It wants to grow organically or buy portfolios from other banks, said Carlo Vivaldi, head of the Central and Eastern European division of the Italian group. It is not interested in buying other banks, he added, answering a question about Banca Transilvania, a deal that would help UniCredit become local market leader ahead of BCR.
Vivaldi says UniCredit has the desire and necessary resources to pursue this growth.
“Where will we get those customers? There are banking groups reducing presence in the region, such as Greek, Russian, Austrian and American banks.”
His position makes Vivaldi the most powerful bank executive in Central and Eastern Europe, considering UniCredit/Bank Austria is the largest financial group in the region, ahead of Erste and Raiffeisen.
In 2015, UniCredit Romania attracted 30,000 new customers and the goal set by its shareholders is really bold.
The bank wants to grant more loans and has various projects but the point is to choose the best ones, Vivaldi said.
UniCredit posted growth of 7.3% on the corporate segment, its strongest, last year and 1.3% decline on the retail segment. Vivaldi says the group will make significant investment in the digital area for young customers in big cities.
However, all these plans for Romania may be upset by the debt discharge law, a law harshly criticized by banks. There are risks for Romania, because investors will look at it differently if the bill passes as it is. UniCredit may revise its investment plans but will not make a decision until the bill is finally enacted, Carlo Vivaldi added.
(English version by Loredana Fratila-Cristescu)