Sofrino Bank is a modern universal bank that proposes wide range of financial services for individuals and legal entities. Individual needs are always taken into account, Sofrino Bank keeps it constantly developing and improving provided products and programs. The factors which constitute this successful promotion are mentioned in the NBJ interview with Dmitriy MALISHEV, board chairman of Sofrino Bank.

NBJ: Dmitriy Konstantinovich, during the period from 2008 to 2012 Sofrino Bank has managed to rise through 200 positions in the net assets ratings. What was the cause of such significant growth, which factors from your point of view played the most important role?

D. MALYSHEV: The year 2008 was decisive for us, during this year we managed to understand that the world has changed and that there will be no coming back to the past. In this situation we could not stay as before and the most important thing that we have achieved is that we have reorganized the work of bank branches - this allowed us to stay in touch with our clients 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We are really working without weekends or holidays; this made us definitely closer to the clients. The other logical result of the implemented changes is the growth of the database for distributing bank means and increasing bank assets.

I would like to outline the changes in our client communications. CRM system implementation and 24-hour call center extension is an example of this. Now it is possible for clients to monitor the path of personal credit application regarding the steps, this can be done in "private room". We made the credit process more open.

Significant factor of our growth is dynamic modernization of product range. For example, we are crediting nearly every profitable business using systematic approach and separating it into particular category. Lots of banks are performing car crediting procedures, but as for us, we also issue credit money for mobile homes, campings etc., i.e. not only cars.

Such synergy of various factors has led to impressive growth results.

NBJ: Sofrino Bank is the universal bank, however, probably there is a business trend which is prior for the bank?

D. MALYSHEV: Absolutely, we have clients who we are closely working with, such as Russian suppliers' union of metal manufacturers - well-established and respected organization which unites metal traders and metal manufacturers.

For the past two years we prefer such a high-marginal product as tendered credit. Thousands of companies want to participate in the growing government orders while not having enough funds on their own, but being capable of providing the order. They come to our bank and we try to help them as much as we can.

NBJ: From your point of view, how is it possible for average banks to compete with government financial and credit organization and big private banks?

D. MALYSHEV: Today we are opening representative offices in 30 Russian cities. For the past two months I have visited about 20 cities. As an example I can use the Yaroslavl situation, we will soon open there. Governor replacement took place in this region, as well as replacement of city major andmanager of Rossselkhozbank office, Sberbank powers are now reduced. That is, earlier existing links were destroyed. And this is a good moment for us, average banks, to enter the regional market. Similar situation can be observed in other regions as well.

NBJ: What are the average priority plans of the bank on the middle-term perspective?

D. MALYSHEV: We cannot allow ourselves to fall behind from the market. There is no sense in running ahead of it, as then we can find ourselves in the risk zone. This is why we chose the golden mean - move in the direction of market trend while meeting all requirements of supervision authorities. Our priorities remain as before: aiming at clients, modern technologies and highly professional personnel.