The strategic importance of Cyprus for the Alpha Bank Group was underlined by the Management’s visit to Nicosia, just a few days after the presentation of the Bank’s renewed corporate identity. Led by the Chair of Board of Directors of Alpha Bank, Dimitris Tsitsiragos, and the CEO Vassilios Psaltis, the Bank’s Management Team had a series of meetings with institutional bodies and the island’s business community, marking a period of substantial strengthening of the Group’s presence in the Cypriot market.
Meetings with the Archbishop of Cyprus and the Governor of the Central Bank
As part of its regular contacts with the institutional leadership of Cyprus, the Bank’s Management was received by the Archbishop of Cyprus George III and also met with the Governor of the Central Bank of Cyprus, Christodoulos Patsalides. Moreover, several meetings were also held with representatives of the business community, focusing on the prospects for the Cypriot economy, and on investment opportunities and the role of the banking system in financing growth.
The Bank's Management presented to Cyprus the message of the “redefined ‘Together’”, Alpha Bank’s new positioning, which encapsulates its aspiration to cultivate a relationship of trust with every Customer, and to evolve that relationship following closely the progress in its customers’ lives and aspirations. Building on this foundation, the Bank is expanding the range of banking and insurance services it offers in the Cypriot market, as well as the way in which it supports its customers. Alpha Bank’s aspiration to be the bank of first choice for its customers was highlighted during the Management’s meetings with the people of Alpha Bank Cyprus, in the framework of several meetings held at the Bank’s Head Office, as well as of visits to the Branch Network.
The CEO of Alpha Bank Group, Vassilios Psaltis, said about the visit of the Bank’s Management to Cyprus: “Cyprus lies at the heart of Alpha Bank’s development. With AstroBank, Altius, and Universal Life, we are building a comprehensive ecosystem of banking and insurance services on the island. At the same time, through our strategic partnership with UniCredit, we are linking this ecosystem to 13 European markets. This enables us to support a business as it grows and when it seeks opportunities beyond its national borders, but also to help a family save and plan for its future with confidence. We believe that Greece and Cyprus, their citizens and businesses, must be linked to Europe and to the major markets, now more than ever before, and we wish to be the catalyst for this, by joining forces with them. That, after all, is what the redefined ‘Together’ means to us.”
Other members of the Bank’s delegation included the Deputy CEO, Lazaros Papagaryfallou; the Chief of Corporate Center & General Counsel, Nikos Salakas; the Chief Retail Strategies Officer, Panagiotis Georgiopoulos; the Chief of Wholesale Banking, Iosif Kiouroukoglou; and the Chief of Investment Banking, Giorgos Linatsas. Representing Alpha Bank Cyprus were the Chairman of the Board of Directors, Michael Kolakides, and the CEO, Miltos Michaelas.
A strong partner for the Cypriot businesses
The visit took place at a time when Alpha Bank Cyprus is substantially strengthening its presence in the Cypriot market, expanding its role in financing the real economy and supporting investments that create long-term value for the Cypriot society and the island’s economy. This momentum is reflected in the Group’s recent strategic moves in Cyprus, with the completion of the acquisition and absorption of AstroBank’s banking portfolio, making Alpha Bank the third-largest bank in the country.
At the same time, the stepped-up process for the finalization of the agreements with Altius Insurance and Universal Life, which are aimed at creating a new, strong insurance business pole, is expected to establish the Group as the leading player in the Life and General Insurance sectors, further strengthening its growth footprint in the country.
The history of Cyprus through the Numismatic Collection
A very special moment during the presence of the Group’s Management in Nicosia was the official opening of the exhibition “Messages on Metal. A Timeless Dialogue with Cyprus”, which is hosted at the Leventis Municipal Museum of Nicosia and presents, for the first time to the Cypriot public, selected exhibits from the Alpha Bank Numismatic Collection.
Through coins of exceptional historical and artistic value, the exhibition showcases the coin as an economic tool, a historical artefact and a means of communication. The depictions, symbols and inscriptions on the coins themselves convey messages of power, identity and values. Coins from the Alpha Bank Numismatic Collection are exhibited alongside coins from the Leventis Municipal Museum of Nicosia and the Leventis Art Gallery, in what becomes a historical dialogue between the two Collections.
The opening ceremony, which took place in the presence of the Governor of the Central Bank, Dr. Christodoulos Patsalides, was also attended by the Mayor of Nicosia, Charalambos Prountzos and key figures of the island’s political, business and cultural life, at an event that promoted the belief that economic progress and cultural heritage are interlinked pillars of a modern and sustainable growth model.
The Chair of the Board of Directors of Alpha Bank, Dimitris Tsitsiragos, recalling Alpha Bank’s 30-year presence in the Cypriot market, remarked: “Every banking transaction is driven by people’s needs and plans. And a bank’s responsibility is to consistently support those needs and plans. Because a society needs institutions that can stand the test of time. Healthy banks translate savings into productive investments. When a business grows, the benefits reach its employees, its suppliers, and the local economy. Our responsibility, however, also extends to the things that hold a society together: knowledge, education, health, and culture. Our Numismatic Collection is the expression of this responsibility: to preserve a precious heritage and make it accessible to all, especially the children and young people.”
