The first reINVENT summit, held online by Forbes Romania, brought together ten representatives of the business community. Whether the topic was business strategy, sales, processes or operations, the guests answered the question “What do we do now?”—how we can get through the economic and social environment we’re navigating. 

Among the speakers was Omer Tetik, CEO of Banca Transilvania, and the Q&As were as follows:

• What is the most important quality BT has right now—and must not lose?

Our organizational culture—the fact that we’re pro-business, pro-customer, pro-people. That’s what got us here, and it will certainly help us get through the current pandemic-induced crisis. It’s a quality BT must preserve.

• Did you always know you would become number one on the market, or was it just an aspiration?

It was a combination of circumstances that put us in first place. Opportunities arose along the way and it was essential to seize them. Being number one wasn’t necessarily a target, but of course we’re proud of it. We feel we’re part of something big. In banking, scale matters; it’s important to have a strong capital base, a large customer base and an extensive network. We’re probably also an inspiration for other Romanian businesses. Most importantly, we’re Romanians’ first-choice bank, and we’re glad we’ve achieved that.

• Has the role of banks changed since the last crisis? If so, how? How will their role change after the pandemic?

Yes, definitely. All over the world, banks are part of the solution in the current pandemic, but you also need the necessary scale. Companies that put their teams at the center will come out of the crisis much stronger and more resilient. There will also be a natural selection among business models. For smaller banks, this period will be quite hard to navigate, which is why I see opportunities for consolidation in the market after the crisis.

• What do you think the current crisis will bring for Romania?

It’s an extraordinary opportunity for Romania to relaunch agriculture, industry and manufacturing.