Isidro Fainé appointed President of the European Association of Cooperative Banks and Retail Banks

The president of CECA and CaixaBank, Isidro Fainé, has been appointed president of the European Association of Cooperative Banks and Retail Banks (ESBG) for a period of three years. The decision was made at the 23rd board meeting of the ESBG held on Friday in Vienna. This decision is part of the meetings for the renewal of the governing bodies of the association, as established by its statutes.

The ESBG represents 900 entities from 20 countries and has over 178 million clients, constituting approximately 25% of the market share of the banking business in the EU.

“From the ESBG, we will continue to promote the retail banking model in this new phase of the Banking Union and strengthen our social commitment by engaging with real societal issues not covered by public institutions, offering a wide range of banking services to all citizens to reduce financial exclusion,” Fainé commented after his appointment. “We will work to ensure that retail banks regain society’s trust and respect and that regulation supports our mission of being close to individuals, families, small and medium-sized enterprises, and institutions.”

He assured that they will apply two principles to achieve their goals: a sense of anticipation and a flexible vision, in line with their capabilities and possibilities. “We want to achieve these goals through our extensive network of offices, utilizing the most advanced banking technology and the most modern mobile and digital channels, offering the widest range of products and services.”

Chris de Noose, managing director of WSBI ESBG, welcomed Fainé as the new president and stated that he values “his commitment to international banking cooperation in Europe.” “I would like to thank the outgoing president, François Pérol, and the current committee members for their valuable efforts and achievements over the past three years.”

The Presidency Committee now comprises: Isidro Fainé (president of CECA and CaixaBank) as president; Georg Fahrenschon (president of DSGV, in Germany) as vice president; François Pérol (president and CEO of Groupe BPCE in France); José Agostinho Martins de Matos (vice president and CEO of Caixa General de Depósitos, in Portugal); Anders Sundström (president of Swedbank, in Sweden); Gerhard Fabisch (president of the Austrian Savings Banks Association, Österreichischer Sparkassenverband, in Austria); and Gerhard Branstätter (president of Cassa di Risparmio di Bolza, in Italy) as vice president and treasurer.