During the online award ceremony, EFMA (the European Finance and Marketing Association) and MasterCard announced the best SME banker. TBC Bank's deputy CEO Nika Kurdiani is named as one of the top three SME bankers in the world.

A total of 7 finalists were nominated for the best SME banker of the year from the world’s leading banks. TBC bank competed with large financial institutions, such as Barclays UK, Banco Itaú Brazil, Swedbank Sweden, Royal Bank of Canada and others.

Inspirational bankers from around the globe were selected for their SME banking activities. Selection criteria included implementation of innovations, new initiatives in small and medium business support, business outcomes, size of the bank, market share and etc. Rewards were presented to the most innovative players of the SME industry worldwide. Accordingly, this recognition will help institutions to emerge as global innovation leaders. 

“Winners of the 2020 Efma & Mastercard SME Banking Awards have the highest possible credibility and legitimacy in the market as they have been selected by their own peers voting online. The awards represent an acknowledgement that recognizes the exceptional commitment and dedication of the participating banks and bankers in providing extraordinary support to their SME clients,"

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EFMA SME program director Lukas Dzuroska. 

„Congratulations to Nika Kurdiani on the EFMA and MasterCard award. This is a great recognition for us, for the TBC Bank and our country. In our country, as well around the world, the small and medium size businesses represent the driving force of the economy and our role, as a financial institution is significant in development of this segment. With this recognition, EFMA has praised the innovations and business initiatives that we and world’s leading financial institutions have introduced to the market to strengthen small and medium businesses during 2020,”

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Vakhtang Butskhrikidze, CEO of TBC Bank.

Nika Kurdiani led small and medium business direction in TBC Bank since 2015. Before that, he worked on different positions at UniCredit Group in Austria, Turkey, and Kazakhstan. Currently he is the head of payment and marketing direction at TBC Bank and international digital banking platform SPACE. He is also a chairman of TBC Uzbekistan supervisory board.

About EFMA

EFMA, the European finance and marketing association was established by the leading banks and insurance companies. It unites 120 financial groups in 133 counties. In its global network, EFMA unites financial industry decision makers and facilitates communication and information exchange between them. Main goal of EFMA is to support its members in creating best practice and skill-based communities in their countries. Mission of the association is to provide community intelligences to optimize innovate and transform by recognizing its members best practices da connecting them.