“The visit showed me once more how much strength and confidence there is within our team.”
The future CEO of Raiffeisen Bank International (RBI), Michael Höllerer, and Valerie Brunner, Management Board member for CIB Customer Coverage at RBI, recently visited Ukraine as part of an economic delegation to gain an insight into the activities of the Ukrainian subsidiary and explore opportunities for participating in the country's reconstruction.
RBI’s future CEO Michael Höllerer and Valerie Brunner, Board Member for CIB Customer Coverage, emphasized Ukrainian Raiffeisen Bank’s resilience and dedication, having maintained continuous operations throughout the war. Despite challenging conditions, over 5,000 employees ensure essential banking services – and more.
“A look into their daily reality shows what this means: emergency branches in bomb shelters, evacuations of families, and currently three "Resilience Points" in Kyiv that are open around the clock. These locations provide warmth during power or heating outages, electricity to charge devices, and a hot drink for people in need,” remarked Michael Höllerer. “The visit showed me once more how much strength and confidence there is within our team. This sense of social responsibility, which goes far beyond banking, is what defines us at Raiffeisen.”
Beyond banking operations, RBI’s commitment to Ukraine especially extends to social responsibility, exemplified by charitably projects and the active involvement in the country’s reconstruction efforts. A current cooperation agreement between Raiffeisen Bank and the Ukrainian Ministry of Economy, Environment and Agriculture aims to bolster energy efficiency and security of supply.
“Visiting the memorial museum in Irpin, witnessing the devastation of the early days, and stepping into a kindergarten supported through our donation project ‘Kids Safe Haven’, as well as a destroyed Raiffeisen Bank branch and the newly built one with their incredibly brave team, were moments that touched me deeply,” said Valerie Brunner. “I left Ukraine enormously grateful for these joint experiences – the courage, the unity, the incredible hospitality. Every minute of this journey was worth it!”
As the largest international banking group present in Ukraine, RBI leverages its long-term presence, local expertise, and international partnerships to support both domestic and cross-border customer projects, reaffirming its role in Ukraine’s recovery and future development.
