Ludwik Sobolewski

„Financial education and improving financial literacy in Romania is one of the key focus of building up the equities culture, strengthening corporate governance compliance and enhancing financial education among investors and entrepreneurs.”

Born in Wrocław, Poland, studied in Jagiellonian University in Cracow, Poland and Pantheon-Assas University (Paris II). Ph.D. in Law from Jagiellonian University. Executive Vice President of the National Depository of Securities in Poland (1994-2006) and President and CEO of the Management Board of the Warsaw Stock Exchange (WSE, 2006-2013).

At this time, WSE took the position of the leading capital market operator in the CEE region, broadening the network of intermediaries, attracting numerous foreign and domestic companies to listing and launching a market for SMEs (NewConnect), as well as for issuers of corporate and municipal bonds (Catalyst). In 2010 WSE was floated through global IPO.

Ludwik Sobolewski since 2013 serves as the CEO of the Bucharest Stock Exchange (BVB), a company listed on its own floor. Charged with the mission to implement a deep reform of the Romanian capital market, so as to gain by it the status of the Emerging Market and in view to transform Bucharest into the capital market hub of South-Eastern Europe. Since 2013 local capital market absorbed several major IPOs and important secondary market block trades.

At the end of 2014 European Bank for Reconstruction and Development became a significant shareholder of BVB. In 2015 a market for early-stage and growth companies (AeRO) was set up, giving access to that platform for issuers of equity and corporate debt. As a result of the ongoing reform, in 2016 Romanian capital market was placed by FTSE Russell on the Emerging Markets Watchlist. BVB conducts the most extensive and diverse program in Eastern Europe aimed at building up the equities culture, strengthening corporate governance compliance and enhancing financial education among investors and entrepreneurs.