CEO Today Global Awards

21 www.ceotodaymagazine.com CEO Today Global Awards 2019 hungary SANDOR CSANYI CEO of OTP Bank PLC FIRM PROFILE The predecessor of OTP Bank, called the National Savings Bank (OTP Bank) was established in 1949 as a nation-wide, state-owned, banking entity providing retail deposits and loans. In the ensuing years, its activities and the scope of its authority gradually widened. First, it was authorised to enter into real estate transactions. Later, its role was extended to provide domestic foreign currency accounts and foreign exchange services; there was a subsequent diversification into providing banking services for Hungarian municipalities. Since 1989, the bank has operated as a multi- functional commercial bank. In addition to continuing its previous retail and municipal activities, the bank has been authorised to solicit corporate loan accounts and deposits, and to provide commercial loans and banking services for correspondent banking and export-import transactions. In 1990, the National Savings Bank became a public company with a share capital of HUF 23 billion. Its name was changed to the National Savings and Commercial Bank. Subsequently, non-banking activities were separated from the bank, along with their supporting organisational units. The state lottery was reorganised into a separate state- owned company and OTP Real Estate was established as a subsidiary of the bank. OTP Bank’s privatisation began in 1995. As a result of 3 public offers along with the introduction of the bank’s shares into the Budapest Stock Exchange the state’s ownership in the bank decreased to a single voting preference (golden) share. Currently the bank is characterized by dispersed ownership of mostly private and institutional (financial) investors. After the realisation of its own privatisation process, OTP Bank started its international expansion targeting countries in CEE region, which offer great economic growth potentials similar to that of its domestic market. OTP Bank has completed several successful acquisitions in the past years, becoming a key player in the region. Besides Hungary, OTP Group currently operates in 8 countries of the region via its subsidiaries: in Bulgaria (DSK Bank), in Croatia (OTP banka Hrvatska), in Romania (OTP Bank Romania), in Serbia (OTP banka Srbija), in Slovakia (OTP Banka Slovensko), in Ukraine (CJSC OTP Bank), in Montenegro (Crnogorska komercijalna banka) and in Russia (OAO OTP Bank). OTP Group provides high quality financial solutions to meet the needs of almost 18 million costumers through nearly 1,500 branches, agent networks and the state-of-the- art electronic channels. 2008 was milestone in OTP Bank history since it was the first time to sell one of its subsidiaries. The french Groupama S.A. acquired its insurance business line, and part of the transaction they resolved to collaborate in strategic points and crossell their financial and insurance products. Groupama S.A. has acquired 8% of shares of OTP Group. ABOUT SANDOR CSANYI Sandor Csanyi is Hungary’s first billionaire. Csanyi turned the country’s largest retail bank into one of the biggest financial services firms in Central and Eastern Europe.His OTP Bank acquired four banks in the Balkan region in 2017.He owns Bonafarm Group, now the largest vertically integrated agricultural and food conglomerate in Hungary.His Granit Development sold the Arena Centar Zagreb, the biggest shopping center in the capital of Croatia. After graduation he worked at the Revenue Directorate and then at the Secretariat of the Ministry of Finance. Between 1983 and 1986, he was a departmental head at the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry. From 1986 to 1989 he worked as a head of department at Magyar Hitel Bank. He was deputy CEO of Kereskedelmi és Hitelbank from 1989 to 1992. Since 1992 he has been Chairman & CEO of OTP Bank Group where he is responsible for the Bank’s strategy and overall operation. He is a member of the European Board of Directors for MasterCard and is Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of MOL Group, Co-Chairman of the Hungarian National Association of Entrepreneurs and Employers (VOSZ) and until April 2011 was a member of the Board of Directors of the Hungarian Banking Association. He has been Chairman of the Hungarian Football Federation (MLSZ) since July 2010. In 2015, he was elected to the UEFA Executive Committee, and in March 2017 he was elected as a member of the FIFA Council, before being named Vice President of FIFA in February 2018.