About this learning event

This workshop will serve as a platform to discuss key issues surrounding bank resolution in the European Union and South East Europe, providing a comprehensive understanding of the various stages of bank distress and recovery. We will delve into the crucial components of resolution frameworks, emphasizing the importance of early intervention measures and effective contingency planning. In particular, we will explore the evolving practices around resolution planning, focusing on how authorities design, implement, and assess these plans to ensure financial stability while safeguarding public funds.

A central theme of the discussion will be the Minimum Requirement for Own Funds and Eligible Liabilities (MREL), a critical element in ensuring that banks have sufficient loss-absorbing capacity in the event of failure. As this topic has garnered significant interest within our constituency, we will provide a detailed examination of MREL requirements, their role in resolution strategies, and the challenges faced by banks in meeting these thresholds. By sharing experiences and lessons learned from different jurisdictions, the workshop will offer valuable insights into how regulators and institutions can enhance resilience across the banking sector.

In light of recent developments within the EU, such as the European Banking Authority’s (EBA) updated guidelines on resolution planning and the Single Resolution Board’s (SRB) latest policy updates, we will also address the implications of these changes for banks operating within the EU. These updates highlight the evolving regulatory landscape and the need for banks to adapt their resolution strategies accordingly. The workshop will provide a timely opportunity to discuss these changes and their impact on the banking sector, ensuring participants are well-informed and prepared for future challenges.

Who should attend

The workshop is designed for officials working on bank recovery and resolution or banking regulation and supervision at central banks or other competent authorities; officials of financial sector regulation departments of finance ministries might be interested to attend.

Faculty

• Ute Lettanie, National Bank of Belgium

Ute joined the Resolution Unit in 2022, where she follows the legal and policy developments in the field of resolution. While pursuing her PhD in Law at the University of Antwerp, focusing on the accountability of the European Central Bank, she undertook a six-month traineeship at the ECB. Ute has authored several publications in (inter)national journals and books and occasionally engages in teaching assignments, sharing her expertise in financial regulation and public law with university students.

• Frosina Celeska, National Bank of the Republic of North Macedonia

Since January 2022, Frosina has managed the Banking Regulations and Bank Resolution Department at the National Bank, overseeing the development of banking regulations and ensuring compliance with international standards. This new department will also handle bank resolution starting in October 2025. Frosina began her career in banking supervision and regulation, focusing on enhancing regulations. From September to November 2007, she was seconded to the Financial Stability Institute in Basel, where she helped prepare international training for banking supervisors. Before her current role, she served as Deputy Manager in the Department for Financial Stability and Banking Regulation since 2011.

• Paško Rakić, Croatian National Bank

Paško is a Senior Advisor in Croatian National Bank (CNB) Resolution Unit with 10 years of experience in crisis management and resolution. He was a lead expert of the CNB in HYPO crisis (2014), Jadranska banka resolution case (2015), Venetian bank crisis (2017) and Sberbank resolution case (2022). During resolution procedure in Sberbank (March-April) CEO of the Sberbank HR under resolution. In addition, Paško has more than 7 years of experience in on-site and off site supervision with the CNB. MD in Finance, Faculty of Economics, University of Zagreb.

• Beatrice Popescu, National Bank of Romania

Beatrice is the Deputy Director of the Bank Resolution Department at the Central Bank of Romania, bringing over 25 years of expertise in banking and regulatory affairs. With a 11-year tenure at the Romanian Central Bank, nearly a 10 years of which was dedicated to the Resolution Directorate, she has also served on the Supervisory Board of the Romanian Deposit Guarantee Scheme. A law graduate and member of the Bucharest Bar Association, Beatrice holds an MBA in General Management from Sheffield University.

• Pamela Lintner, Financial Sector Advisory Center (FinSAC)

Pamela is a Senior Financial Sector Specialist at the World Bank Group. Focusing on Eastern Europe and Central Asia region, Pamela supports client countries in building more resilient crisis management frameworks. She has contributed to and led technical assistance missions with a focus on bank resolution and deposit insurance schemes, has regularly run Recovery and Resolution Simulation Exercises and participated in Financial Sector Assessment Programs with the IMF. Before joining the World Bank, Pamela worked at the National Bank of Austria, the Austrian Bankers Association, and the Austrian Ministry of Finance, contributing to the EU financial sector regulatory agenda. She holds a Doctorate in law from the University of Linz, with studies in Vienna, Madrid, and Maastricht.

• Darko Torkar, Banka Slovenije

Darko is a financial professional with expertise in treasury operations, FX reserves management, investment banking, asset management, banking supervision, and resolution. Since joining Banka Slovenije in 2014, he has focused on bank risk analysis, stress testing, business models, supervisory methodologies, and resolution planning. He managed projects like the NPL project and the development of bank business model analysis, and organizational effectiveness of financial regulator. Before Banka Slovenije, Darko worked in various financial institutions in Slovenia, specializing in restructuring of non-performing loans at NLB and managing treasury, investment banking, and payments division at Deželna banka Slovenije. He also directed portfolio management at Kapitalska družba and was involved in establishing pension fund management. At the Ljubljana Stock Exchange, he led the trading monitoring and analysis department.

Currently, Darko is a Resolution Expert at Banka Slovenije, dealing with resolution matters for SI and LSI banks and participating in EBA and SRB working groups on banking resolution topics

• Bojan Bodnaruk, Banka Slovenije

Bojan is a financial professional with skills in resolution, reporting, audit and accounting. He works at the Bank of Slovenia as a Resolution Expert in the Resolution unit. Resolution unit engages in drafting of resolution plans, caculation of MREL targets for banks, collection of contributions and is responsible for operating the Deposit guarantee system. Prior to his work in Banka Slovenije, he was working as an external auditor and financial advisor (M&A transaction support) with Deloitte.

Partners

This learning initiative was supported by: