Microbank Crystal continues its strategic transformation process. As part of these changes, the bank will, for the first time, appoint an independent Chairperson of the Supervisory Board, in line with best practices in corporate governance.
This development follows the successful completion of Crystal’s transformation into a microbank and the achievement of operational stability. It marks an important stage that enables the company to further strengthen its governance framework based on the principles of responsible, transparent, and trustworthy business conduct.
Under the new structure, the duties of Chairperson of the Supervisory Board will be assumed by Robert Scott Kossmann, who has previously served as an independent member of the Board and Chair of the Risk Committee.
Mr. Kossmann brings over 33 years of international experience in financial management and the strategic development of credit institutions across Central and Eastern Europe. From 2004 to 2020, he served as Deputy Chair of the Management Board for Retail and SME Banking at Raiffeisen Bank International in Ukraine; he also led SME risk management in Austria and held senior executive positions as CIO and COO for three years. Earlier in his career, he worked as a Senior Development Banker with the EBRD, World Bank, Asian Development Bank (ADB), and USAID, specializing in the restructuring of major financial institutions.
From establishment until now, the Supervisory Board of Crystal has been chaired by Archil Bakuradze, one of the bank’s co-founders and its largest individual shareholder. He will continue to serve as a member of the Supervisory Board.
“The idea behind Crystal is as strong as ever. I deeply believe that our bank will continue to deliver even greater value to our customers and to the country and will remain a responsible, independent, and unique organization just as it has been since its founding.” stated Archil Bakuradze.
“Crystal has been dynamically evolving in recent years. As part of our strategic transformation, the professional vision and extensive experience of Robert Kossmann will play a key role in further strengthening the company as a sustainability-oriented financial institution and in achieving our long-term success.” stated Ilia Revia, CEO of Crystal.