Berlin, 21 June 2024 – The European Association of Cooperative Banks’ (EACB) held its 53rd EACB General Assembly (GA) in Berlin, graciously hosted by the National German Association of Cooperative Banks (BVR). Key items on the agenda included the election of a new President and Vice-Presidents of the EACB and its Board, an Internal Auditors.
Priscille Szeradzki, Deputy Director General at Confédération Nationale du Crédit Mutuel (CNCM), was elected President for a term of two years starting as of July 1st, 2024. For the same term, GA members re-elected Vincent Maagdenberg, Chief Risk Officer at Rabobank, and elected Daniel Quinten, Member of the Board at BVR, as Vice-Presidents.
Sergio Gatti, General Director at Federcasse, Johannes Rehulka, Secretary General at Österreichischer Raiffeisenverband (ÖRV), and Alban Aucoin, Head of Public Affairs at Crédit Agricole, will join the EACB Board for the next term.
Rainer Borns, Chief Financial Officer at Volksbank Wien, and David Murano, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, and Chief Risk Officer at Caja Ingenieros, were appointed as internal auditors of the EACB for a term of 2 years as of 1st of July 2024.
Alongside other members, Vice-President Maagdenberg expressed sincere appreciation to outgoing EACB President Daniel Quinten for his engagement and leadership during his interim tenure. EACB Chief Executive Officer Nina Schindler also thanked Mr Quinten for his clear steering positioning the Association in relation to the political agenda for the new term 2024-2029, as well as for advancing strategic governance projects of the Association.
Mr Quinten remarked, “I want to thank the Secretariat and EACB members for their contributions and efforts during this important transitional period between legislative cycles, in which I had the honour of being President.” Referring to the EACB’s paper “Cooperative Banks contribution to the future of Europe” with recommendations to the next co-legislators, Mr Quinten emphasised, “As we venture into a new mandate for EU institutions, we shall strive for streamlining regulation, achieving a more principle-based approach, and implementing more proportionate solutions. For a more competitive and united Europe, the guiding approach to rulemaking should be ‘less is more.’”
The GA also featured a valuable exchange with Prof. Dr Joachim Wuermeling, Executive in Resident at European School of Management and Technology in Berlin, on the innovative potential of Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBCDs) and their opportunities for banks. The discussion explored, among others, CBDC use cases supporting industry 4.0 enabled by smart contacts and programmable payments. Mr Wuermeling’s insights were received with keen interest triggering reflections about CBCD’s impact on the workforce, the role of AI and practical implications of the ECB work on a retail digital euro.