AmCham Slovakia

Corporate Banking Forum 2026 will bring together senior representatives of banks, investors, corporate borrowers, legal advisers and financial-market experts to discuss how corporate financing in Slovakia is evolving in a period marked by uncertainty, shifting risk appetite, regulatory change and the growing importance of alternative debt. The event will move from the broader economic outlook and banking-sector perspectives to legal and regulatory developments, and will close with the view of sponsors and investors on how companies can finance growth, resilience and long-term ambition.

Target audience: senior banking representatives, corporate finance and treasury leaders, CFOs, legal and regulatory experts, investors, private equity and alternative lending professionals, corporate borrowers, advisers, and business leaders interested in access to capital, risk management and the future of corporate financing in Slovakia.

Program:

09:00 – Registration & Networking

Participants will have time to arrive, register and connect informally with peers from the banking, legal, investor and corporate sectors before the formal programme begins.

09:30 – Opening Remarks

The opening remarks will set the scene for the forum, introduce the key themes of financial stability, resilience and access to capital, and frame the discussion around the role of corporate banking in supporting growth and competitiveness.

• Andrea Brezanová, AmCham Slovakia
• Tomáš Melíšek, Kinstellar
• Matúš Kudlák, A&O Shearman

09:45 – Keynote Speeche

• Martin Motl, Citi: Chief economist

In his keynote speech, Martin Motl, Chief Economist at Citi, will open the forum with a high-level overview of the global economic and geopolitical environment shaping financial markets, investment decisions and corporate financing conditions. He will then turn to the eurozone outlook, including growth prospects, inflation, interest rates and the broader policy environment, before focusing on Slovakia and the specific challenges and opportunities facing its economy, banking sector and corporate borrowers. The keynote will provide the strategic context for the following discussions on access to capital, risk appetite and financing strategies in 2026 and beyond.

10:00 – Panel 1: Banking Leaders' Perspectives – The Future of Capital

The first panel will open the sector discussion by looking at corporate lending in Slovakia through the lens of demand, risk appetite and sector priorities for 2026–2030. Banking leaders will discuss where they see room for growth, which sectors may attract new financing demand — including defence, artificial intelligence and infrastructure — and what factors may support or limit credit expansion. The conversation will also address financial stability in uncertain times, resilience of borrowers and lenders, and the practical conditions under which capital can continue to flow to productive investment.

• Jaroslav Habo, UniCredit Bank (TBC)
• Marek Sásik, Slovenská sporiteľňa
• Zuzana Kostialova, Tatra banka (TBC)
• Patrik Catay, ČSOB
• Peter Stanko, VÚB (TBC)
• Tomáš Melišek, Kinstellar (Moderator)

10:50 – Coffee Break

A short networking break 

11:00 – Panel 2: Legal & Regulatory Perspectives – New Frontiers of Corporate Financing in Slovakia

The second panel will build on the banking discussion by examining how the legal and regulatory environment can enable, constrain or reshape corporate financing. The debate will cover the New Civil Code and its potential challenges and opportunities for financing transactions, legal certainty and contractual practice. It will also address the growing role of artificial intelligence in legal and transactional work, including how digital tools may change cooperation between banks, lawyers and corporate clients while keeping human judgment, accountability and trust at the centre of complex financing decisions.

• Martin Drotár, Slovenská sporiteľňa
• Beata Doláková, ČSOB
• Juraj Baluch or Martin Dinka, VÚB
• Rastislav Václavík, Tatra banka
• Peter Dobrovolský, UniCredit Bank
• Patricia Gossányiová, Dentons (Moderator)

11:50 – Coffee Break

Participants will have another opportunity to network

12:00 – Panel 3: Sponsors' Perspectives – The Evolution of Bank Lending vs. Alternative Debt Culture in Slovakia

The final panel will bring the perspective of sponsors and investors into the conversation and connect the previous discussions on banking capacity and legal certainty with the practical financing needs of companies. Speakers will explore investor expectations for cooperation with banks, the evolution of bank lending versus alternative debt culture in Slovakia, and the way companies combine different layers of debt to fund growth and fuel ambition. The discussion will also address execution speed, flexibility, risk allocation and the role of private capital and structured financing solutions in supporting larger or more complex transactions.

• Wood & Co – TBC
• Ján Kotek, J&T Finance Group
• EPH – TBC
• Martin Vojtek, Penta
• Matúš Kudlák, A&O Shearman (Moderator)

12:50 – Closing Remarks

The closing remarks will summarize the key takeaways from the forum and highlight the practical questions that banks, investors, legal advisers and companies will need to address as Slovakia's corporate financing environment continues to evolve.

• Tomáš Melíšek, Kinstellar
• Matúš Kudlák, A&O Shearman

Language: Slovak