• Best Bank in Austria, the Czech Republic and Montenegro
• Romanian subsidiary BCR awarded “Best Bank Transformation in Central and Eastern Europe” by Euromoney

Erste Group Bank AG (Erste Group) has been awarded “Best Bank in Central and Eastern Europe” for 2017 by Euromoney, one of the leading global financial publications, in its annual Awards for Excellence, for its excellent positioning to capitalize on the growth opportunities and to ride the wave of digital revolution in the region. The Group has also won Best Bank in Austria, the Czech Republic and Montenegro, while the Group’s subsidiary Banca Comerciala Romana (BCR) in Romania was named “Best Bank Transformation in Central and Eastern Europe”.

“We are honored to receive these prestigious awards that acknowledge we are a reliable partner for our customers and a responsible contributor to prosperity in the Central and Eastern Europe. We have historically positioned ourselves as the bank of the middle class and the SMEs. We’ll continue driving prosperity in the region and champion innovation. Our digital platform George will be the first cross-country digital platform in CEE and one of the first anywhere in Europe,” said Peter Bosek, Chief Retail Officer of Erste Group Bank AG on the occasion of the Euromoney Awards Ceremony in London.

The Awards’ decisions are made by a committee of Euromoney senior journalists, following the receipt of detailed submissions from market participants and extensive year-round research into the banking and capital markets in the region. The Awards for Excellence cover global categories, best-in-class awards in all regions and the best banks in close to 100 countries around the world.

Best Bank in Austria, the Czech Republic and Montenegro

Erste Group’s expertize was also acknowledged in some of its core markets. Erste Bank Oesterreich earned the award “Best Bank in Austria”, for being the leader in retail lending and its successful rollout of a new branch concept combining technology with enhanced advisory services.

Ceska sporitelna’s win in the Euromoney Awards for Excellence 2017 marks the fifth time in nine years that it has received the publication’s award for being the best bank in the Czech Republic. This year award acknowledges Ceska sporitelna’s move towards a more data-based, proactive approach to customer service.

Erste Bank has also been recognized as Best Bank in Montenegro for its growth and profitability which outperformed the market in 2016.

Best Bank Transformation in Central and Eastern Europe

Romania’s Banca Comerciala Romana (BCR) was declared "Central and Eastern Europe’s Best Bank Transformation" in recognition of the bank’s management achievements. The bank successfully underwent a major portfolio clean-up, improved its profitability significantly and reported steady lending growth. BCR is the leading bank in Romania by assets, serving over 2.9 million customers. It also leads in the Romanian banking market in terms of its share in total loans to customers and total deposits.

Erste Group has 47,100 employees who service over 16.2 million customers across Austria, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia and Romania; Erste Group is present as well in Montenegro since 2009 via its subsidiary Erste&Steiermärkische Bank d.d. which is 100% owner of Erste Bank a.d. Podgorica. The Group’s total loans to customers in the region rose to EUR 133 billion as of 31 March 2017. As one of the leading financial providers in the Central and Eastern Europe, Erste Group seeks to support a more inclusive growth in the region. The Group’s recently-launched Social Banking programme addresses traditionally unbanked groups: low-income individuals, first-time entrepreneurs and social organisations offering them fair access to basic financial products and sound money advice.