November 8, 2024 – Women on Boards Adria (WOBA) is proud to announce that Addiko Bank, an Austrian bank with six subsidiary banks across five Central and Southeast European countries – Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, Slovenia, and Serbia – has joined WOBA as a Corporate Founding Partner at the group level. This partnership marks a significant advancement toward promoting gender diversity at the board and C-suite levels across the Adria region.
“We’re delighted to have Addiko Bank join us as a corporate partner, as it shows that the drive for gender diversity is gaining serious momentum. Their commitment goes beyond words and into real action. It’s not just about putting more women at the table, but about changing how the table looks, who gets to sit at it, and what voices are heard. We’re eager to work together to build a business community where talented women can truly thrive and lead,” said Biljana Braithwaite, Chair of Women on Boards Adria.
Braithwaite emphasized that Addiko Bank, as a corporate partner from the banking sector, will play a crucial role in the further development of the WOBA initiative, the continued growth of the leadership network, and the promotion of the importance of gender diversity for good and responsible business practices. This collaboration highlights a shared commitment to creating an inclusive and equitable business environment, where diverse talents can thrive and advance into leadership positions.
“Partnering with Women on Boards Adria is an exciting step for us at Addiko Bank. We genuinely believe that when leadership is built on diversity, it creates stronger, more resilient organizations. This partnership is about opening doors and recognizing talented women, supporting them to thrive at every level, both within Addiko and throughout the Adria region,” says Herbert Juranek, CEO of Addiko Bank AG.
As part of this collaboration, WOBA and Addiko Bank will work together to raise awareness about the importance of greater representation of women and their inclusion at all levels. WOBA ambassadors from Addiko Bank, both women and men, will empower others to advance in their careers through training and mentoring. This partnership will help harness the full potential of women leaders, contributing to a stronger and more innovative business community with equal opportunities in our region.
About Women on Boards Adria (WOBA):
WOBA is a regional initiative dedicated to increasing gender diversity at the Board and C-suite levels of companies in the Adria region. WOBA works with the business sector, government, and international institutions to promote greater gender representation on management and supervisory boards among the top leadership in companies of public interest in the Adriatic and Western Balkan region. Through partnerships with forward-thinking organizations, WOBA strives to inspire change, drive the implementation of policies that promote gender diversity and advocate for legislative changes in line with EU Directive on Women on Boards and create an inclusive business environment where women leaders can thrive.
About Addiko Bank:
Addiko Group is a specialist banking group focusing on providing banking products and services to Consumer and Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SME) in Central and South-Eastern Europe (CSEE). The Group consists of Addiko Bank AG, the fully-licensed Austrian parent bank registered in Vienna, Austria, listed on the Vienna Stock Exchange and supervised by the Austrian Financial Market Authority and by the European Central Bank, as well as six subsidiary banks, registered, licensed and operating in five CSEE countries: Croatia, Slovenia, Bosnia & Herzegovina (where it operates via two banks), Serbia and Montenegro. Through its six subsidiary banks, Addiko Group services approximately 0.9 million customers in CSEE using a well-dispersed network of c. 155 branches and modern digital banking channels. Based on its strategy, Addiko Group has repositioned itself as a specialist Consumer and SME banking group with a focus on growing its Consumer and SME lending activities as well as payment services (its “focus areas”). It offers unsecured personal loan products for Consumers and working capital loans for its SME customers and is largely funded by retail deposits.
