Greeks at ATE on the hunt for luxury bankers for Mindbank

ATE Bank, the new owner of Mindbank, one of the smallest banks on the domestic market is looking for heavyweights to take over the position of CEO of the Romanian bank.
Dutch-born Anthony Van der Heijden, former ING Bank Romania and Banca Tiriac chairman and Italian Salvatore Candido, former head of the representative office of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development in Bucharest are at the top of the list, which also includes bankers part of the Raiffeisen management, sources close to the process told ZIARUL FINANCIAR.
Salvatore Candido verified for ZF that he been contacted through an intermediary by the officials of ATE Bank for talks.
“I can tell you now that I am in the procedure of leaving EBRD. Banking is my business and Romania is a market I know well. I have been on the Boards of some banks, such as Alpha Bank Romania. I was contacted not through the officials of the bank but through intermediaries. Anyway, we will talk some more, I am open to talks because I know the banking area in this part of Europe well,” says Salvatore Candido. “I will see what they want and I’ll them what I want and we shall see what understanding we can reach,” Candido adds.
Asked by ZF for comment on the issue, Anthony Van der Heijden, only said, “Whenever I have some reliable news on the subject you mention I will let you know.”
ATE Bank bought the controlling interests in Mindbank this summer, a bank whose market share stands at 0.27%, and has big plans of capitalising the lender and expanding its operations especially on the niche of the rural segment and the funding for the agricultural sector.
The Greek group is preparing to operate its first capital increase, worth 20 million euros, and is selecting the top management of the bank in the meantime.
“Those targeted for the position of CEO of Mindbank are the so-called ‘bank builders’ (people who created banks i.e.) and professionals with a strong experience on the domestic market,” sources close to ATE Bank say.
The recruitment campaign for the top management positions is co-ordinated by Michael Hadjipavlou, CEO of Deloitte Greece, the consultant retained by ATE Bank, and by Capital Partners investment firm. According to the quoted sources, the ATE Bank management representatives are to meet with Salvatore Candido and Anthony Van der Heijden in the next few weeks.
Van der Heijden, 62, is now the manager of consulting firm XYZ Partners, but has the reputation of having built two banks in Romania.
He laid the foundations of ING Bank in Romania twelve years ago, where he stayed until 1999. Recruited by Ion Tiriac, Van der Heijden was the man who helped Banca Tiriac rebound between 1999-2003 and reach a solid position on the domestic market.
ATE Bank, the fifth largest bank in Greece in terms of market value, last month took over 57.13% in Mindbank, one of the small banks on the market, for which it paid some 36 million euros. The Greeks are set to increase their stake to 70% by taking over another 5% from UCECOM’s interest and a further 8% from a number of shareholders represented by Teodor Dragan, UCECOM chairman.