Sergiu Oprescu appointed Deputy Chairman of the European Mortgage Federation. This is the first time a representative of Eastern Europe is appointed to the EMF’s board.

Sergiu Oprescu, Executive President of Alpha Bank Romania and General Manager of the International Network of the Alpha Bank Group has been appointed Deputy Chairman of the European Mortgage Federation (EMF) for the mandate 2023-2024.

As Deputy Chairman, Sergiu Oprescu will work closely with the newly elected Chairman, Roberto Colomer Blasco, and the other members of the EMF Executive Committee to promote the responsible and sustainable growth of the mortgage industry in Europe.

“I am honored and proud to be appointed EMF Deputy Chairman and I would like to thank the members of the EMF for their trust and confidence in me. It is a great responsibility to represent the mortgage market at European level and I am ready to leverage my entire experience in the financial services sector to promote the responsible and sustainable growth of this sector”, said Sergiu Oprescu.

Sergiu Oprescu has an extensive experience in banking and capital markets, with a career of almost 30 years in the financial sector. He joined Alpha Bank Romania in 1994 and held several senior positions before being appointed Executive President in 2007. In 2019 he was appointed General Manager of the International Network of the Alpha Bank Group and member of the Group’s Executive Committee.

Under his coordination, Alpha Bank Romania launched the first mortgage loan in the local market in 2001 and became the first issuer of covered bonds in Romania in 2019.

He has participated directly in building the Romanian capital market, being Chairman of the Bucharest Stock Exchange from 2000 to 2006. At the same time, he was involved in local and international professional organizations, serving as President of the Board of Directors of the Romanian Association of Banks from 2015 to 2021.

Speaking on the appointments, Luca Bertalot, EMF Secretary General said:

“We are delighted to welcome Roberto and Sergiu to their new roles vis-à-vis the EMF and we look forward to working with them over the coming two years.”

Commenting on his appointment, Roberto Colomer, EMF Chairman said:
“I appreciate the confidence of the members of the EMF in appointing me to the position of Chairman for the next two years, which will present important challenges due to the uncertainties of the current economic and social environments, but which will undoubtedly also present significant opportunities in terms of further developing sustainability, accessibility and efficiency in European mortgage markets. In this role, I look forward to working with the EMF Secretariat to further enhance the EMF as a hub for all stakeholders focusing on housing policy and its financing.”

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Established in 1967, EMF is the voice of the European mortgage industry worth over EUR 8 trillion at the end of 2020, representing the interests of mortgage lenders and mortgage bond issuers. The EMF provides data and information on European mortgage markets, with 14 members from 12 EU Member States, as well as a number of observer members. The EMF also includes the European Covered Bond Council (ECBC), which brings together covered bond issuers, analysts, investment bankers, rating agencies, etc. The ECBC has 120 members, representing more than 95% of mortgage bonds outstanding, with a value of almost EUR 3 trillion at the end of 2021.