The visit by Alpha Bank Group’s management to Nicosia, just days after the Bank unveiled its refreshed corporate identity, reaffirmed the strategic importance of Cyprus to the Group. Led by Alpha Βank Chairman Dimitris Tsitsiragos and CEO Vassilis Psaltis, the management team held a series of meetings with institutional representatives and the island’s business community, marking a period of significant expansion of the Group’s presence in the Cypriot market.
Meetings with the Archbishop of Cyprus and the Governor of the Central Bank
As part of its regular contacts with Cyprus’s institutional leadership, the Bank’s management was received by the Archbishop of Cyprus, His Beatitude Georgios, and met the Governor of the Central Bank of Cyprus, Christodoulos Patsalides.
A series of meetings was also held with representatives of the business community, focusing on the prospects for the Cypriot economy, investment opportunities and the role of the banking system in financing growth.
As the relevant announcement notes, the management brought to Cyprus the message of “the new Together”, Alpha Bank’s new positioning, which sums up its ambition to build a relationship of trust with every customer and develop it in step with their lives and aspirations.
With this as its starting point, the Bank is broadening the range of banking and insurance services it offers in the Cypriot market, as well as the ways in which it supports its customers.
Alpha Βank’s ambition to become its customers’ first-choice bank was highlighted in meetings between the management and employees of Alpha Βank Cyprus, as part of a series of briefings at the head office and visits to the branch network.
During the visit to Cyprus, Alpha Βank Group CEO Vassilis Psaltis said: “Cyprus is at the heart of Alpha Bank’s evolution. With AstroBank, Altius and Universal Life, we are building an integrated ecosystem of banking and insurance services on the island.
At the same time, through our strategic partnership with UniCredit, we are connecting this ecosystem to 13 European markets. This means we can support a business as it grows and when it looks for opportunities beyond its borders, while also helping a family save and plan for the future with confidence.
We believe that Greece and Cyprus, their citizens and their businesses, need to be more connected than ever to Europe and its major markets. We want to act as a catalyst for this, joining forces with them. That, after all, is what “the new Together” means to us.”
Among those in the Bank’s delegation were Deputy CEO Lazaros Papagaryfallou, Chief of Corporate Center & General Counsel Nikos Salakas, Chief Retail Strategies Officer Panagiotis Georgiopoulos, Chief of Wholesale Banking Iosif Kiouroukoglou and Chief of Investment Banking George Linatsas. Alpha Βank Cyprus was represented by its Chairman, Michalis Kolakidis, and CEO Miltos Michailas.
A strong partner for Cypriot business
The visit took place as Alpha Βank Cyprus is significantly expanding its footprint in the Cypriot market, strengthening its role in financing the real economy and supporting investments that create long-term value for Cypriot society and the economy.
This momentum is reflected in the Group’s recent strategic moves in Cyprus, including the completion of its acquisition and absorption of AstroBank’s AstroBank banking portfolio, making Alpha Bank the country’s third-largest bank. Meanwhile, the accelerated completion of agreements with Altius Insurance and Universal Life, as part of the creation of a new, strong insurance business, is expected to establish the Group as a leading player in life and general insurance, further strengthening its contribution to growth in the country.
Cyprus’s history through the Numismatic Collection
A highlight of the Group management’s visit to Nicosia was the opening of the exhibition “Messages in Metal: An Enduring Dialogue with Cyprus”, hosted at the Leventis Municipal Museum of Nicosia. It presents selected exhibits from Alpha Βank’s Numismatic Collection to the Cypriot public for the first time.
Featuring coins of exceptional historical and artistic value, the exhibition presents currency as an economic tool, a historical record and a means of communication. Their images, symbols and inscriptions convey messages of power, identity and values. Coins from Alpha Βank’s collection are presented in dialogue with coins from the Leventis Municipal Museum of Nicosia and the Leventis Gallery.
The opening ceremony, attended by Central Bank Governor Dr Christodoulos Patsalides, was also attended by Nicosia Mayor Charalambos Prountzos and representatives of Cyprus’s political, business and cultural communities. The event highlighted the view that economic progress and cultural heritage are interlinked pillars of a modern, sustainable growth model.
Recalling Alpha Βank’s 30-year presence in the Cypriot market, Alpha Βank Chairman Dimitris Tsitsiragos said: “Behind every banking transaction are people’s needs and plans. A bank’s responsibility is to support them consistently. Because society needs institutions that endure.
Sound banks turn savings into productive investment. When a business grows, the benefits reach its employees, suppliers and the local economy. But our responsibility also extends to what holds a society together: knowledge, education, health and culture. Our Numismatic Collection reflects this responsibility: to preserve a valuable heritage and make it accessible to everyone, especially children and young people.”