Top Goldman Sachs Germany banker Blessing to retire: memo

Dorothee Blessing, co-head of investment banking for Germany at Goldman Sachs and wife of Commerzbank's chief executive Martin Blessing, is retiring from the U.S. bank, according to an internal memo.

Blessing, 45, joined Goldman as a financial analyst in 1992 and over the next 20 years worked her way up to partner and co-head of investment banking for Germany and Austria, according to the memo, which was seen by Reuters on Wednesday.

A financial industry source said Blessing planned to hand over her responsibilities by the middle of the year to then calmly reflect on plans for the second half of her professional life.

"She's gearing up for a new challenge," the source said.

Germany's Manager Magazin also reported Blessing's departure on Wednesday.

Blessing has run investment banking alongside co-head Wolfgang Fink under the leadership of Goldman Sachs's country head Alexander Dibelius.

(Reporting by Jonathan Gould and Alexander Huebner; Editing by Greg Mahlich)