank AG, including Head of Group Board Support & Stakeholder Management and Chief of Staff to the CEO. From 2022 to 2025, she also served as a member of the Supervisory Board of Erste Group Bank AG.

Mariana Kühnel began her career in the European Parliament as Head of Office to MEP Othmar Karas, focusing on economic and financial policy.

She holds a degree in Business Administration from the Vienna University of Economics and Business and a Master’s degree in European and International Relations from the College of Europe in Bruges. Additionally, she has completed postgraduate programs in governance and leadership.