Mikael Björknert, Chairman of the Management Board of PrivatBank, was named the best CEO of Ukraine in the "Discovery of the Year" nomination.
These are the results of a large-scale study of the effectiveness of Ukrainian business leaders, conducted by NV together with Odgers Ukraine and Wellbeing. Based on this study, the award ceremony for the best CEOs of Ukraine took place.
During the event "Top managers holding the country. Dialogues with NV", Mikael Björknert spoke about the bank's business results and the challenges facing the Ukrainian economy.
According to him, PrivatBank predicts that by the end of 2026 it will be able to grow its business client portfolio by at least 60%. Thus continuing the trend of last year, when growth was twice higher than market indicators and reached 62%.
“Despite the challenges of war, the bank is already showing good growth indicators. In the first six months of this year, the market grew by 15% in loan portfolios, while we grew by 29.6%. Today, this figure has reached 43%. And currently, we forecast that this growth trend will continue,” — noted Mikael Björknert.
At the same time, he spoke about the risks for the banking system and the economy as a whole, which could affect these results. Given the change in Russia's approaches to shelling, logistics centers, large retail groups, and port infrastructure are increasingly becoming targets for the enemy.
As a result of intensified Russian attacks on port infrastructure facilities and civilian vessels in July 2026, problems arose with maritime logistics. Against this background, PrivatBank observes an increased demand for working capital financing, as well as requests for short-term payment deferrals from agricultural producers.
“Even in July and August, which are traditionally off-season months for us, the demand for working capital financing is already about 20% higher, and we expect it to grow further. It is very important for us in this difficult period for Ukrainian farmers to support them, especially small producers who suffer almost the most. That is why we aim to continue lending to farmers despite everything. Usually, when a company has no income, its reliability in the eyes of financial institutions may decrease, and accordingly, banks may be less willing to provide loans. We apply counter-logic. We intend to provide loans even when the business shows no financial results for a long time. After all, our task is to help entrepreneurs pass the sowing season without significant losses for themselves and for the economy as a whole,” — added Mikael Björknert.
According to the bank's CEO, the financial institution also continues to lend to large logistics companies and retailers that suffer greatly from shelling.
The bank will continue to support businesses facing difficult circumstances.
