Blog

Visar Perani

Panelist

Panel 8: “Access to Finance – Building a framework that enables new financing alternatives in the capital market”

 

Visar Perani, for last eight years has overseen IFC strategy and operations in Kosovo in the function of IFC Country Officer for Kosovo, located in Prishtina. Since summer 2023, Visar has been assigned additional responsibilities as Country Officer for North Macedonia. He is senior banker with over 22 years of experience in private financial sector and IFC, with good market knowledge, focused on larger corporate credit business but also has vast retail banking experience.

 

Previously, Visar used to work for American Bank of Kosovo (ABK), established by US Government implemented by USAID project in early 2001. The focus of ABK was ensuring access finance to newly established business after the war, which was very challenging but also awarding experience. Takeover of American Bank of Kosovo by Austrian Raiffeisen Bank, led Visar to become regional manager for few branches, focusing on business development. For ten years, Visar was Chief Risk Officer for Raiffeisen, responsible for all types of risks in the bank with clear focus on credit risk. In addition, Visar was Supervisory Board member for Raiffeisen Leasing Kosovo and supported its establishment in the market.

 

The largest banking investments for local companies in Kosovo were underwritten by Visar and his team, giving him an excellent banking experience that led to his move to International Finance Corporation, member of World Bank Group.

 

Visar holds MBA from University of Sheffield. He speaks Albanian, English, Swedish, and some Serbo-Croatian and Turkish. His free times is mostly taken by the three small kids, but there is always some time for meeting friends and sports.