Business customers

GRI:

[102-2] Activities, brands, products and/or services
[Custom indicator] Information about key products, including new products launched in the reporting period

Other guidelines:

The units providing services to business customer are: Business and Corporate Banking Division, Corporate and Investment Banking Division and non-banking companies from our Group.

Business and Corporate Banking Division

The strategic goal and the highest priority of the Business and Corporate Banking Division is to support customers in the development of their businesses by offering them precisely tailored products and services in line with the specifics of their business.

Key products and services:

loans,
deposits,
transactional banking,
treasury products,
leasing products,
factoring products,
capital market products,
customized solutions.

In 2019, we focused on activities aimed at improving our comprehensive customer service. We put a special emphasis on:

building an offer for selected industries
digitalisation of processes and products for the corporate segment
effectiveness of risk management processes
development of electronic banking channels, CRM and Big Data tools

A new action-based sales model has been implemented:

19 Business and Corporate Banking Centres serving companies and enterprises with turnover over PLN 8 million and credit exposure over PLN 5 million.

Business and Corporate Banking Department – Premium serving the largest corporate clients, local governments and the public sector as well as clients from the real estate financing segment.

Product units and units supporting development of products, processes and tools based on the Agile methodology.

The Business and Corporate Banking Division provides services to 25.3 thousand companies from various industries, supporting them comprehensively in the process of building and developing their business.

Business and Corporate Banking provides a package of banking services that allow managers to effectively operate and develop their business on the domestic and international market, including financing investments and current operations, and efficiently manage the liquidity of companies. In line with the vision of the whole organization, we help our customers prosper and take up new challenges while maintaining business continuity.

Michael McCarthy

Vice President in charge of the Business and Corporate Banking Division

Selected initiatives and activities in 2019:

financing investment projects of customers from the segment,
continuing development projects that are important for ensuring the highest quality of services for customers,
implementing regular customer satisfaction measurement,
developing a product offer for joint customers of the Business and Corporate Banking and Private Banking segments,
improved platforms to help exporters and importers to exchange knowledge and experience and establish business contacts,
streamlined and simplified credit processes for customers of the division on a continuous basis,
offering its clients added value in the form of expertise, B2B (business to business) contacts and support in the process of business plan implementation by providing tools and product solutions.

Santander Bank Polska comprehensively supported the clients of Business and Corporate Banking in their development, among others through:

As part of our efforts to implement the strategy of social and environmental responsibility, we signed an annex to the agreement with Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego, under which the scope of entities subject to financing with a free Biznesmax guarantee was extended to include companies carrying out pro-environmental investments (previously only innovative companies were eligible).

We published studies on strategic sectors (automotive/TSL, food/FMCG, industrial production, joinery and services) and our experts participated in industry meetings where they had direct contact with key stakeholders.
Department of Strategic Sectors prepared the „Packaging Revolution” report devoted to the multidimensional changes taking place in the packaging industry and in the widely understood plastic products industry. The report was presented at meetings, among others, within the Mazovia Circular Congress, TAROPAK and during joint workshops with the Polish-German Chamber of Industry and Commerce.
The bank was the main partner of the „Transport of the Future” report prepared by PwC on behalf of and in cooperation with the Transport and Logistics Poland Employers’ Union. As part of the implementation of the project concerning the transport sector, regional workshops were also held on the subject of transport.
Additionally, the Bank published 10 dedicated market commentaries and regular articles on the situation in specific sectors.

The bank continued activities supporting the process of building sector knowledge both within the organisation and among customers.

In 2019 we organized or participated in the following events:

Economic and business seminar „Direction Mexico” held in Gdansk, where representatives of the bank presented their capabilities in supporting Polish companies planning to expand in Mexico. A model of bank’s customer service via the International Desk in Poland and Santander Mexico was also presented.
Inbound trade mission for the automotive industry organized by Santander Bank Polska and Santander UK in cooperation with the leading British automotive industry organization (SMMT) and the Trade Department of the British Embassy in Warsaw. The mission included a visit of the delegation to production plants and numerous B2B meetings with Polish companies interested in cooperation on the British market.
Inbound trade mission from Spain for the cosmetics sector organized in cooperation with the Polish-Spanish Chamber of Commerce, PAIH and the Department of Strategic Sectors. The mission consisted of visits to a cosmetics factory and B2B meetings with the participation of Polish companies interested in expanding into the Spanish market and cooperating with Spanish distributors participating in the mission.
A networking meeting in Madrid organized in cooperation with the Polish-Spanish Chamber of Commerce for Polish companies operating and investing in Spain in order to discuss the current situation and prospects for their further development on the Spanish market, to develop recommendations for representatives of the administration dealing with supporting foreign investors in Spain and to present forms of support offered by Santander Bank Polska S.A. and Santander Factoring Sp. z o.o. in the field of hedging, forms of settlement and financing of transactions.
Workshops for companies from the packaging industry „The Packaging Revolution. Polish producers in the face of changes in regulations and consumer preferences” organized in cooperation with the Polish-German Chamber of Industry and Commerce (AHK Poland) and with the participation of representatives of the Department of Strategic Sectors for companies planning to enter the German market. The workshop covered such subjects as changes in regulations, trends in the industry, the packaging market in Germany and opportunities for Polish companies.
A series of business breakfasts in 15 locations for about 260 current and prospective customers. During the breakfasts, thematic panels were held on the Santander Trade Portal and trade finance in partnership with the Department of Treasury Services, Santander Factoring Sp. z o.o., International Business and Google organized by the Foreign Trade Office.

The bank supported international expansion of Polish enterprises.

In 2019, we introduced a number of changes in the iBiznes24 electronic banking channels (Internet, mobile, Connect), responding to the current needs of customers and meeting the requirements imposed by the regulators:

We have carried out projects ensuring the bank’s compliance with PSD2 requirements and implementation of the Split Payment and Individual Taxpayer Account,
We have simplified the offer of authorization tools used in iBiznes24 electronic banking for corporate clients,
For customers using Enova’s financial and accounting systems, we have made the integration with iBiznes24 easier, faster and cheaper,
We have launched new subpages of our website dedicated to electronic banking for corporate clients.

Corporate and Investment Banking Division

Santander Bank Polska aspires to be the first choice bank for the largest corporate clients. In order to achieve this goal, the Corporate and Investment Banking Division (BKI) puts customers in the centre of attention and strives to meet and exceed their needs and strengthen their positive experience, focusing on development in three dimensions: service quality, market positioning and human resources.

In 2019 we continued to provide comprehensive services to the largest corporate clients of Santander Bank Polska.

Our clients are 250 largest companies/business groups in Poland representing all sectors of the economy. (As at 31 December 2019)

Key products and services:

transactional services,
liquidity management,
current, medium-term and long-term financing,
working capital optimization,
guarantees and letters of credit,
handling mergers and acquisitions,
issuing shares and bonds,
treasury products,
ESG-type financing.

The bank's initiatives

The bank acted as a coordinator, agent and ESG agent in the ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) loan agreement for the total amount of PLN 2 billion, which was concluded by a consortium of five banks and an energy sector company. According to the agreement, part of the margin depends on meeting certain social and environmental objectives by the borrower.
The Ministry of Finance granted the bank a mandate to organize the issue of 10- and 30-year Eurobonds (so-called Green Bonds). The bonds were issued in February 2019. For more information about „Green Bonds” go HERE.
We have developed the Kantor Santander platform – improving the customers’ digital access to the foreign exchange market.
As part of the bank’s digital transformation, the Financial Markets Area has developed a new customer-centric strategy that identifies the following areas of change: process efficiency, automation and digitisation, use of new technologies and innovation, ecosystems and 24/7 availability.
For institutional clients, we developed the brokerage infrastructure, starting a project to implement a new market-making system, focusing on one of the best solutions currently available on the equity market.
We promoted Polish securities at foreign roadshows in Asian countries, the United States and Western European countries.
The bank – in cooperation with the Santander Group entities – is working on a new website for its analytical products. The website will provide institutional clients with access, via a single platform, to products from all regions where Santander operates.
We reduced the number of documents as part of our paperless activities, which resulted in faster and better customer service, greater business efficiency and higher security of documents and data.