Central and Eastern Europe: NLB chief finds opportunities in Balkans

Waning interest in the western Balkans from emerging Europe’s biggest banking players is creating opportunities for local groups, the chief executive of Slovenia’s NLB tells Euromoney.

Blaz Brodnjak points to NLB’s acquisition of Komercijalna Banka from the Serbian state, which was announced at the end of February, as an example. 

The deal was expected to attract interest from western European groups such as Raiffeisen Bank International (RBI) and Erste. In the event, however, NLB emerged as the only serious bidder for Serbia’s fourth-largest lender.