What makes the process of filling leadership positions at banks with CEE operations different?
The regulatory framework is the same. The market is not.
In most CEE markets, the pool of candidates is so small that people know each other. A broad outreach effort gets around in a matter of days and damages both the process and the people being approached. We work with very few, very well-prepared contacts there rather than focusing on reach.
The second distinctive feature concerns the relationship between the subsidiary and the parent group. Many institutions in the region belong to Austrian, Italian, or Hungarian groups. Candidates therefore ask first and foremost how much decision-making autonomy the position actually entails: Which issues are decided in Vienna, Milan, or Budapest, and which are decided locally? If this isn’t clarified in the briefing, you’ll later find yourself negotiating a role that doesn’t actually exist.
The third observation is the most encouraging. Today, the market is permeable in both directions. Executives who have managed restructurings, integrations, and tough risk cycles in CEE have become attractive to firms in Austria and Germany because they’ve done things that haven’t been necessary in the DACH region for years. Conversely, experienced professionals from the DACH region are moving to the CEE region because they can assume greater responsibility there.
We serve this region from Vienna and Frankfurt. This is no coincidence regarding our office structure. Vienna is home to the owners of a significant portion of the CEE banking business, while Frankfurt houses European regulatory authorities and group functions. For mandates with ties to Turkey, we have dedicated network access.
By Edin Karabeg
Executive Search Consultant for Financial Services
Edin Karabeg heads the Financial Services Competence Center at DELTACON Executive Search and serves clients in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Central and Eastern Europe from his base in Vienna and Frankfurt. As a former CEO and board member of several banks and leasing companies, he has extensive experience in retail and corporate banking, risk management, finance, payments, treasury, and digital transformation processes. His in-depth industry knowledge and understanding of regulatory requirements enable him to identify leaders who combine strategic clarity, change management skills, and operational excellence.
Von Edin Karabeg
Personalberater für Financial Services
Edin Karabeg leitet das Competence Center Financial Services der DELTACON Executive Search und betreut von Wien und Frankfurt aus Mandanten in DACH und CEE. Als ehemaliger CEO und Vorstand mehrerer Banken und Leasinggesellschaften verfügt er über umfassende Erfahrung in Retail- und Corporate Banking, Risk Management, Finance, Payments, Treasury und digitalen Transformationsprozessen. Seine tiefen Branchenkenntnisse und sein Verständnis für regulatorische Anforderungen ermöglichen es ihm, Führungspersönlichkeiten zu identifizieren, die strategische Klarheit, Veränderungsfähigkeit und operative Exzellenz verbinden.