Ardian Fullani

Ardian Fullani (born 1955) is the current governor of the Bank of Albania. He graduated at the Faculty of Economics, University of Tirana. He instantiated the Governor's Award, an annual award given to the best diploma dissertations prepared by Albanian undergraduate students.

Mr. Ardian Fullani graduated from Faculty of Economy in Finance and from Faculty of Law, University of Tirana, respectively in 1977 and 1991.

He has extensive experience and in-depth knowledge of the banking sector in Albania and abroad. He started working at the State Bank of Albania in 1985 and in 1987 was appointed Deputy Director of Foreign Department and worked in this capacity until 1990. From 1990-1992 he was Head of Foreign Department at the Albanian Commercial Bank.

Mr. Ardian Fullani joined the Bank of Albania in 1992, in the capacity of the Deputy Governor of the Bank of Albania and further on, during 1993-1996, he was appointed Director of Foreign Department. He gave his valuable contribution to create the modern central bank in Albania, prepare the regulatory framework of the Bank of Albania especially with regard to the foreign exchange market, foreign reserve management policies, as well as to design and coordinate the Bank of Albania strategies for the intermediation and cooperation with the IMF, WB, EBRD and other international financial institutions.

Mr. Fullani has been the coordinator of foreign financed investment projects in Albania (including FEFAD, Foundation for Enterprise Finance and Development, and KFW, Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau). He has been the Albanian Coordinator for the establishment and licensing of the first joint-stock commercial banks (the Italian Albanian Bank and the Arab Albanian Islamic Bank); Coordinator and participant in the Albanian External Debt Committee of the Paris Club and Advisory Committee of 40 crediting banks to restructure and settle Albania’s outstanding external debt.

During 1996-1997, Mr. Fullani focused his career on consultancy in national and international development projects such as: German-Albanian projects on financing small and medium-size enterprises in agriculture and agro-industry; on restructuring and institutionalization of the foreign exchange market, and development of capital market in Albania; on capital market analysis in Albania. He has also co-conducted a study on risks and consequences of formalization, restructuring and transformation of pyramid schemes in Albania.

His experience with the Italian-Albanian Bank includes the period 1997- 2004, initially as Deputy General Manager and Head of the Financial Department (1997-2000) and later on as General Manager (2000-2004). He has been also working in the capacity of President of the Albanian Association of Banks, Chairman of the Institute of Banking Studies and Assistance, as well as Commissioner of the Albanian Securities Commission.

He has also written many articles and scientific papers on economic and financial issues.

He is fluent in three foreign languages: English, Italian and German.

Mr. Ardian Fullani is the Governor of the Bank of Albania and Member of its Supervisory Council since October 2004.