Giorgi Shagidze was appointed as CEO of Moldova Agroindbank (MAIB) this year. Here he introduces the bank and highlights some of its strategic plans.
MAIB is the leading bank in Moldova with a market share of around 30% with the leadership positions across all the key market segments from retail banking to micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, corporate, leasing and investment services. With about one million clients, MAIB is a successful and dynamically developing bank that helps its customers and clients to succeed in their lives and businesses. The bank is also positively impacting on the business environment of the country and overall investment climate. Moldova is an attractive banking market with low levels of banking product penetration, which creates good opportunities for growth and at acceptable risk levels. For example, the loan to GDP ratio in Moldova is about 20%.
MAIB’s plans for the future can be categorized in four key strategic areas. First, we are moving what we do as a bank to a new, higher level of customer experience, where the customer is at the centre of our attention. Second, we plan to become the leader in digital financial ecosystems. Currently, MAIB holds good positions in digital banking products and services, but they need to be taken to a higher level, which is beginning to happen under many interesting initiatives and innovations that we are undertaking. Third, and depending on shareholder approval, MAIB is very well positioned to IPO on an international financial market at some point in the future. We expect the listing to have a very positive impact on the entire business climate of the country.
It will also mean that MAIB becomes the flagship for Moldovan business integrating with international financial markets, as well as acting as a gateway for bringing new investors into the country. Finally, looking at the bank’s longer-term growth and development prospects, we see good potential for MAIB to use its digital banking platform to expand into the broader region.
