Who we are

DWS Group (DWS) with EUR 860bn of assets under management (as of 30 September 2023) aspires to be one of the world's leading asset managers. Building on more than 60 years of experience, it has a reputation for excellence in Germany, Europe, the Americas and Asia. DWS is recognized by clients globally as a trusted source for integrated investment solutions, stability and innovation across a full spectrum of investment disciplines.

We offer individuals and institutions access to our strong investment capabilities across all major liquid and illiquid asset classes as well as solutions aligned to growth trends. Our diverse expertise in Active, Passive and Alternatives asset management – as well as our deep environmental, social and governance focus – complement each other when creating targeted solutions for our clients. Our expertise and on-the-ground knowledge of our economists, research analysts and investment professionals are brought together in one consistent global CIO View, giving strategic guidance to our investment approach.

DWS wants to innovate and shape the future of investing. We understand that, both as a corporate as well as a trusted advisor to our clients, we have a crucial role in helping to navigate the transition to a more sustainable future. With approximately 4,500 employees in offices all over the world, we are local while being one global team. We are committed to acting on behalf of our clients and investing with their best interests at heart so that they can reach their financial goals, no matter what the future holds. With our entrepreneurial, collaborative spirit, we work every day to deliver outstanding investment results, in both good and challenging times to build the best foundation for our clients’ financial future.

Our Values

Integrity first

Openness, transparency and accountability must define every relationship, whether with colleagues, investors, or society as a whole. In tandem, clients’ best interests should always take precedence. This is how lasting value is created and how wealth is protected and grown.

Entrepreneurial minds

Many investors have an entrepreneurial outlook. The people they trust to look after their investments should share that perspective. Innovation, adaptability, agility, efficiency and collective intelligence are hallmarks of success, especially amid the risks and opportunities of an everchanging world.

Demanding excellence

Expectations should be exceeded rather than merely met. To achieve this, we strive for excellence in everything we do. Our fully integrated investment platform based on outstanding proprietary research, a unique precise decisionmaking process are the core components for us to apply this principle.

Inspiring sustainability

Forward thinking demands a long-term view - and a sense of consciousness and responsibility for the society we are part of. The long heritage of integrating our Responsible Investment (RI) philosophy across all asset classes demonstrates our conviction to contribute to a sustainable future by incorporating environmental, social and governance (ESG) considerations into investment decisions.

Corporate Structure

DWS KGaA is a partnership limited by shares (Kommanditgesellschaft auf Aktien, or “KGaA”) with a German-law limited liability company (Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung, or “GmbH”) as its general partner. DWS KGaA is the direct or indirect holding company for the Group’s subsidiaries. As at December 31, 2018, DWS Group consists of 79 consolidated entities, comprising of 51 subsidiaries and 28 consolidated structured entities.

Branches of Subsidiaries

DWS KGaA holds branches only via its subsidiaries. Five of our subsidiaries have a total of 24 branches domiciled across all regions including fourteen branches in EMEA, nine in the Americas and one in Asia Pacific. The majority of these subsidiaries and branches have been operational for a number of years and are considered an extension of our investment management activities performed in other locations. They are important for us to have a local presence in our key markets. In 2018, we set up new branches in EMEA, including Amsterdam, Paris, Madrid, Milan and Vienna; a new branch was also created in Stockholm and is expected to start business activity by end of June 2019. These branches were set up to house certain business activities that were previously carried out in local Deutsche Bank AG branches.

CIO View