Ana is a Social Impact Investment Director at ERSTE Foundation, an organization addressing today’s diverse crises in multiple ways. Firstly, as an assertive core shareholder of Erste Group, one of the largest financial service providers in CEE, with a responsibility for businesses and society that stems from its history. Secondly, as an active contributor to European social, democratic, and cultural life. (ERSTE Group Bank AG is one of the leading financial service providers in CEE with 46k employees serving 16m clients. ERSTE Foundation is its core shareholder and one of the biggest foundations in the region. It focuses on providing financial health for all, empower those who care for others, protect contemporary culture and preserve a democratic Europe by fostering innovation and broadly sharing its learnings. Its new investment arm will perfectly fit into its aim to serve the greater good.)

In this role, Ana is responsible for designing and implementing ERSTE Foundations’ Social Impact Investment Strategy and various financial and non-financial instruments through ERSTE Foundation and Erste Social Finance, its impact investment operational arm, to create societal value. This includes social banking loans to startups, social organizations, micro-businesses, and individuals facing financial difficulties; equity investment in social housing entities; quasi-equity; social impact bonds; and grants to NGOs involved in ecosystem building.

With 14 years of banking experience, Ana’s background spans roles in corporate finance, investment banking, social banking, and social finance. Ana’s background includes diverse roles in corporate finance and investment banking, with a focus on Mergers & Acquisitions and Equity Capital Markets. She also brings a wealth of expertise in impact, innovation, sustainable capacity building, and financing. Previously, Ana held a pivotal role within BCR’s Social Banking Department, one of the largest financial institutions in Romania. There, her responsibilities spanned initiating and leading projects across various stages of the innovation process. Notably, she played a key role in designing, executing, and evaluating impact initiatives, including framing BCR Seed Starter, the first corporate venture capital vehicle for tech start-ups owned by a bank in Romania which plans to invest EUR 5m in the Romanian tech startups with the goal of generating innovation and value for the bank and its clients while also focusing on ESG areas.

A fellow of the Aspen Institute Young Leaders Program, Ana is dedicated to cultivating genuine collaboration between the stakeholders behind startups and corporates. Her belief in building long-term partnerships, harnessing technology for good, and advancing innovation at a regional level underscores her current endeavors. Much of her current endeavors both as a banker, as a philanthropist and as a supporter of impact-driven companies concentrated on uncovering the sometimes hidden positive impacts technology can have on health, education, well-being, prosperity, equality, climate, work and ethics.
As a Co-Founder and member of the Board of Advisors at Marc, a regional capacity building program which scales high-impact entreprenerus from CEE (Home – Boost social impact – MARC Impact Programme).

Ana is also a Member of the Investment Committee at Erste Social Finance which was established with the objective of growing prosperity and providing access to financial services for all. Erste Social Finance is a joint venture of Erste Group Bank AG and ERSTE Foundation, and it acts as a social enterprise. Erste Social Finance aims for positive social impact and sustainable financial results. As stipulated in its Articles of Association, it does not distribute dividends but reinvests all generated profits into new social projects.

Therefore, Erste Social Finance acts as a social finance investor and intermediary in the region of Central and Eastern Europe. Its main activities include investing in social business models which are financially sustainable, and developing and launching innovative social finance instruments.

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