Popa was appointed by the EIB’s Board of Governors on the basis of a proposal from the Minister of Finance of Romania. He will take up his duties on 1 March 2016.
“It is an honor and a privilege to join the European Investment Bank’s Management Committee and I look forward to supporting the Bank’s engagement in Romania, across Europe, and around the world. Over the last 25 years the European Investment Bank has played a crucial role in supporting improved economic opportunities, access to finance, innovation and infrastructure both in Europe and beyond and I look forward to contributing to its work as a team and building on this notable track record and proven experience,” said Vice-President Cristian Popa.
Popa will replace Mihai Tanasescu, who has been EIB vice-president since 2012 and is currently on leave of absence in the context of an investigation from Romania’s anticorruption department DNA.
Prior to his appointment at the EIB, Cristian Popa was Deputy Governor of the National Bank of Romania.
Popa has a 16-year experience in the National Bank of Romania and had three consecutive mandates as Deputy Governor.
He was Vice-President of the NBR Monetary Policy and Supervision Committees and a member of its Board of Administration, and he additionally served as alternate World Bank governor for Romania and as member of the ECB International Relations Committee and of the Economic and Financial Committee (EFC). He was also alternate member for Romania of the ECB General Council.
The Romanian Vice-President coordinates the financing operations in Romania, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Greece, Macedonia and EFTA states.