A Well-Known Ukrainian Banker to Head “Credit Agricole”: What Is Known About Her
1 July 13:51
The Supervisory Board of Crédit Agricole Bank has elected Larisa Bondareva as the new chair of the management board. She is set to lead the Ukrainian bank, part of the French Crédit Agricole Group, starting September 1, 2026, following approval of her candidacy by the National Bank of Ukraine. According to the bank’s filing with the National Securities and Stock Market Commission (NSSMC), the Supervisory Board made the decision, as reported by "Komersant Ukrainian"
Bondareva was elected for a five-year term. She will succeed Carlos de Corda, who has led the bank since April 1, 2020. His term ended on June 30 upon the expiration of his contract.
When will Larisa Bondareva take the helm of the bank?
Larisa Bondareva is set to officially assume her duties as chair of the board on September 1, 2026.
However, her candidacy must first be approved by the National Bank of Ukraine.
The procedure for appointing bank executives includes a review of:
- professional experience;
- business reputation;
- education and qualifications;
- knowledge of banking legislation;
- compliance with regulatory requirements;
- absence of potential conflicts of interest.
Until this procedure is completed, Bondareva is the elected but not yet acting chair of the board.
Who Is Currently Leading “Credit Agricole Bank”?
As of July 1, Vitaliy Kucher is temporarily serving as acting chair of the board.
He is a member of the board and the chief financial officer of Credit Agricole Bank.
This transitional period will last until Larisa Bondareva takes office or until the supervisory board makes another decision.
For customers, this personnel change does not mean the bank will cease operations. Branches, the mobile app, cards, payments, loans, and deposit products continue to operate as usual.
Who Will Larisa Bondareva Replace?
Bondareva will succeed Carlos de Corda as the new chair of the board.
He took the helm of Crédit Agricole Bank in Ukraine on April 1, 2020, and led the institution for over six years.
De Cordu’s term of office ended on June 30, 2026, upon the expiration of the term for which he was appointed.
Carlos de Cordu has many years of experience working within the international Crédit Agricole Group. Before taking up his position in Ukraine, he headed the group’s bank in Serbia.
What is known about Larisa Bondareva
Larisa Bondareva is a Ukrainian banker with many years of experience in corporate and agricultural banking.
She was born in Cherkasy in 1973.
Bondareva holds degrees in several fields:
- economics and management in mechanical engineering;
- banking;
- international management;
- Executive MBA.
She graduated from the Zhukovsky National Aerospace University “Kharkiv Aviation Institute” and Karazin Kharkiv National University.
She also holds an Executive MBA from the Paris School of Business and a certificate in global management from INSEAD Business School.
Larisa Bondareva previously worked at Credit Agricole Bank for approximately 15 years—from 2007 to 2021.
She began her career as head of the key client services department.
Subsequently, Bondareva:
- led efforts with major corporate clients;
- managed corporate business development;
- was responsible for the agricultural sector;
- served on the board of directors;
- became deputy chair of the board.
She has been a member of the bank’s board of directors since 2010 and served as deputy chair of the board from 2018 to 2021.
In 2021, Crédit Agricole described Bondareva as an experienced leader who had taken the bank’s corporate and agricultural divisions to a new level.
Until the end of June 2026, Larisa Bondareva served as Deputy Chair of the Board at Raiffeisen Bank.
She joined the bank’s team in November 2021.
At the bank, Bondareva was responsible for:
- corporate business;
- capital markets;
- large corporate financing;
- support for critical industries;
- developing products for corporate clients.
Raiffeisen Bank noted that, through its participation, the institution supported Ukrainian businesses and financed sectors vital to the economy amid a full-scale war.
What is known about “Crédit Agricole Bank”
Credit Agricole Bank has been operating in Ukraine since 1993.
The bank’s sole shareholder is the French company Credit Agricole S.A.
The bank is part of the international Crédit Agricole Group—one of Europe’s largest banking groups.
In Ukraine, it specializes in:
- servicing private clients;
- corporate banking;
- financing the agricultural sector;
- lending to small and medium-sized businesses;
- auto loans;
- deposit and payment services.
The National Bank classifies “Crédit Agricole” as a solvent institution within a foreign banking group. The bank also has systemically important status and is a member of the Deposit Guarantee Fund for Individuals.
According to Crédit Agricole, in Ukraine the bank has:
- a head office in Kyiv;
- 137 branches;
- approximately 2,200 employees;
- approximately 380,000 customers.
The institution describes itself as a strategic partner to the agricultural and corporate sectors, as well as one of the leaders in the Ukrainian auto loan market.
According to data cited in the announcement regarding personnel changes, as of May 1, 2026, Credit Agricole Bank’s assets totaled approximately 135.98 billion UAH.
Based on this metric, it ranked 11th among Ukraine’s 58 solvent banks.
The asset ranking may change monthly depending on:
- the loan portfolio;
- customer deposits;
- exchange rates;
- securities transactions;
- interbank transactions;
- changes in the number of solvent institutions.
Credit Agricole has received approval to acquire Bank Lviv
This personnel change comes as Credit Agricole Bank prepares to expand its business.
On June 25, 2026, the Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine granted Credit Agricole Bank permission to acquire control over JSC “AKB Lviv.”
The regulator also permitted the parties to the transaction to implement certain provisions of the non-competition and non-solicitation agreement.
