Fritz Mostböck appointed as new president. Calling for European collaboration and resilience
Photo credit: Erste Group
Fritz Mostböck, EFFAS president and Head of Group Research at Erste Group Bank AG and Chair of the Austrian Association ÖVFA
EFFAS, the European Federation of Financial Analysts Societies, has appointed Fritz Mostböck
as its new President following the Annual General Meeting (AGM) held in Vienna. Mostböck, who
has served as EFFAS Deputy Chairman and currently holds the position of Head of Group
Research at Erste Group Bank AG and Chair of the Austrian Association ÖVFA, takes over the
presidency from Jesús López Zaballos, who stepped down after thirteen years of service.
Fritz Mostböck: A Call for European Collaboration and Resilience
First of all, Mr. Mostböck would like to thank Jesús López Zaballos personally for everything he
has done for EFFAS. In his first speech as EFFAS President, Mostböck emphasized the crucial
role of financial experts in tackling the complex challenges facing Europe today:
“We are facing many crises, wars and economic volatility that confronts us with major
challenges. As a strong European umbrella organization, EFFAS represents around 17,000
members and more than 27,000 students have completed our training programmes. As
chairman, I want to engage in open dialogue. EFFAS can only be as good as its individual
national member societies. I would like to invite all our members, external institutions, and
partners to pull together to strengthen our capital markets in Europe. Only in this way we can
finance (1.) the transformation process, (2.) our pension systems and (3.) necessary defence
spending.”
Jesús López Zaballos Reflects on Two Decades of Dedication
Jesús López Zaballos, who has been part of EFFAS since 2001 and served four terms as
President, shared a heartfelt farewell message at the AGM:
“After thirteen years as President of EFFAS, and over two decades of close collaboration with
this great federation since I joined in 2001, yesterday in our 2025 AGM in Vienna I passed the
torch to my friend Fritz Mostböck.
Over all these years, I have had the privilege of working alongside exceptional professionals,
committed to excellence and the continuous development of the financial profession in Europe
and beyond. Looking back, I am profoundly proud of what we have achieved together.
The creation of the EFFAS Summer School, the development and consolidation of the EFFAS
Academy, the launched and implemented certification programmes that are now industry
standards, such as the CESGA (Certified ESG Analyst), and the internationalization of EFFAS,
particularly in Asia, are some of the projects we can feel most proud of.
Dear Fritz, I wish you every success in this new chapter. I am confident that under your
leadership, EFFAS will continue to grow, innovate, and serve as a powerful voice in the future of
responsible and sustainable finance.”
With this transition, EFFAS enters a new chapter—building on a strong legacy while continuing
its mission to empower financial professionals and strengthen capital markets across Europe
and beyond.