If some recent press coverage of central and eastern Europe is to believed, operating in the consumer finance market in the region is the equivalent of pouring money down the drain. But Czech Republic headquartered PPF Group, which manages more than €10.8 billion-worth of assets across central and eastern Europe, ranging from the Czech Republic to Kazakhstan, demonstrates that the region can still provide rewards as well as risk. The core parts of the group, which was established in 1991, include retail banking through its Home Credit subsidiary, which serves more than 15 million customers, and insurance and asset management through Generali PPF Holding, a joint venture with Italian insurance group Assicurazioni Generali, which boasts more than 10 million customers. In 2008, despite a challenging environment, PPF boosted its profits to €2.8 billion, up sharply from €245 million in 2007. Jiri Smejc, PPF’s chief executive, says that the figures clearly demonstrate the successful execution of his company’s strategy to develop long-term, profitable businesses across the region.