News

Meet Our Alumni: Mária Valachyová

10 March, 2026

In our new blog interview, we spoke with CERGE-EI alumna Mária Valachyová, who built a career in private banking that led her to senior leadership at Slovenská sporiteľňa. She reflects on how economic research and strategy translate into real decisions—and why “how” a bank succeeds matters as much as the results.

Mária highlights how research turns into real decisions inside a major bank. Forecasts and sector outlooks feed directly into asset allocation, budgeting, and risk processes such as provisioning and stress testing. As she notes: “Our economic forecasts directly influence asset allocation and serve as key inputs for risk-cost provisioning, stress testing, and the calibration of financing conditions.”

She also stresses that strategy is not only about macro and markets, but about the client experience—using data and feedback to improve products and fix systemic issues. Innovation matters most when it is practical and understandable, including tools that integrate customer feedback using AI. A central message of the interview is values-driven leadership. “We want to be successful—but the way we achieve that success matters,”  she says, linking long-term success to the prosperity of clients and society. She remains engaged in broader debates about Slovakia’s future—competitiveness, institutions, and talent—while crediting CERGE-EI for the analytical training and relationships she still draws on today.

Read the full article on the blog.