CFI.co Meets the CEO of Austrian Anadi Bank – Christian Kubitschek: “FinTech and Full-Service Bank is Not a Contradiction”

In July 2020, Christian Kubitschek became CEO of Austrian Anadi Bank. Before his assignment, Kubitschek was founding Board Member at bank99, CFO and Deputy CEO at Addiko Group and Sberbank Europe Group and had held senior leadership positions in institutions like Deutsche Bank and Swiss Re. Throughout his career, Kubitschek covered more than 25 countries and contributed to transforming business models from traditional banking to hybrid banking solutions.

Looking back at an extraordinary year 2020: How did Austrian Anadi Bank perform?

In 2020 we demonstrated the resilience of our business model under the most difficult conditions imaginable. Despite the pandemic, we achieved a positive annual result for 2020. In addition, we increased our capital ratios in the second half of the year – despite an increase in high-margin business areas and significant investments – from 14.1% to 15.2%.

How are you performing in 2021?

Austrian Anadi Bank is doing very well. Our digital loan book is growing strongly. Our investments in digital offerings and in strategic partnerships materialize more and more, with innovations like our digitalized SME credit in Germany, launched in April, and our tablet-based cooperation with the largest retail network in Austria, launched in July. Cost and capital efficiency, keeping risks under control and focusing on the right products with highly motivated teams: These are our five factors of success, all on the basis of a highly scalable and digitalized platform, combined with fast decision-making DNA.

In April you announced the launch of your digital expansion into Germany. What potential do you see in this?

With a wink of an eye, I speak of a ‘piranha strategy’. We will grab small but attractive market shares by focussing on ‘filet pieces’ that the big players hardly notice. The common language and similar legal frameworks between Austria and Germany make things easier. Together with our digital consumer credit strategy in Austria and Germany and with tablet-based strategic partnerships we aim to achieve a digital-based loan volume of around 250 million euros within three years.

Recently, you presented a new cooperation with the Austrian tobacconists: a disruptive move?

Definitely! We bring modern banking services even closer to people, combining two of our key strengths: we are launching a completely new business model with the innovative power and agility of a FinTech, and we did so in a very short time frame – seven months from idea to pilot! Also, we draw on our capabilities as an established full-service bank, since the tablet-based cooperation with Austria’s tobacconists, the largest retail network in Austria, is requiring processes and risk management capabilities of a full-service bank. This is hybrid banking at its best!

Full-service bank and FinTech – is that a contradiction?

To us, no. We combine the best of both worlds in Anadi: 20 percent of our people are already working in our bank-internal FinTech, and this number will definitively increase. As a full-service bank, we have the experience and processes needed for most banking services and products. We have real FinTech DNA in our bank, and more FinTech-based innovations are to come!