Management & Board of Directors

Dr. Florian Becker is CEO of Aquila Capital. As a long-standing member of Aquila Capital’s management team, he has played a key role in building and shaping the company since its foundation. Prior to this, Florian worked as a lawyer at an international law firm specialising in corporate, supervisory and real estate law. As part of his work for a large Australian law firm in Sydney he gained his first experience in the field of renewable energies in 2008 and 2009. Florian completed his law studies at the Georg August University in Göttingen and received his doctorate from the University of Regensburg.

Michael Hacker is CFO of Aquila Capital. With more than 20 years in the banking and financial services sector he brings a strong background and in-depth experience in finance to Aquila Capital. Prior to joining Aquila Capital in 2024, he worked as a Managing Director for Commerzbank in Frankfurt where his responsibilities included the bank’s International Finance Function and proprietary investments among others. Before that, he worked for the management consultancies Deloitte and Accenture. He holds a diploma degree in economics from the Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences.

Lars Kühne is CRO of Aquila Capital. He has been in the financial sector since 1998 and has more than 20 years of relevant experience. Prior to joining Aquila Capital in 2023, he worked 10 years at Schroders, where he was responsible for the risk management practice of the Swiss asset management business and since 2020 for the global investment risk management framework of Schroders Capital (Schroders’ Private Assets business). Before that he held several senior positions in risk management and investment controlling across different Swiss banks and financial institutions. He holds a Master of Science in Risk Management from New York University, Stern School of Business and a Master of Law from University of Basel. In addition, he holds a Swiss federal diploma in Banking & Finance and is a qualified FRM, PRM, CAIA and CESGA charter holder.

Silvia Schmitten-Walgenbach is COO of Aquila Capital. A seasoned executive with a distinguished international background of over 30 years in the financial sector, Silvia’s career includes leadership roles at renowned investment banks and investment companies. Prior to joining Aquila Capital in October 2024, Silvia served as Chief Executive Officer at CA Immo, an Austrian listed real estate investor and developer. Before that, she was Chief Operating Officer at Barclay Europe’s Bank overseeing operations in Germany, the Netherlands and Sweden. Her career also includes senior management roles at Morgan Stanley Real Estate Investment and the real estate business of Dresdner Bank / Allianz Group. Silvia spent the first 15 years of her career at Deutsche Bank, working in London, New York and Frankfurt, primarily in the Structured Finance and Private Equity business. She holds a diploma in Business Administration from the Frankfurt School of Finance & Management.

Christoph Wallrich is Head Fund Management Clean Energy and Head of Luxembourg at Aquila Capital. Prior to joining Aquila Capital in 2014, Christoph trained at KPMG Luxembourg, where he assisted in the auditing of investment funds and the performance of risk management procedures. Christoph holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Trier in Germany and a master’s degree in finance and management from the University of Essex in the UK.

Markus Wandt is CIO of Aquila Capital.  He is a proven financial expert with more than two decades of experience. Before joining Aquila Capital in 2022, he was Partner at Pollination in London and Investment Director at Maryland GmbH. He has also held senior positions at RWE Innogy and Bank of America and served as a member of the Board of Directors at DNV GL. His expertise spans various areas of finance, including mergers and acquisitions and investment strategies.

Christian Holste is Head Client Advisory & Business Development at Aquila Capital. This includes the support of existing customers as well as the acquisition of new clients. He has over 30 years of experience in investment banking and sales, most notably for fixed income and structured products. Prior to joining Aquila Capital in 2013, Christian held positions at UBS Deutschland, Salomon Smith Barney/Citigroup, Barclays Capital and JP Morgan. He was responsible for the strategic restructuring of UBS’s fixed income business in Germany and Austria and he also served as a member of the executive board of UBS Investment Bank in Germany. Christian studied business administration at the Goethe University Frankfurt.