OREANDA-NEWS. November 25, 2013. Andrey Kostin, President and Chairman of the Management Board of VTB Bank, has been named as Banker of the Decade by Itogi magazine, one of Russia’s most respected publications.

The award was made as part of Itogi’s Big Money awards, given annually to individuals and companies for their contribution to the development of banking in Russia. The awards ceremony is held on Banker’s Day, which is organised by Itogi, Fitch Ratings and the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs.

This year saw the tenth celebration of Banker’s Day, with prizes awarded for professional achievements over the past decade.

The ceremony was attended by the heads of more than 80 large banks and senior state and government officials. Representatives of the Central Bank, the Finance Ministry and the Economic Development Ministry gave speeches looking back over the past financial year.

Andrey Kostin said: “Over the past decade, which saw many highs and lows, VTB has become a major universal bank, taking every available opportunity to achieve this goal. We have grown our assets more than 30-fold, and created leading investment and retail businesses from scratch, and we now have offices in dozens of countries.”

“The role of a leader is certainly important in business, but my main task is to choose the right people for a team that plays well together,” Kostin said. “This award is testament to the achievements of my colleagues, who have worked together without respite. It is our team that has won this prize.”

“This year the Big Money prizes were awarded based on the results of the past decade,” said Kirill Dybsky, editor-in-chief of Itogi magazine. “The winners are financiers who have not only preserved, but also increased their achievements. VTB Bank employees have received our prizes many times over the years.”