In the lead-up to the 23rd PRO PR Conference, which will take place from March 26 to 28 in Podgorica, we bring you a conversation with one of this year’s speakers – Martin Leberle, President of the Management Board of NLB Bank AD Podgorica.
With more than three decades of international experience in the banking sector, Leberle has built his professional career through some of Europe’s leading financial institutions, including Hypo Bank, Hypo Vereinsbank, UniCredit Bank and Hypo Alpe Adria Bank. Since 2016, he has been part of the NLB Group, where he now leads the bank’s operations in Montenegro, focusing on strategic development, transformation, and strengthening client relationships in a dynamic regional environment.
In the conversation that follows, he discusses the role of communication in the financial sector, the challenges of leadership in times of change, and how banks today balance trust, innovation, and regulatory frameworks.
What do public relations mean to you, and what are the biggest leadership challenges managers face today?
For me, public relations are прежде всего about managing trust. In banking, trust is our most valuable “currency,” so communication must be transparent, consistent, and credible. At the same time, public relations are no longer the final phase after decisions are made. Today, they are an integral part of the leadership process itself, because reputation and the way key stakeholders perceive us influence almost every strategic decision. Modern leaders operate in an environment of rapid change, an abundance of information, and growing societal expectations for institutions to be more open, responsible, and closer to the public. Therefore, modern leadership подразumева not only clear strategic direction and decision-making, but also the ability to communicate convincingly, clearly, and with full integrity.
We are witnessing a fast-paced way of life. A strong team can significantly make a leader’s job easier. How do you view the function of public relations in that context?
Leadership is a team sport, and no CEO communicates alone today. A strong PR and communications team acts as the organization’s “radar”: it continuously monitors public sentiment, the expectations of key stakeholders, media narratives, and potential reputational risks, so that challenges can be anticipated in time rather than addressed in the midst of a crisis. In such a dynamic business environment, it is essential to ensure clear communication – internally, so that employees understand the strategy and their role in its implementation, and externally, so that clients and the wider public have confidence in what we do and why we do it. This is precisely where public relations have an irreplaceable role: they translate complex decisions into understandable language, connect facts into a coherent story, and enable trust to be built gradually and over the long term, rather than through occasional, ad hoc reactions.
Do you think artificial intelligence will in the future replace part of banking operations, but also change or even replace the role of public relations?
Artificial intelligence will undoubtedly change banking. It already enables more advanced risk analysis, more efficient fraud detection, faster data processing, and an increasingly high level of automation in customer support, making banks both more operationally efficient and better equipped to deliver personalized services. However, the essence does not change: banking is based on trust, judgment, and responsibility. An algorithm can process vast amounts of data, but it cannot assume the moral and reputational weight of a decision. The same applies to public relations – artificial intelligence will accelerate analytics, facilitate the monitoring of public sentiment, and improve content preparation, but it cannot replace strategic communication, credibility, and the human narrative that builds trust over the long term. Therefore, I do not see the future as a choice between ‘AI or people,’ but as a partnership in which technology empowers leadership.
What has been the most challenging situation you have encountered in dealing with the media?
The most challenging situations arise when there are many unknowns, and the public expects quick and complete answers. In banking, this usually happens during regulatory changes, periods of higher market volatility, or large transformation projects. Experience has taught me that silence in such moments only creates space for speculation. It is much more responsible and wiser to clearly state what we know, what we are still verifying, and when we will communicate the next information. At the same time, it is important to respect the role of the media: they operate in the public interest, and it is up to us to ensure accuracy, open dialogue, and a professional tone, even when the topic is complex and the pressure is high. Even in the most difficult moments, communication must remain calm, clear, and grounded in mutual respect.
