Petr Baron
English banker and investor (born 1980)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Petr Baron (born 28 November 1980) is a British banker and entrepreneur who is the current CEO of TBI Bank.[1][2][3][4] Baron has also been an early investor in several technology ventures.[5]
Entrepreneur
Angel investor
Petr Baron | |
|---|---|
| Петр Барон | |
Baron on the cover of Forbes Magazine in 2023 | |
| Born | 28 November 1980 |
| Citizenship | British |
| Education | Cass Business School |
| Occupations | Banker Entrepreneur Angel investor |
| Children | 2 |
Early life
Born in Moscow, Baron immigrated to the UK as a teenager, where he attended the Taunton School between 1994 and 1999.[6] In 2002, he earned a BSc degree in Investment and Financial Risk Management from Cass Business School.[7]
Career
Prior to taking the helm at TBI, Baron held several board positions in the finance industry across Europe.[8] He has also made angel investments in multiple fintech ventures, including Silverbird, Finmap, Releva.ia, FintechOS, Lili, 3S Money, Swipe, ANNA Money, and Myos.[9][10][11]
VAB Bank
Baron joined the Supervisory Board of Ukrainian VABank in 2003.[12] Later, he was appointed as the CEO and Chairman of the bank,[13] which was subsequently rebranded as VAB Bank.[14][15] During his tenure, all nine companies in the VAB Group merged into a unified financial services supermarket in Ukraine,[16][17] VAB Bank emerged as one of the most technologically advanced brands in Ukraine, and Baron was recognized as a prominent figure in the country's banking industry.[18][14]
In 2008, Baron participated as a judge in two seasons of the local edition of the television program "Dragons’ Den" - known as "Business Sharks" in Ukraine.[19][20]
In 2011, there was a change in ownership of VAB Bank,[21] and due to a difference of opinions, Baron resigned from his position.[22][23]
TBI Bank
Baron joined TBIF Financial Services in 2012 as Vice President of Strategy,[3] following the company's acquisition of the Bulgarian branch of Nova Ljubljanska Banka (NBL), which was subsequently rebranded as TBI Bank.[24] During his tenure, the Kardan Group, which owned TBIF, decided to divest its financial business. Baron played a crucial role in the 2016 acquisition of TBIF by the Latvian 4Finance Group.[25]
In 2016, Baron assumed the role of CEO at TBI, a consumer lending bank with operations in Bulgaria, Romania, Greece, Germany, and Lithuania.[26][27][4][28] Under his leadership, TBI became one of the most profitable banks in Southeastern Europe.[29] In January 2023, Baron was featured on the cover of the Romanian edition of Forbes Magazine, where he shared his personal and TBI's story.[28]