Banca Romana Pentru Dezvoltare
Banca Romana Pentru Dezvoltare (BRD), part of France’s Société Générale wins the award owing to a respectable performance last year and its continued strength in the retail market.
Last year, it posted double-digit increases in net profit and assets as well as a 63.1% boost in Tier 1 capital. Its ROE stood at 30.3% and its cost-to-income ratio was 54.7%.
Following significant improvements in its technology and service, the bank strengthened its position in the local retail market, especially in credit cards and lending. One of the most notable improvements was the launch of scoring software that reduced the approval time for retail loan applications to less than 20 minutes. Partly as a result of this, the bank increased the volume of its loans by 83.7% last year, giving it a market share of 38.3%. BRD also holds one-third of the Romanian credit card market.
The bank was no slouch in corporate finance either, gaining a 16.4% share of deposits and a 16% share of all corporate loans.
“By having access to the most innovative products and services, and the most effective management methods… BRD gained a competitive advantage over its peers, being a real market maker,” said Patrick Gelin, BRD chief executive.
The runner-up was Raffeisen Bank, Bucharest.
