Raiffeisen’s Stepic refines his recipe for emerging Europe

In 20 years, RZB has gone from being an Austrian also-ran to a central and eastern European market leader. Much of its success is attributable to the vision of Raiffeisen International’s CEO, Herbert Stepic. No wonder he is known to the Austrian masses as ‘Der Cash-Man’. Guy Norton looks at RZB’s ambitious plans for further expansion in the region, and Sudip Roy finds out what keeps the fire burning in Stepic’s belly.

Stepic: a rare breed of banker
Where next in the battle for central and eastern Europe?

rzb-main.gif

CALL IT JOURNALISTIC intuition or maybe just a lucky guess. Somehow, though, the 20-foot inflatable bull, emblazoned with RZB’s famous gable cross logo and parked slapbang in the middle of the lobby of the bank’s headquarters in Vienna suggested that the 2006 results press conference for Raiffeisen International might have an upbeat tone. And so it proved.

Most annual results presentations these days tend to be tedious affairs, only enlivened, if you’re lucky, by the theatrical antics of a gatecrashing Greenpeace protester.

Access intelligence that drives action

To unlock this research, enter your email to log in or enquire about access