Luísa Rosas
Luís Villas-Boas
Licínio Prata Pina
Chairman of Grupo Crédito Agrícola
He was born in Guarda and his education background is in Forest Resources Engineering. Licínio Prata Pina joined the staff at Crédito Agrícola in 1984, but it was in 2003, as a member of Caixa Central’s Executive Board, that he was able to contribute to embarking on a path of change, a strategy that he reiterated with greater determination when he was elected chairman of the Grupo Crédito Agrícola. Licínio Prata Pina tells us about the group’s excellent results and future goals, which include continuing to be defined as a ‘National Bank with Local Pronunciation’.
You have been working at Crédito Agrícola for more than 30 years and you have been the chairman of the executive board of the institution since 2013. How has this long experience been?
I have been working at Crédito Agrígola since 1984. I have held various positions and I have faced several challenges. One of the main ones was in 1998, when I was elected to the Board of Directors of Caixa Central and I saw that there was a need to give a new direction to the institution. In 2003 I was invited to become a member of the Caixa Central Executive Board and I was able to participate actively in the management and to embark on a path of change. In 2013 I was elected chairman of the Grupo Crédito Agrícola, which I have taken on with the help of a vast team of professionals who have been with me and in whom I take pride.
Grupo Crédito Agrícola (CA) has won awards in several areas. What does this recognition mean?
Yes, through the strategy defined and through the commitment, dedication and work of all those who have been with us, CA has been worthy of various distinctions. For the institution we are very proud of being able to count on the recognition of the market as one of the best. A big thank you to our customers, who put their faith in us.
How has the group performed in the last three years?
The group’s performance has been remarkable. People are motivated, ready to face the future, eager to do more and to go further. 2017 was the best year ever in all categories. The group posted the best ever net result, 152 million Euros, achieved the best ever trade indicators, the best prudential ratios. Confidence levels are at their highest ever.
«In 2017, the group posted the best ever net result, 152 million Euros...»
Is strengthening the bank’s presence abroad a strategy?
Our business strategy does not involve large commercial network investments abroad. We have opened representative offices in Paris, Geneva and Luxembourg, with the aim of serving as an interface for our customers, of researching market opportunities and of promoting the resulting business.
What goals are to be achieved in the future?
The future for CA will be to continue to assert itself as a leading national bank, with a clear approach of cooperative governance focused on growing in markets barely explored by us as yet and a special attention to digital banking and the needs of the younger segments. The goal we are pursuing is to be the best bank to operate in our markets; we will continue to be defined as the ‘National Bank with Local Pronunciation’.
