Erste Bank CEO Cernko

“Our central currency is trust!”

Willi Cernko, CEO of Erste Group, will hand over the role of CEO to Peter Bosek on July 1.(Bild: Peter Tomschi)

Willi Cernko, CEO of Erste Group, in a farewell interview about the tough times for banks in the financial crisis, the importance of financial institutions for the green transition and why he personally thinks it's okay to pay a top tax rate of 55 percent.

"Krone": When you look back after a 40-year career in banking, what were the toughest times?
Willi Cernko: The period immediately after the financial market crisis. The entire industry was put on a tight leash by narrowly defined rules. Public discontent was clearly noticeable. Employees began to deny that they worked for a bank. Many found it hard to come to terms with the situation.