VUB opens business doors to the first league

New opportunities are opening up for Slovak enterprises to effectively scale their businesses, professionalize their management, and gain access to European capital. At its regular business breakfast for corporate clients, VÚB Banka officially introduced the prestigious international ELITE program by the Euronext Group. Alongside the program launch, the bank provided Slovak corporate representatives with insights on managing market risks and the critical role of corporate governance in driving long-term business growth.

The ELITE program is backed by the Euronext Group, which operates stock exchanges in Paris, Amsterdam, Milan, and Lisbon. VÚB Banka serves as the local partner in Slovakia, offering its corporate clients unique growth and development opportunities through this partnership. Vedrana Jelušić Kašić, Board Member and Head of the Corporate Banking Division at VÚB Banka, emphasized the importance of networking within the business community at the event.

"In today's volatile environment, connecting, inspiring one another, and not facing challenges alone is vital for the long-term growth and resilience of companies. The ELITE program represents a unique ecosystem that connects private companies with capital markets and a pan-European community of leaders. We are proud that VÚB Banka is a partner that opens the door to the premier league of European business for Slovak companies, helping them grow beyond their domestic market."

ELITE is a strategic business development program designed for high-growth private small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to scale their businesses, professionalize their management, and gain direct access to private and public capital markets across Europe.

Currently, the ELITE program brings together more than 2,000 medium-sized and dynamic companies from 24 European countries. Carolina Avanzini, Head of European Partnerships at ELITE, presented the key benefits of the program, which stand on three core pillars:

• Knowledge Capital: A practical educational program for owners and top management, organized in cooperation with leading European business schools. Participants meet for two-day modules in major European cities (Milan, Paris, Amsterdam) to focus on strategy formulation, reorganization, and growth management.
• Relational Capital: A pan-European community of entrepreneurs, investors, and advisors. The program creates a collaborative space for sharing experiences and building international business partnerships.
• Financial Capital: Preparing companies for a potential entry into capital markets. Members gain a comprehensive overview of various corporate financing options—ranging from corporate bonds (mini-bonds) and M&A transactions to initial public offerings (IPOs).

Milín Kaňuščák, CEO of KAMI Profit and one of the direct participants of the ELITE program in Slovakia, described the program's benefits for business development: "Regular educational modules in an international environment allow management to step away from daily operations, view the company from a broader perspective, and directly implement new strategies into practice. At the same time, it opens doors to new business opportunities."

In addition to launching the ELITE program, VÚB Banka addressed the critical topic of protection against external market risks during the business breakfast. The bank's experts reminded attendees that a conservative approach to business does not mean ignoring risks, but rather actively hedging them.

The event also featured an expert lecture on corporate governance, which stressed the importance of an independent board of directors. Besides reducing dependence on the founder, this step enhances a company's credibility and builds a solid foundation for scaling.

Through its partnership with the Euronext Group and the ELITE program, VÚB Banka reinforces its strong position in corporate banking. The bank provides its clients not only with standard loan products but also with the know-how and capital foundation required for long-term growth.