Other members of the six-person "global advisory board" include former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, former Google chief executive Eric Schmidt and former PepsiCo chair and CEO Indra Nooyi.

The bank said the purpose of the group is to "advise the management board on fundamental macroeconomic, geopolitical and technological developments that have a significant impact on the bank's operating environment".

The group meets on Tuesday in New York for the first time and will convene officially twice a year, though they are available for consultation between meetings.

Achleitner, whose 10-year reign as chairman of the supervisory board concluded earlier this year, said the advisers will "develop ideas and proposals" on navigating the economic environment, managing risks and seizing opportunities.

(Reporting by Tom Sims; Editing by Paul Carrel)