EMPOWERED WOMEN
INTERVIEW
JELENA GALIĆ, AIK BANK CEO
Focus On
CLIENT SATISFACTION During the six years that Jelena Galić has been the CEO and head of the executive board, AIK Bank has grown both organically and through acquisitions on the domestic market and around the region. It has developed to become one of Serbia's systemically important banks, contributing greatly to the stability of the entire financial system
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ositive opportunities and outcomes are created through consistency, transparency and perseverance, coupled with joint commitment, care for people and the environment, and expanding boundaries of thinking and acting. These are the values that I and my team believe in ~ notes Ms Galić, who recently received two flattering awards. The end of the year, a period when financial results and market position are summarised, is fast approaching. Are you satisfied with 2020 and the period you’ve spent as AIK Bank CEO? - During these six years that I’ve headed the executive board, our bank has become a systemically important bank on the domestic market, increasing its assets to over two billion euros. It was during this period that AIK Bank became the first domestic bank to enter the market of the European Union through the acquisition of Slovenia’s Gorenjska Bank, thus becoming a stable banking group with assets exceeding four billion euros. The group’s financial and business indicators are
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significantly above the average of the domestic and regional banking market, with realised ROE of 31%, ROA of 6%, a 19% share of capital in the balance sheet total and a strong deposit base exceeding three billion euros, which represents a strong foundation for further strengthening our market position. With the developing and expanding of cooperation through a regional approach, benefits can be achieved not only within the banking sector, but also in the real sector of the economy, thereby ensuring the accelerated economic growth and development of the entire region. We are turned towards the future and continuously introducing new, innovative services and offers, because the satisfaction of our clients represents the basic focus of our business. AIK Bank’s chief aspiration in the period ahead will be to create products and services that are in accordance with the needs and preferences of clients. You have faced many challenging situations during your career, but we’re certain that none of them have been like the continuing pandemic. How is your bank dealing with all aspects of COVID-19? - With the aim of protecting the health of employees and ensuring the normal functioning of companies during the state of emergency, we focused on the continuity of our customer service. The basic goal was to protect all employees and clients, while simultaneously ensuring the smooth provision of services. We strengthened hygienic protection measures and disinfection, enabled “remote work” (i.e. work from home), maximally strengthened and additionally secured all digital services aimed at protecting clients from potential operational
