UniCredit Bulbank is the only Bulgarian bank in TOP 50 of the banks in Central Europe according to the annual ranking of the biggest companies in the region - Deloitte CE Top 500. A plaque of honor for the achievement was presented today to the CEO of UniCredit Bulbank, Levon Hampartzoumian, and the COO of the bank, Andrea Casini, by the managing partner in Deloitte Bulgaria, Silvia Peneva.

Deloitte CE Top 500 is an annual ranking by Deloitte of the biggest companies in the Central Europe region based on the consolidated revenues of the companies for the respective year. The ranking groups companies by industries and by countries, and for the banking sector in particular it shows the 50 biggest banks in the region ranked by total assets for the year.

Deloitte CE Top 500 2013 is the seventh consecutive edition of the ranking, where companies are ordered according to their indicators for 2012.

UniCredit Bulbank is the only Bulgarian bank ranked among the Top 50 of the banks in the region. It has the 44th spot, right ahead of the Romanian UniCredit Tiriac Bank and following the Czech ČSMM (Českomoravska stavební spořitelna). In the top banks ranking, the biggest share is held by the Polish banks, followed by the Czech and Hungarian banks. With only one bank which made it to the ranking, further to Bulgaria are also Slovenia and Estonia.

UniCredit Bulbank is also one of the best performing banks of the leading European banking group of UniCredit. With its assets of EUR 6,472.4 million, it leaves behind both the Romanian UniCredit Tiriac Bank (EUR 6,374.7 million, 45th place), and the Hungarian UniCredit Bank (EUR 5,689.9 million, 48th place). Among the banks of UniCredit Group, ahead of UniCredit Bulbank are only the Polish Pekao (assets of EUR 36,923.3 million, 3rd place) and the Czech UniCredit Bank (EUR 12,680.3 million, 17th place).

The top standing of UniCredit Bulbank is yet another proof of the strategic importance of Bulgaria to UniCredit and the commitment of the group to continue to invest in our country, backing the good projects of Bulgarian business.

In the report prepared along with the authoritative ranking Deloitte CE Top 500, Levon Hampartzoumian shares his views on the banking system of the country.

"The financial system is going through a process of transformation. It is changing along with the business, because banks are a reflection of what is happening in the real economy. Banks cannot be in a better condition that their clients. Banking is an industry, which is undergoing significant changes due to the crisis. Regulations for example are tightening on a global and European level, margins are getting narrower – and this is going to continue. We will be forced to continue to cut down on costs and to optimize processes. In this aspect, online banking and other electronic channels become extremely important. In brief, banking is an industry which is transforming so as to meet the challenges of the new economic realities", Hampartzoumian commented.

More information for media:

UniCredit Bulbank, Identity & Communications Department

Viktoria Blajeva, Phone: + 359 2 9264 993, wjlj/ebwjepwbAvojdsfejuhspvq/ch

Ekaterina Ancheva, Phone: + 359 2 9264 963, flbufsjob/bodifwbAvojdsfejuhspvq/ch

Magdalena Ivanova, Phone: + 359 2 9232 528, nbhebmfob/jwbopwbAvojdsfejuhspvq/ch