Fortis hires manager for local operations

Nicolae Surdu, ex-vice-president of Credit Europe Bank (former Finansbank Romania), will head the operations of the Belgium-based Fortis in Romania. “We are authorised to start on July 1, but will probably start somewhere between August-September,” stated Nicolae Surdu. Surdu has 14 years of banking experience, having held top management positions over the last nine years, as well as functioning as a deputy CEO, and a member on the board of directors at various banks. He was part of the management team, which reinvigorated Banca Tiriac some years ago, and then was vice-president of Credit Europe Bank (the former Finansbank) for another three years. According to Surdu, starting next week, Fortis will move to the S.Park business centre, developed by ACMS close to Piata Presei Libere. The Belgians at Fortis, the fourteenth largest European financial institution in terms of assets, competed in the race for BCR’s privatisation in 2005, but withdrew before the final stage.