Bank executives link future success to trust and talent

Senior executives from major Greek banking groups with operations in Cyprus used their participation at the Delphi Economic Forum to outline how trust, talent and artificial intelligence are reshaping the future of work in the financial sector.

“Organisations that are trusted by employees will win more in the future, not necessarily those with the best technology,” said Mirka Nemfakou, General Director for Human Resources at the National Bank of Greece (NBG).

She added that “trust is not declared, it is earned,” stressing that the bank’s long-standing history is built on employees choosing to place their confidence in it.

Moreover, she argued that there is no talent shortage in Greece, but a talent environment gap, saying it is not only about pay but also about trust, development and leadership quality.

Nemfakou also stated that the real competition is related to employee experience, and that organisations succeed when people understand the “why” behind change.

From Alpha Bank Greece, Chief Human Resources Officer Fragiski Melissa presented a shift towards a dynamic careers model driven by artificial intelligence.

“Talent today is the person who adapts quickly, because roles are changing very fast,” she said, underlining a redefinition of capability in the workplace.

She explained that reskilling must be based on redesigning roles, targeted training and internal mobility, rather than broad one-size-fits-all programmes.

The bank, she added, is introducing tailored learning paths, AI-focused training applied to daily work and certification in change management to support adaptation.

Melissa further highlighted internal mobility as a key feature for companies, allowing staff to move across roles, learn through experience and grow within the same organisation.

She said AI transformation is changing how talent is defined and managed, shifting focus from performance to adaptive talent strategy and agility.

“AI does not only change the skills you need, it changes the contract with talent, you now promise evolution and reward adaptability,” she stated.

Melissa concluded that “organisations which can continuously redefine talent in terms of People Value Proposition and adaptability will be the ones that stand out in the new economy”.