Herbert Stepic (Raiffeisen) awarded European Banker of the Year

Herbert Stepic, CEO of Raiffeisen International Bank-Holding AG and Deputy Chairman of the Managing Board of Raiffeisen Zentralbank österreich AG (RZB), was elected "European Banker of the Year 2006". This was announced by "The Group 20 + 1". He is the first Austrian banker receiving this title, which has been issued since 1994. "The Group of 20 + 1" is an association of leading economic and finance journalists based in Frankfurt am Main.

The decision of the jury was based on Mr. Stepic's pioneer role in Central and Eastern Europe during the last decades, the excellent position of Raiffeisen in the region and the dynamic development of Raiffeisen International since its going public in April 2005.