Board

Tariel Gvalia
Board Member

Tariel has over 30 years of experience in Banking and Financial industry. Since 1995, he was the founder and CEO of Tbiluniversalbank before the merger with Bank of Georgia (listed on London Stock Exchange as BGEO). After the merger, Tariel served as a Deputy Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Bank of Georgia. From 2008 until 2010, Tariel served as Chairman of the Board of Directors of Belarusky Narodny Bank (BNB), where he currently serves as an Independent Director. In Georgia, Tariel established several leading companies such as GCG Audit, Galt & Taggart and Georgian Leasing Company. Tariel currently serves as a member of the Supervisory Board of Georgian Stock Exchange, as well as a judge at BARTA Georgia. Furthermore, Tariel is also a founder and the Chairman of the Abkhazian Students Foundation. Tariel holds Masters in History and Economics from Tbilisi State University.

Dr. h.c. Sascha Ternes
Board Member

Sascha, a citizen of Germany, has 20 years of management experience in emerging markets, with a proven track record in the area of finance and banking. He resides in Georgia since 2007, where he initially served as CFO and later as CEO of ProCredit Bank Georgia (the 3rd largest bank in the country, the market leader in MSME lending) and subsequently as Deputy CEO of Bank of Georgia (the country’s largest bank, listed on the London Stock Exchange, FTSE 250). In 2015 Sascha established TERNES Real Estate Fund, the pioneer in collective investments for creating high-yielding real-estate portfolios in Georgia, which in 2017 was acquired by BlueOrchard Finance, a licensed Swiss impact asset manager, where Sascha now serves as COO. Prior to relocating to Georgia, Sascha held various senior executive positions over the course of 13 years in a German Technology Group which focused on international development and investment. Here he was responsible for the implementation and supervision of numerous operations in 10 countries, with duties including assignments to Central and Eastern Europe and the Middle East. Sascha has a background in finance and business administration and was awarded with an honorary doctoral degree, affirmed by the German Ministry of Education & Science. Sascha is a Board Member of Georgia’s Financial Supervision Agency (FSA). He also serves on a volunteer basis as Chairman of the German Business Association (DWV) in Georgia as well as Chairman of the German International School Tbilisi, both organizations which he co-founded.
 

George Glonti
Board Member

Banker and financier with hands-on over 20 years. 10+ years of successful strategic, crisis and turnaround management practice. Presently Independent Member of Supervisory Board and Chairman of Audit Committee at Pasha Bank Georgia, Non-Executive Vice President of SWIFT Service Bureau in Georgia. Freelancer specialized in Management Consulting and Business Turnarounds. Board member of Georgian Independent Directors’ Association. Initiating fintech projects, leveraging on the knowledge and experience in banking and finance. Past achievements include – As a turnaround manager taking over the executive management of a loss making local (Georgia) leading pay TV business, transforming and doubling revenues, EBITDA and customer base; Successful turnarounds and transformations of local (Georgia) commercial banks (Presently Liberty Bank and Tera Bank) in the role of a CEO; Optimizing Central Bank’s operations and modernizing regulatory framework in the role of a Vice President. Graduated from Tbilisi State University in 1994 with a Master’s degree in Economics, majoring in Banking and Finance. 

Victor Kipiani
Board Member

Victor is a founding and executive partner at Mgaloblishvili Kipiani Dzidziguri (MKD). He has 20 years’ experience advising various multinational, development, state and national companies and institutions on high-profile mandates in general business law, project finance, banking, capital markets, investment law, energy, transport, regulatory and corporate law and also pursues his activities in comparative legal studies and public law. Besides, Victor has a substantial knowledge and experience in working with governmental agencies giving a guide to global companies to successfully navigate on the local market. He did his Honors Diploma in Law at Tbilisi State University, has degrees of Master of Law from Exeter University (Chevening Scholarship) and Ph.D in Business Administration from Washington University. Victor is a member of Georgian Bar Association, board member of Georgian Lawyers’ National Association and co-chair of Georgia-Ukraine Business Club. He has been recommended as a leading private legal practitioner for Georgia by all major international directories and publications, including IFLR, Chambers Global, Chambers Europe, Who’s Who Legal, The Legal 500. He regularly writes on various legal, business and public topics in local and foreign periodicals and participates as the presenter and moderator in various domestic and international events.