Martin BARTO
Date of birth: 2 August 1958
Place of birth: Bratislava
Nationality: Slovak
Marital status: Single
Permanent address: 811 03 Bratislava, Holubyho 16

Education

1982 Graduated from the Faculty of Chemical Engineering, Slovak Technical University, Bratislava

Further education

1987 - 1988 Research fellow, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
1990 Postgraduate study at the Faculty of Chemical Engineering, Slovak Technical University, Bratislava finished by PhD theses
1992 Postdoctoral fellow at the Israel Institute of Technology Technion, Haifa

Language skills

English - fluent
Russian - fluent
Spanish - upper intermediate

Professional career

1983 - 1993 Faculty of Chemical Engineering, Slovak Technical University, Bratislava, research fellow, Department of Organic Technology
1993 - 1995 Slovak Information Service, Bratislava, deputy director, Analytical Division
1995 - 1999 ING Barings, Bratislava branch, macroeconomy analyst, head of research
1999 - Slovenska Sporitelna a.s. Bratislava, general director, Strategy Division, then director, Financial Markets Research and Ombudsman Unit
1999 - 2002 Prva Stavebna Sporitelna a.s. Bratislava, member of Supervisory Board
1999 - 2001 VSZ a.s. Kosice, member of Supervisory Board
2000 - 2002 Sporing a.s., member of Supervisory Board

Social and other activities

1998 - 2002 Member of the Advisory Board of the Deputy Prime Minister for Economy
1999 - 2000 Member of the Co-ordination Unit for the Bank Privatisation at the Ministry of Finance
2000 - 2001 Member of the Editorial Board of the journal Business Central Europe
2000 - Member of the INEKO panel for the assessment of economic and social measures in Slovakia
Articles in press and journals on various aspects of the Slovak economy
Co-author the publication Economic Policy in Slovakia: 1990-1999
Co-author of the publication Economic Policy in Slovakia: 2000-2001
Co-author of the publication Economic Consequences of the Slovakia´s Accession into the EU published by the Conservative Institute of Milan Rastislav Stefanik

Abstract of the speech:

Restructuring banking sector - first step of an economic reform in Slovakia

A bail-out of large state banks was done in 1999 and 2000 in Slovakia. This step was followed by their privatisation into hands of private investors during 2001 and 2002. After these steps which were based on positive as well as negative experience of other European countries, the Slovak banking sector became more competitive, profitable and risk aware. Changes in the banking sector also triggered pressure on the corporate sector by setting hard budgetary constraints on corporates.