Komerční Banka’s Richard Kellner says Slovak firms are now more likely to refinance existing projects than invest in new production capacity.
Banks in Slovakia are facing not only weaker demand for loans, but also a growing regulatory burden. New regulations, government measures and the recent introduction of a tax on bank transactions are, for banks, not just a matter of making simple system adjustments, but instead necessitate interventions into complex infrastructure, data and internal processes. At the same time, companies are investing less in new productive capacity, while industry in Slovakia is struggling with rising costs.
Richard Kellner has been the managing director at Komerční Banka in Slovakia since 1 June 2025. He took up the post after serving as the bank’s head of corporate banking, a position he had held since 2013.
Before joining Komerční Banka, he worked at ING Bank, first in Amsterdam and later, after returning to Slovakia, in Bratislava. He studied at the University of Amsterdam and in banking has long focused mainly on corporate clients and corporate finance.
In addition to his role at Komerční Banka, he is president of the Netherlands Chamber of Commerce in Slovakia and a member of the supervisory board of Circular Slovakia.
