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Statement from the supervisory board chairman
An annual report is always a good reason and opportunity to reflect on the past year.
However, on this occasion, my personal gaze over the past will extend somewhat further,
because in 2014 I shall be coming to the end of my term as chairman of the supervisory
board. I view the past year with pride, as indeed I do the years that preceded it. We have
achieved a lot, and most of the goals we set for ourselves have been reached.
In this regard, I am particularly pleased with the nationwide institutional protection scheme
(IPS) which is about to be implemented in the Tyrolean Raiffeisen sector. This has shown
me yet again what our banking group is capable of. RLB Tirol AG, and nobody more so
than management board chairman Hannes Schmid, has done an excellent job here,
succeeding in getting the Raiffeisen banks to close ranks in nearly record time. The
implementation of this protection scheme means that all the requirements of Basel III will
have been met, thereby guaranteeing the continuing stability of the Raiffeisen sector. This
project alone has also shown me the extent to which the Raiffeisen principle remains alive
and well – true to the Raiffeisen motto: what the individual cannot achieve alone can be
achieved by the many
(Was der Einzelne nicht vermag, das vermögen Viele)
.
By steadfastly adhering to the strategy we embarked on, last year Raiffeisen-Landesbank
Tirol AG once again succeeded in slightly increasing its profit from ordinary activities. This
is all the more remarkable when one considers that the economy of the European Union
was sliding into recession for part of the year. Thankfully, some growth was registered
towards the end of the year, and as a result we may now look to the future somewhat more
hopefully.
However, the transformation which the modern banking industry is undergoing remains
highly challenging. Competition in the banking services sector is becoming ever more
cut-throat. Major European banks are putting pressure on our domestic market, the
digitalisation of banking business is proceeding apace and car dealerships and furniture
stores have long numbered among our rivals when it comes to granting consumer
credit. Meanwhile, the ever more stringent regulations imposed by legislators add to our
costs. The order of the day is to increase revenues while keeping costs constant or, if at all
possible, cutting them.
To this end, in 2013 the employees, senior managers and entire management board of
Raiffeisen-Landesbank Tirol made and supported some decisions which will shape our
future. Some of these decisions were not easy for an institution with the values and tradition
which RLB embodies. They required the courage necessary to face up to change and
a willingness to embrace the new. Therefore, I would like to thank all those who have
actively worked together and continue to work to secure a successful future for our bank.
On a personal note, I have always greatly valued and appreciated being able to contribute
to and help shape so many positive developments. I would like to wish the management
board and all the people working for RLB Tirol AG a successful future, and the supervisory
board a continuation of a highly constructive working relationship with all those responsible
for running the bank.
Josef Graber
Director and supervisory board chairman
Statement from the supervisory board chairman