Old reflexes no longer work in the "new world", OTP boss says

Finding new clients that should qualify for taking out loans is a highly challenging task in the post-crisis world, and banks should undergo structural changes to grapple with the new challenges, says Laszlo Diosi, head of OTP Bank, a medium-sized Hungarian-held player.

"I work 12 to 14 hours a day not because things are going bad, but because I'm involved in micromanagement. I am closely looking at all the bank's processes to make changes. We cannot conquer the new world with the old reflexes. Before, you could sell anything to anyone, now it is very difficult to find new opportunities," Diosi said.

At present, the bulk of banks' business comes from the refinancing of existent loans, with a battle to win over clients from peers.

Diosi's ambition for this year is for OTP to become more flexible, so that it would be able to adapt to emerging opportunities. However, this means more than "whipping" the sales force to bring new clients, with a review of all internal processes being necessary.