Unicredit has brought in ex-Hermes underwriting and risk management head Kai Preugschat.

Preugschat will join the bank on July 1 in a newly-created role as managing director of international origination of structured trade and export finance (STEF).

He will report to the global head of STEF, Angelo Rizzuti.

“Kai will bring on board his deep knowledge in the origination of structured export finance and his extensive experience and international network,” says Rizzuti.

“We decided to establish this new position to cope with the strong increase in our clients’ demand for trade and export finance facilities.”

Before joining the bank, Preugschat was co-head of the underwriting and risk management division at Germany’s export credit agency Hermes.

He has held management positions in the structured finance departments at ANZ, BayernLB and KfW Ipex Bank.

Preugschat is also an independent board member of Canadian small and medium-sized enterprise export financer Northstar Trade Finance.