Vitalii Kucher, Board Member at Credit Agricole, took part in Forbes Banker conference

Vitalii Kucher, Board Member at Credit Agricole, took part in panel discussion “Lending strategies. Experience of banks with the fastest growth of borrower base” as part of Forbes Banker conference. It was the second conference by Forbes Ukraine, that brought together business owners, CEOs and top managers of banks, medium business representatives, finance companies, regulators and institutional players – the ones who make up the country’s financial architecture.

In the course of the panel discussion, the state of financing in 2025, focus industries and plans for the future were explored jointly with representatives of banks that lend the most to the Ukrainian businesses. The discussion was moderated by Serhii Shulha, financial director of Vitagro group.

Credit Agricole prioritizes recovery of the Ukrainian economy through financing the business. In 2025, the bank’s loan portfolio grew by 37%.

"Positive dynamics was noted in all business customer segments — from small and medium businesses to corporate customers. The agrarian sector remains one of the key drivers of the economy and a target market for our bank. The bank’s loan portfolio for the agrarian business  reached UAH 18.9 billion by the end of 2025. We are observing growing demand for both working capital and investment financing, — shared Vitalii Kucher. — Our priorities include intensifying work with small and medium-sized agribusinesses. That is why acquisition of Bank Lviv is a logical step aimed at solidifying our standing in this segment, which will enable us to expand our presence in the western region. In return, Bank Lviv has gained the investor enabling it to scale business processes and accelerate growth ".

We are grateful to Forbes Ukraine for the invite and the opportunity to engage in discussion of the key issues of the finance sector development.