At the Focus Romania panel at the FT Live – The Central & Eastern European Forum – Where CEE Markets Thrive, held in Vienna on January 13–14, 2026, Banca Transilvania Group was represented by Ömer Tetik, CEO Banca Transilvania; Aurel Bernat, Executive Director for Financial Institutions and Investor Relations at Banca Transilvania; Daniela Secară, CEO BT Capital Partners; and Vlad Pintilie, Deputy General Manager, BT Capital Partners.

Ömer Tetik, CEO Banca Transilvania:

• The start of last year was very tough. There was a slow beginning, followed by a strong fiscal consolidation effort in the second half of the year. Even so, Romania’s numbers are still solid. They show the resilience we’ve been talking about for many years: stability, safety and investment protection.
  
  
• We have a population of almost 20 million, a young and well-educated generation, still-low labor costs, an industrial tradition and significant agricultural potential. We have access to the Black Sea and transport hubs, we are part of Schengen, and infrastructure investments are underway. Even the year we thought would be the toughest ended well.
  
  
• Colleagues at Fitch told us that Romania ranks second in the region by number of rating requests. That shows companies’ readiness for listings and transactions. You don’t ask for a rating unless you’re comfortable with where you stand.
  
  
• We see potential in financial inclusion, wealth management, asset management and other financial services. We will target all segments.
  
  
• Consistent presence in the market is essential. Investors want communication and continuity. Once they start investing, they become advocates for your story. We will remain an active issuer, with different structures and currencies.
  
  
• We see growth in the portfolio of loans for investment and industrial production. The real economy is the engine.
  
  

Aurel Bernat, Executive Director for Financial Institutions and Investor Relations at Banca Transilvania:

• Romania’s capital market grew by more than 40% in performance terms.
  
  
• This year, taking into account the public holidays at the start of January, the stock market index is up 8.7%. Investors appear to be responding positively regarding the outlook.
  
  

Daniela Secară, CEO BT Capital Partners:

• Last year, in the corridors of the conference, the word we heard most often in relation to Romania was “concern.” After yesterday, and looking around this room, the energy is completely different.
  
  
• Perception of Romania is clearly positive.
  
  

The panel also featured speakers Răzvan Popescu, CEO of Romgaz, and Alexandru Chiriță, CEO of Electrica. You can follow Ziarul Financiar’s coverage from Vienna here.