*  *  *  Dear Ms. Siebert, Dear Mr. Leithner, Ladies and gentlemen, Thank you very much for inviting me to speak at the Women in European Business Conference organised by Deutsche Bank. The topic of this year’s conference – the quest for growth – could scarcely be more relevant for Europe today.
As this audience knows better than most, the low growth environment is posing serious challenges for businesses. Uncertainty about the future is a drag on confidence and a barrier to new investment. It causes banks to cut back on lending, especially to small- and mediumsized firms, which are critical to help growth rebound.