Helmut Wacket has a degree in Business Administration and has a broad background in central banking. From 1983 – 1999 he worked in different functions for the Deutsche Bundesbank and joined the ECB in 1999 where he has worked in different functions in the Directorate General Market Infrastructure and Payments as well as in Market Operations. His focus has been on the development and implementation of policies to support the catalyst and oversight function of the ECB, whose aim is to ensure the smooth functioning of financial market infrastructures. Helmut Wacket is currently the Head of the Market Innovation and Integration Division at the ECB.