Putin to visit VTB new HQ Tue to review performance

MOSCOW, December 28 (Itar-Tass) -- On Tuesday Prime Minister Vladimir
Putin will visit Bank VTB's new headquarters, where he will have a meeting
with the Bank's executives, as well, as in a videoconference, meet with
representatives of VTB branches in a number of regions of the Russian
Federation (RF) and abroad to discuss VTB Group's performance in 2010.
The Head of Government will also familiarize himself with the work of
the Dealing Centre, the Bank's subdivision that tackles operations
involving securities and foreign-exchange currency.
The RF government is VTB's main shareholder with an equity stake of
85.5 percent. Founded in 1990, Group VTB is one of the leading financial
groups in Russia nowadays. In addition to the banks VTB, VTB 24 and VTB
Severo-Zapad (North-West), it also includes the companies VTB Capital
(investment company that occupies leading positions in key international
ratings and that is represented on all strategic international markets),
VTB Leasing (Russia's biggest leasing company with a portfolio of more
than 140 billion roubles), VTB Insurance, VTB Factoring, and VTB Pension
Fund.
VTB ranks second in the banking sector, catering for five million
private customers and 150,000 corporate ones. VTB Group has an
international network that is unique for Russia and that includes more
than 20 banks and financial companies in 19 countries. VTB Group's sales
network has 935 offices in Russia, the Commonwealth of Independent States,
and in Europe, employing about 40,000 people.
Within the first nine months of 2010, VTB Group gained a record-high
profit of 38,800 million roubles. This indicator is expected to exceed 50,
000 million as a result of the outgoing year.