Bankinter presented in Portugal at an institutional event hosted by the MNAA-Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga in Lisbon
The bank presented its strategy and business objectives in Portugal to 300 guests, among of which were high-level representatives and authorities of the Portuguese state, bank customers, businesspeople and bank executives.
The Chairman of Bankinter, Pedro Guerrero, expressed his conviction that Bankinter will earn the confidence of new customers and the Portuguese society and economy.
The CEO of the bank, María Dolores Dancausa, highlighted her desire of making Bankinter an example to follow within the Portuguese financial sector.
Despite initiating its activity in Portugal on April 1st, Bankinter presented itself today to the Portuguese society at an institutional event that took place at the MNAA-Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga in Lisbon in the presence of almost 300 guests.
The event was attended by several public dignitaries from the Government and State institutions, by people from the business and cultural worlds and by representatives of the Spanish state and of some of the main Spanish companies based in Portugal. Notable among these was the attendance of Mr. Manuel Caldeira, the Portuguese Minister of Economy; the Ambassador of Spain, Mr. Juan Manuel de Barandica; and all the members of the Board of Directors of Bankinter, together with the chief executives of the firm.
This event at the MNAA-Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga was made to coincide with the closing of the Exhibition of Works of Art provided by the Masaveu Foundation, which has been publicly displayed to the Portuguese public since November 20th. These works of art are owned by a family that has been traditionally linked to Portugal and Bankinter and that has been part of the bank's Board of Directors for several decades.
Confidence in Portugal and in Bankinter's capacity
During his speech, the Chairman of Bankinter, Pedro Guerrero, emphasised on his conviction that Bankinter will earn the confidence of the Portuguese society and economy, which is a key aspect of the banking business. To maintain this confidence, he pointed out, “we must behave rigorously, ethically and professionally at all times”, which are variables that Bankinter upholds as principles of its financial activity.
The Chairman of Bankinter also expressed his confidence in the future of the Portuguese economy. Drawing a parallel with the Spanish economy, he emphasised that, in spite of there still being a long way to go before reaching a structural balance in the public accounts, “the worst is already behind us and our countries have greater opportunities than ever.”
The CEO of the bank, María Dolores Dancausa, continued along the same lines of confidence in the country, in its society, in its institutions and in the future, as well as the bank's capacity to convey this confidence to others; and she celebrated “the beginning of a long and fruitful presence of Bankinter in Portuguese territory.”
During her speech, the chief executive of Bankinter listed the principles that will lead the bank's business strategy in Portugal. Among them are: “understanding and solving the financial needs of our customers, as well as seeking efficiency and scalability, which will enable us to offer better prices”.
Dancausa, who highlighted her desire of making Bankinter “an example to follow within the Portuguese financial sector”, has set the objective of Bankinter's business in Portugal reaching, in a reasonable time, 15% of the entire balance and earnings of the Group, versus the 8% it is currently at.
Lastly, and as a conclusion to the event, the CEO of Bankinter had some words of gratitude both for the staff of the bank in Portugal, in whose executives she deposited her trust in order to take reins of the business, and for the customers of the acquired business -individuals and companies-, the immense majority of which have confirmed their confidence and have remained loyal to the bank.
About Bankinter.
Bankinter is one of the most profitable and financially solvent financial institutions in Spain. In 2015, the company had a net profit of 375.9 million euros, 36.3% more than in 2014, the best results in its history due mainly to recurrent customer business.
The bank ended the year with a solid, fully loaded CET1 capital ratio of 11.6% and a high return on capital, with a ROE of 10.9%, one of the highest among the Spanish banks. In addition, it has the finest quality assets of the system, with a non-performing loans rate of 4.1%, less than half the sector average in Spain, the result of a rigorous track record in risk management.
Similarly, Bankinter is a benchmark institution due to its technological development, service quality above that of the sector and clear commitment to the innovation and use of alternative service channels in its relationship with its customers. Bankinter has been a pioneer in Spain in starting remote banking systems supplementary to the traditional branch network, via telephone, the Internet or mobile phone, which has enabled it to offer diverse relationship and product marketing possibilities from a perfectly comprehensive multi-channel strategy. In this regard, a study carried out by UBS named Bankinter as the best placed bank in Spain and the fourth in world to benefit from an expansion in mobile phone banking.
