Willi Cernko, CEO of Erste Group, in a farewell interview about the difficult times for banks during 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”: Looking back on a forty-year career in banking, what were the toughest times?
Willi Cernko: The period immediately after the financial market crisis. The entire industry has been kept on the short end of the stick by narrowly defined rules of the game. The public dissatisfaction was clearly noticeable. Employees begin to deny that they work for a bank. Many have barely come to terms with the situation.
Source: Krone
I’m Ben Stock, a journalist and author at Today Times Live. I specialize in economic news and have been working in the news industry for over five years. My experience spans from local journalism to international business reporting. In my career I’ve had the opportunity to interview some of the world’s leading economists and financial experts, giving me an insight into global trends that is unique among journalists.
