Bulgaria's Top Finance Forum Presents Banking, Investment Awards

Levon Hampartsumyan (left), CEO of UniCredit BulBank, receives the award for Bulgaria's "Best Bank of 2009" from Maxim Behar (right), CEO of M3 Communications Group, Inc., who is one of the main organizers of the Banks Investment Money forum. Photo by M3

A glamorous gala dinner has brought together Bulgaria’s financial, business, and political elite as well as foreign diplomats for the annual awards of the country’s most prestigious finance forum entitled “Banks Investment Money.”

The award ceremony took place in the Sheraton Sofia Hotel Balkan Monday night, after the finance expo and conference “Banks Investment Money” started with keynote addresses and panel discussions by leading Bulgarian experts earlier the same day.

Two winners triumphed with the grand prize of the forum for “Financial Product of the Year” EIBank (CIBANK) AD, which is part of the Belgian KBC Group, and the Greek-owned Eurobank EFG AD, also known as Postbank.

UniCredit BulBank grabbed the other major banking prize, “Best Bank of the Year 2009”.

The winners in the subcategories of the “Financial Product of the Year” are:

“Best Investment Crediting” - EIBank with its product “Business Forecast – SME Investment Credits under a credit line provided by the European Investment Bank;

“Best Mortgage Crediting” - Emporiki Bank Bulgaria with its “Mortgage Loan”;

“Combined Savings Account” - Eurobank EFG Bulgaria with its “SpestInvest” account;

“General Insurance” - Bul Ins AD with its products, “HIT KASKO”, “VIP KASKO”, “CLASSIC KASKO;”

“Combined Financial Products” - MKB Union Bank with its “HOME Mortgage Loan”;

“Investment Credit Products” - Societe Generale Expressbank with its service “Spokoystvie.”

The organizers of the “Banks Investment Money” expo and conference also presented awards for “Financial Institution of the Year 2009” in six different categories:

“Best Retirement Fund 2009” - “Doverie” Company, part of the Dutch TBIH Group;

“Best Insurance Company 2009” - German-owned Allianz Bulgaria;

“Most Popular Bank 2009” - DSK Bank EAD, part of the Hungarian OTP Group (the award was based on a public opinion survey conducted in cooperation with the Skala Agency);

“Fastest Developing Bank 2009” - Eurobank EFG Bulgaria;

“Most Profitable Bank 2009” - International Asset Bank and ProCredit Bank;

“Safest Bank 2009” - UniCredit BulBank.

The award certificates and statuettes were handed by Stamen Tassev, CEO of the Bulgarian Business Leaders Forum; Statty Statev, member of the board of the Bulgarian National Bank; Hristo Mihaylovski, CEO of the Bulgarian Credit Rating Agency; Martin Zaimov, Chair of the Supervisory Board of Societe Generale Expressbank; Petar Chobanov, Chair of Bulgaria’s Financial Supervision Commission; Solomon Passy, President of the Atlantic Club in Bulgaria; Maxim Behar, CEO of M3 Communications Group, Inc.

For the first time, the “Banks Investment Money” forum organizers also presented awards for investments together with the InvestBulgaria Agency.

The Netherlands grabbed the prize for the country, which was the largest foreign investor in the Bulgarian economy in 2009. The award was received by Dutch Ambassador Karel van Kesteren.

Energy company Alston Power Bulgaria was declared the largest foreign corporate investor in Bulgaria for 2009, while UniCredit BulBank carried the prize for the financial institution with the largest volume of investments in 2009.

Financial company Factor I.N., representative of MoneyGram for Bulgaria, and Belchev Motors OOD, a Stara Zagora-based plant developing electric cars, were given a special award for competitiveness and investments.

The organizers of the “Banks Investment Money” forum also granted an award in cooperation with the Bulgarian Credit Ratings Agency – the prize for “Bulgaria’s Most Competitive Company for 2009” went to heating and ventilation equipment maker Ataro Clima EOOD.

The jury of Bulgaria’s top financial forum, which determined the winners in the various categories, included leading economists and financiers: Galabin Galabov, Chair of the Board and CEO of Emporiki Bank Bulgaria; Emil Popov, Chair of the “Banks Investment Money” Foundation; Emiliyana Milanova, Chair of the Board of Eurobank EFG Bulgaria; Kamen Kolchev, Chair of the Board of Elana Finance Holding; Mariya Vidolova, Chair of the Board and CEO of Teximbank; Petrozar Petkov, Chair of the Supervisory Board and Director of Bul Ins; Petar Chobanov, Chair of Bulgaria’s Financial Supervision Commission; Hristo Mihaylovski, CEO of the Bulgarian Credit Ratings Agency.

The “Banks Investment Money” expo and conference are organized by Emil Popov, Chair of the “Banks Investment Money” Foundation, Solomon Passy, President of the Atlantic Club in Bulgaria, and Maxim Behar, CEO of Bulgaria’s largest PR company M3 Communications Group, Inc. Passy, a former Bulgarian Foreign Minister, has described the forum as “Bulgaria’s banking event of the year.

In a special address to the organizers and participants of the forum, which was read during the award ceremony gala dinner, Prime Minister Boyko Borisov has pointed out that Bulgaria is a safe place for investors with a great potential for growth.

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