Austrian returns to manage risk for Romania’s largest lender

Michael Beitz, a former Credit Risk Officer (CRO) with Romania’s largest lender BCR, will return to Romania to take over the CRO responsibilities as of January 1, 2018. Beitz, who previously worked with BCR between 2010 and 2014, will replace Bernd Spalt, who will move to Erste Bank Austria as Rick Vice-president. Spalt will also manage all strategic risk operations within Erste Group. “We’ve worked together with Michael Beitz in challenging circumstances, within the BCR restructuring program, where he had a major contribution and showed his vast experience. We’re in a much better situation now […],” said Sergiu Manea, the BCR CEO. Beitz will join BCR in Bucharest coming from Serbian capital Bratislava, where he was a member of the executive board of Erste Bank Novi Sad. Prior to joining the Romanian bank back in 2010, Michael Beitz was Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Slovenská sporitel'na, the largest bank in Slovakia, also part of Erste Group. He was also Head of Credit Risk Management & Credit Services with Ceská sporitelna, in the Czech Republic. Prior to that, Beitz held management positions with Erste Bank in Vienna, as well as with Giro Credit in London, in the late 1980s, according to data from Bloomberg. Beitz’s recent naming in Romania is pending approval from the Romanian Central Bank BNR. His return to Romania comes at a time when strategic risk management becomes essential for the banking activity and “will help shape the industry’s future,” according to BCR. BCR is the largest lender in Romania. The financial group includes universal bank activities, leading private pensions and housing bank activities. Romanian lender BCR sees 40% drop in net profit in Q1 BCR launches car-sharing service in Bucharest Romanian lender BCR ups profit by 22% in first nine months editor@romania-insider.com (photo source: BCR)