Slawomir Krupa

Slawomir Krupa
Slawomir Krupa in 2025
Slawomir Krupa
Born	18 6, 1974
Birthplace	Burgas, Bulgaria
Nationality	French
Occupation	Banker, business executive
Known for	CEO of Société Générale (2023–present); Chairman of the European Banking Federation (2025–present)
Spouse(s)	Magdalena
Children	1

Slawomir Krupa (born June 18, 1974) is a French banker and business executive who has served as the chief executive officer of Société Générale, one of France's largest banking groups, since May 23, 2023. Born in Burgas, Bulgaria, Krupa built his career over more than two decades within the Société Générale group, rising through a succession of senior roles in corporate and investment banking before being appointed to lead the institution. Since assuming the top position, he has undertaken a broad restructuring program focused on cost reduction, operational efficiency, and a return-to-office mandate that has drawn both investor approval and internal resistance. In 2025, he was additionally named chairperson of the European Banking Federation, a role through which he has advocated for the competitiveness and resilience of European banks on the global stage. Krupa's tenure at Société Générale has been marked by significant strategic shifts, including large-scale job cuts and efforts to improve profitability, positioning him as one of the most consequential leaders in contemporary European banking.

Early Life

Slawomir Krupa was born on June 18, 1974, in Burgas, a city on the Black Sea coast of Bulgaria. He holds French nationality and has spent the majority of his professional life in France. In an interview published by the Sciences Po American Foundation, Krupa reflected on his background and personal philosophy, stating, "There is no true success without staying true to yourself," a principle he has cited as guiding his approach to both leadership and career development.

Details regarding Krupa's childhood, family background in Bulgaria, and the circumstances of his relocation to France have not been extensively documented in public sources. What is known is that he pursued higher education in France, where he would go on to build his entire banking career within the Société Générale group.

Education

Krupa was educated in France, where he attended Sciences Po (the Paris Institute of Political Studies), one of the country's most prestigious institutions for the study of political science, economics, and public affairs. His connection to Sciences Po has remained active throughout his career; the institution has featured him in alumni profiles and interviews, highlighting his trajectory from student to CEO of one of Europe's major banks.

Career

Early Career at Société Générale

Krupa's career has been almost entirely associated with the Société Générale group, where he spent more than two decades in a variety of senior positions before ascending to the role of chief executive officer. He gained extensive experience in corporate and investment banking, working across multiple geographies and business lines within the bank. His roles included leadership positions within the global banking and investor solutions division, where he oversaw significant parts of the bank's wholesale and institutional client operations.

Throughout his rise within the organization, Krupa developed a reputation for his focus on risk management, operational discipline, and strategic transformation. In a speech to the Czech Banking Association, he articulated his philosophy on risk-taking in banking, asserting that "zero risk means death" and arguing that the resilience of banks should not be the sole regulatory target in Europe. This view would later inform his approach to restructuring the bank as CEO, where he sought to balance cost discipline with a willingness to accept calculated risks in pursuit of growth.

Appointment as CEO

On September 30, 2022, Société Générale's board of directors selected Slawomir Krupa to succeed Frédéric Oudéa as chief executive officer. The appointment was effective from May 23, 2023, following a transition period. Krupa's selection was seen as a choice for continuity in some respects, given his deep institutional knowledge of the bank, but also as a mandate for change, as Société Générale faced a period of underperformance relative to European banking peers and persistent pressure from investors to improve returns.

Upon taking office, Krupa signaled that his leadership would be defined by a focus on strategic simplification, cost reduction, and improved capital allocation. He outlined plans to streamline the bank's operations, exit or scale back underperforming business lines, and invest in areas where Société Générale held competitive advantages.

Restructuring and Cost-Cutting Measures

Under Krupa's leadership, Société Générale embarked on a significant restructuring program. One of the most prominent elements of this program was a large-scale reduction in the bank's workforce. In January 2026, it was reported that Société Générale planned to eliminate 1,800 positions in France by the end of the following year, as part of Krupa's efforts to trim costs and improve the bank's efficiency ratio. The Financial Times reported that investors had begun to reward the turnaround effort, noting improvements in the bank's financial performance and stock price under Krupa's direction.

The cost-cutting program extended beyond workforce reductions. Krupa also implemented changes to the bank's workplace policies, including a mandate in June 2025 requiring employees to return to the office four days per week, reducing the previous policy that had allowed two days of remote work per week. The decision drew immediate pushback from employees, with reports indicating that the policy change contributed to a decline in internal morale. The eFinancialCareers website reported that French bank employees complained they were "being worked like Americans for lower pay," reflecting broader dissatisfaction with the intensifying work demands under the restructuring.

Despite the internal tensions, the restructuring yielded measurable financial results. In October 2025, Bloomberg reported that Société Générale beat profit and capital expectations, with the headline noting that "Krupa's cost cuts bear fruit." The bank's capital strength improved, and investors began to view the turnaround effort more favorably, though the question of whether employee engagement could be sustained remained a point of concern among analysts and commentators.

Strategic Vision

Krupa has articulated a strategic vision for Société Générale that centers on simplification, disciplined capital allocation, and a focus on the bank's core strengths. In a feature published on Société Générale's wholesale banking platform, Krupa discussed the future of banking across generations, emphasizing the need for traditional banks to adapt to changing client expectations, technological disruption, and evolving regulatory frameworks.

A recurring theme in Krupa's public statements has been the importance of risk acceptance as a component of banking competitiveness. Speaking before the Czech Banking Association, he warned against an excessive focus on eliminating risk, arguing that a "zero risk" approach would stifle innovation and economic growth, and that European regulators should consider the broader competitiveness of the banking sector rather than focusing solely on resilience metrics. This perspective has placed Krupa among a cohort of European bank leaders who have called for a recalibration of post-financial-crisis regulatory frameworks in order to allow European banks to compete more effectively with American and Asian rivals.

Chairmanship of the European Banking Federation

In 2025, Krupa was named chairperson of the European Banking Federation (EBF), the principal trade association representing the European banking sector. In this capacity, he has served as a spokesperson for the industry on matters of regulation, competitiveness, and the role of banks in financing the European economy.

In an interview with the Banking & Payments Federation Ireland, Krupa discussed his priorities as EBF president, including the need for a more integrated European banking market, the importance of proportionate regulation, and the role of banks in supporting the green transition and digital transformation of the European economy. He has also used the platform to advocate for European financial sovereignty and for policy frameworks that support the ability of European banks to scale and compete globally.

Personal Life

Slawomir Krupa is married to Magdalena, and the couple has one child. Beyond these basic facts, Krupa has maintained a relatively private personal life and has not extensively discussed his family in public forums.

In a profile published by the Sciences Po American Foundation, Krupa reflected on the relationship between personal authenticity and professional achievement, emphasizing that he views staying true to one's values as central to sustained success in business. He has cited his multicultural background — born in Bulgaria, educated and based in France, with a career spanning multiple countries — as a formative influence on his worldview and leadership style.

Recognition

Krupa's appointment as CEO of Société Générale, one of the largest banks in Europe, placed him among the most prominent executives in the global financial industry. His subsequent appointment as chairperson of the European Banking Federation in 2025 further elevated his profile as a leader and advocate for the European banking sector.

The financial results achieved under his restructuring program have been noted by investors and financial media. Bloomberg reported in October 2025 that Société Générale exceeded profit and capital expectations, attributing the improvement in part to Krupa's cost-cutting measures. The Financial Times profiled the bank's trajectory under Krupa in a February 2026 article titled "How SocGen dragged itself back from the brink," which examined both the successes and the challenges of the turnaround effort.

Krupa's leadership has also attracted attention for the controversies it has generated. The return-to-office mandate and large-scale job reductions have been the subject of extensive coverage in the financial press, with reports of declining employee morale highlighting the human costs of the bank's restructuring. As of early 2026, the long-term legacy of Krupa's leadership at Société Générale remained a subject of active debate among analysts, employees, and industry observers, with the outcome of the turnaround still unfolding.