Interview of ProCredit Bank Executive Director Asmus Rotne to Mediamax and Banks.am portal

-  Mr. Rotne, a bank with German capital implies discipline with German punctuality. Is it compatible to the Armenian business environment?

- I think it is. The clients’ expectations from any bank are the same: any client expects the bank to behave like a German bank and be predictable, transparent and trust-inspiring.

The main issue is to find staff compliant with our requirements, ready to introduce and represent the idea of a German bank together with us. Judging by our rather demanding selection process, it can be stated that there are many people who want to work at a German bank, as they accept and share our principles.

- Prior to moving to Yerevan you’ve worked at ProCredit group member banks in Georgia, Romania and Moldova. How are you settled in Yerevan and what positive or negative aspects do you see here as compared with your work in the mentioned countries?

- My previous experience is a good basis to compare it with the work in Armenia. First of all, it should probably be compared with the bank in Georgia. Working there was quite exciting, as it was a developing and liberal country, but it was also risky. As you know, there was a war and a revolution there, as well as cases of fraud.  

Armenia, compared with Georgia, is more stable, people are more cautious about risk.

In 2007, I joined the bank in Romania. It was the time when Romania joined the European Union and there was a considerable economic boom. The development was too active. Romania was one of the countries that suffered most from the economic crisis, the process of joining the European Union was very active, there was a big market with famous international banks involved, and the competition in the field was tough.

- You work and live in Yerevan. How do you find it as a residence?  Is there any place in Yerevan where you prefer to spend your leisure and get relax from the worries of your work?

- I think that Yerevan is a very good place to live in. It’s big enough, but not too big to take you long to get from one place to another and it’s not too small to make you feel constrained. I like the climate here, the nature and the food. It’s a very safe city, which is important if you live in it with your family.

I don’t go out often; when I am not at work, I spend time with my family, often working in the garden. I have two sons, one of them is 2 and the other 5, and they require much time and attention.  

- Mr. Rotne, I’ve heard you are fond of skiing. Have you been to Tsakhkadzor? In general, do you consider Armenia attractive for tourism?

- Yes, I’ve been to Tsakhkadzor twice. It is equipped with modern techniques but, unfortunately, there are not many people skiing, which means that it’s a young sport for Armenia. The biggest attraction is that it’s very close to Yerevan and you can get there in 45 minutes.   

I find Armenia very attractive for tourism. It’s an ancient country, with rich culture, old monuments, the countryside is different and very interesting, but I think that mostly adventurers have visited Armenia so far.

Much work still needs to be done to have mass tourism, investments should be made, hotels should be built, the roads need to be improved and there should be more intense competition among airline companies to make airplane tickets cheaper and more attractive for tourists.

The biggest asset of Armenia is its people – friendly and welcoming.

- Do you like the Armenian cuisine? What dishes do you prefer?

- I don’t know how to cook Armenian dishes, but I know how to eat them. I should probably mention “dolma” with vine leaves.

- It is believed that men are best cooks. Do you cook? If so, how often do you cook and what kind of dishes?

- Yes, I cook quite often. I bake my own bread, which is a tradition in my motherland, Denmark. When I lived in a students’ dorm, I baked my bread just like many other students did.  That bread differs from the Armenian one. It’s made of rye, with special dough, different from yeast, has a sour taste and people say it’s healthy.  

- You have two sons, how do you spend time with them?

- We mainly spend time in our garden, we also work there.

- Do they like Yerevan?

- I think they do, but they are too small yet to understand the difference between the cities. My both sons were born in Munich, but they didn’t live there.

They have Armenian friends and play with children from the neighborhood. I think, it’s rather interesting for them here.

- Would you like to continue your career in Armenia?

- Yes, I would. It’s a great place to be, I can go on working here.

- How do you introduce Armenia and Armenians to your friends and relatives?

- It takes a lot of explaining, they often don’t know where Armenia is. The most common mistake is that they connect Armenia with Russia, they don’t know what has happened after the collapse of the Soviet Union and what was before it. I often act as an Armenian “ambassador”.

- What did you know about Armenia and the Armenians before you came here?

- I knew quite a lot about Armenia. I studied Russian and political science at the University. I knew that there was Armenia as a country and the Armenian language, besides I have lived in Georgia, which is a neighbor country.

-Which Armenian word is the easiest for you to remember?

-Արի - ari (laughing -author).
 
Asmus Rotne was interviewed by Siranush Yeghiazaryan