The XIII International Banking Forum “Russian Banks: 21st Century” took place in Sochi in the first week of September. Center-invest Bank was an official sponsor of the event and an invited speaker at Forum round tables and discussion panels.
The XVII Banking Conference “Financial Markets and Economic Growth: Russia and International Practice” was held during the Forum. Chairman of the Board of Directors of Center-invest Bank, Dr Vasily Vysokov, believes it is not growth that the banking system requires; it is restructuring. A model of non-stop transformations in non-stop crises is coming to replace the “from crisis A to crisis B” transition economy.
“Center-invest Bank is ready for the transformations involved in the transition to this model for the Russian banking system,” Dr Vysokov said. “And thanks to the correct choice of strategy for working with small and medium-sized enterprises, the number of small businesses per capita in Rostov is 1.5 times above the Russian average.”
Experts from Center-invest Bank presented their solutions and approaches at round tables on “The World Card in the Cashless Payments Market”, “Current Issues in SME Lending and Finance”, and “Banking Business Models: Infrastructure and New Opportunities”.
Center-invest Bank referred to its own experience to show that even in a challenging investment climate, transformational banking allows banks to deliver operational efficiency, profitability and organic growth, while also being socially and environmentally responsible. The bank achieves these results by using international best practice and southern Russia’s global advantages: its diversified economy and its population’s entrepreneurial mindset.
Center-invest Bank’s experience in localising sustainable banking products for small business, energy efficiency, agricultural modernisation, risk management in retail lending, and financial literacy is already itself regarded as international best practice.
All of this is described in detail in Dr Vyskov’s book “Transformational Banking: made in Russia”, a PDF copy of which is available on the bank’s website (http://www.centrinvest.ru/files/smi/pdf/CI_TransformationBank_book_en_small.pdf).
More than 500 professionals took part in the sessions and round tables, including key personnel from the Bank of Russia, federal ministries and departments, the Association of Russian Regional Banks, and the Deposits Insurance Agency; senior executives from Russian and foreign banks; and representatives of international financial institutions.