Roman Ermantraut
Head of Group Corporates, Raiffeisen Bank International
Corporate Banking: Sustainable Growth is Built on Relationships
Roman Ermantraut, Head of Group Corporates at RBI, does not think about corporate banking primarily in terms of products and pricing, but in terms of relationships. In our interview, he reveals how corporate banking is changing at a time when profitability, geopolitical uncertainty, and artificial intelligence are simultaneously creating new demands on banks and their clients.
What do you think is most important in international banking?
When supporting international corporates, what really matters is trust, honest, predictable behavior, and a touch of empathy. That's what people can rely on and that's what we stand for. Mutual understanding and trust.
Multiple markets require an understanding of multiple cultures, proximity on the one hand and an overarching view on the other. You really want to have a trusted partner, a go to person you can rely on. At RBI, we stay close to our clients’ ambitions. We understand their purpose, and we help them grow for the long term. We support clients with industry knowledge, tailored support, and connecting opportunities.
When purpose and execution align, growth follows naturally.
If you yourself were a new corporate client of RBI, what would you pay attention to first?
The authenticity of the personal relationship. That is where real value is created, beyond products and pricing. The overall client experience is equally important. I experience that through the quality of the relationship: How committed is my relationship manager? How much genuine interest do they show? How well do they understand my challenges? When I experience this as a client, I feel well taken care of.
What is special at RBI, is that there is remarkable respect among colleagues and a strong intrinsic motivation to support one another. I have the feeling that people truly stick together. In addition we work in a very multi-cultural environment within RBI which enriches our mindset not only internally but also towards our clients.
The same mindset exists across our regional banks and network: we are one group. And our clients can tell that, too.
What is your recipe for successful relationships in banking?
Genuine interest in the other person, the ability to listen, and understanding. The same applies to collaboration within the bank. For us at Corporate and Investment Banking, close cooperation with Risk and Finance is especially important. We can only succeed if we have the support of others and offer our support in return whenever we can. There are many good ideas and a great deal of mutual respect and that’s where our clients really benefit from these synergies and the relationship approach within the bank.
What might a conversation with a potential client, e.g. the founder of a scale-up with major international ambitions, look like?
First, I would want to understand your business model, your business plan, and your current financing situation. Based on that, we would discuss how we can support your ambitions, going far beyond financing alone. This could include access to our international network or the expertise we have built across global markets. If your questions extend beyond financing, we can provide advisory support and the expertise of our product specialists. We have experts in areas such as Trade Finance, Guarantees, and Commodity Business, as well as extensive industry knowledge. This expertise can help you avoid costly mistakes and identify opportunities more quickly.
Customer centricity is one of RBI’s guiding values. What does it take to implement it consistently?
Customer centricity is often regarded as a responsibility in sales. In reality, every interaction affects customer relationships. A client may receive excellent support for months, yet a single negative experience, for example when handling a complaint, can outweigh everything that came before. That is why customer centricity is a shared responsibility. Colleagues in areas such as KYC, onboarding, and customer service also play a critical role. When these functions are well connected and pull in the same direction, customers can truly feel the difference.
What role does AI play in corporate banking, where do you see its limits, and how could its use look like in practice?
One thing is clear to me: human interaction remains essential in corporate banking. I do not believe that replacing customer interactions entirely with bots is the right approach. Many people already find it frustrating to spend a long time talking to a system before reaching a human being.
The real value of AI lies in supporting employees and giving them quick access to the right information. That allows customers to be served faster and better. Technology should take over repetitive or preparatory tasks so that people have more time for people.
We want to use AI to combine different perspectives: the risk view of an industry, the perspective of our industry experts, and the customer’s point of view. This can help us identify business opportunities and develop relevant product ideas.
Take, for example, supply shortages resulting from disruptions in the Middle East and closed trade routes. Risk Management may identify potential supply bottlenecks, while an industry expert may know that these goods are produced in Austria. Combining these perspectives with our product expertise and market strengths, an AI agent can identify potential opportunities for clients.
We have already tested a pilot version and plan to continue developing it.