Our business strategy

SDG: 
Goal 3 - Good health and well-being
Goal 8 - Decent work and economic growth
Goal 12 - Responsible consumption and production
Goal 13 - Climate action
Goal 17 - Partnerships for the goals

For years, our mission, vision and values have remained unchanged. We rely on the values and principles that we believe in, which have been with us since the beginning. The current strategy of the Santander Bank Polska Group is a continuation of the previous directions of development.

  • GRI:
  • 102-12 External initiatives and externally-developed economic, environmental and social charters, principles, or other initiatives to which the organization subscribes
    External initiatives and externally-developed economic, environmental and social charters, principles, or other initiatives to which the organization subscribes
  • 102-15 Key impacts, risks and opportunities
    Key impacts, risks and opportunities
  • 102-29 Identifying and managing economic, environmental, and social impacts
    Identifying and managing economic, environmental, and social impacts
  • Custom indicator Description of the bank's strategy, including its approach to managing responsible business and sustainability issues
    Description of the bank's strategy, including its approach to managing responsible business and sustainability issues
  • PRB 1 Alignment We will align our business strategy to be consistent with and contribute to individuals’ needs and society’s goals, as expressed in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Paris Climate Agreement and relevant national and regional frameworks. We will focus our efforts where we have the most significant impact.
    We will align our business strategy to be consistent with and contribute to individuals’ needs and society’s goals, as expressed in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Paris Climate Agreement and relevant national and regional frameworks. We will focus our efforts where we have the most significant impact.
  • PRB 2 Impact We will continuously increase our positive impacts while reducing the negative impacts on, and managing the risks to, people and environment resulting from our activities, products and services.
    We will continuously increase our positive impacts while reducing the negative impacts on, and managing the risks to, people and environment resulting from our activities, products and services.
  • PRB 4 Stakeholders We will proactively and responsibly consult, engage and partner with relevant stakeholders to achieve society’s goals.
    We will proactively and responsibly consult, engage and partner with relevant stakeholders to achieve society’s goals.
  • ESG: E – Environment Our approach to the environment
    Our approach to the environment
  • ESG: S – Social Our approach to Social Responsibility
    Our approach to Social Responsibility
  • ESG: G – Corporate Governance Our approach to corporate governance
    Our approach to corporate governance
  • MISSION

    To help people and businesses prosper

  • VISION

    To be the best open financial services platform by acting responsibly and earning the lasting loyalty of our people, customers, shareholders and communities

  • VALUES

    Simple, Personal, Fair

Six strategic directions for 2021-23

The strategy of Santander Bank Polska promotes a customer-centric approach to business management through continuous improvement of service quality and product range. A special focus is placed on digitalisation and simplification of processes from the customer’s perspective, which results in increased operational efficiency, simple solutions, and transparency of the offer. It also promotes the corporate culture which is focused on increasing engagement and motivation of employees and social responsibility of the organisation. The outbreak of the pandemic in 2020 further enhanced the development direction set by the bank.

As part of the adopted strategy, six strategic directions for 2021-2023 for 2021–2023 were identified: Customer obsession, Employee focus, Simplification, Smart omnichannel, Open platform and Safety and trust. Two of them – Simplification and Smart omnichannel – have the greatest transformation value. The strategic goals pursued as part of strategic directions Focus on our key stakeholder groups: employees, customers, communities and shareholders  These directions guided our actions in 2020.

  • Employee Focus
    • Employee experience as a gateway to customer delight. Ability to retain and acquire new talents is a key to build critical competences and skillssupporting the bank’s transformation.
  • Safety and Trust (CSR & Cybersecurity & IT systems stability)
    • Implementation of the responsible banking agenda. Reliability of IT systems by ensuring high level of cybersecurity and stability (channels and support).
  • Innovate to Open Platform
    • Plug-in to Global and One Europe Santander solutions, external 3rd parties (API) and integration of internal applications. Increase operational excellence through speedy and cost effective implementations thanks to innovative API architecture and partnerships..
  • Customer Obsession
    • Customer-centric culture in business management by
      spreading service design competences to ensure breakthrough customer experience.
  • Simplification
    • Simplification (Operations & Organizational structure) Simplify 4 major areas: products, processes and procedures, systems and less paper under One Europe umbrella – One Purpose One Process approach through seamless e2e processes. Flat and simple organizational structure.
  • Smart Omnichannel
    • Smart Omnichannel Smart (gradual) self-service anytime and anywhere. Maximise the number of self-service/ remote processes the clients can use. Convert clients to become self-service through various stimuli &motivators. Multichannel integration of CEX based. on customer value, customer preferences and cost to serve.

The 6 strategic directions highlight the key areas we want to focus on in our transformation. They serve as a compass that:

  • consolidates the objectives we want to achieve in relation to our employees (Employee Focus), customers (Customer Obsession), communities and shareholders (Safety and Trust);
  • addresses all the recommendations for implementation identified in the diagnosis of the bank’s current operating model, hence we  perceive Simplification and Smart Omnichannel as the two directions with the strongest transformational potential;
  • takes fully into account the vision laid down in the Santander Group’s regional One Europe strategic plan; emphasises the foundations on which we want to build our growth (Safety and Trust), with a particular focus in the area of responsible banking  and  Corporate Social Responsibility;
  • points to the ambition to build competitive advantages through Innovation to Open Platform.

Results of strategic activities of the Santander Bank Polska Group in 2020 and ambitions for 2021-2023

While defining our strategic directions, we also identify strategic goals and key measures of success that allow us to track our progress.

Strategic direction: caring for employee

Strategic goal

Engaged employees

Actions taken
  • We ensured the safety and well-being of employees during the COVID-19 pandemic
  • We streamlined a significant number of employee processes
  • We continued to further develop our working model based on the Agile methodology
  • We promoted diversity, equal treatment and inclusiveness
  • We supported talent development
Key success measures
  • Becoming a leading employer in the banking sector (Top Employer Poland 2020 certificate)
  • Implementing the remote work culture and designing the hybrid work model
  • Launching wellbeing programs and promoting of healthy and environmentally friendly lifestyle (BeHealthy, SantanderGO)
Our ambitions
  • We will continue to develop an organizational culture based on the Simple, Personal, Fair values
  • We will increase our employee engagement and maintain our leading employer title
  • We will attract and retain the best employees
  • We will continue to develop key competencies (including leadership competencies)

Strategic direction: Simplification

Strategic goal

Simple, agile, light organization

Actions taken
  • We have simplified our product offering and a number of key customer service and after-sales processes
  • We have significantly reduced the volume of paper used in our processes
Key success measures
  • Decrease in the consumption of paper (we saved over 3,000 trees in 2020)
  • Increase in the number of customers using e-communication
  • Reduction in the number of products
  • Introduction of SMS authorization of payments and cash transactions in branches
Our ambitions
  • We will continue our efforts to eliminate paper documents in favour of electronic communication
  • We will focus on further simplification of processes and products and optimization of the organizational structure

Strategic direction: customer obsession

Strategic goal

Clients with a lasting relationship with Santander

Actions taken
  • We have accelerated the digitization and simplification of processes
  • We have supported our customers throughout the COVID-19 pandemic
  • We have simplified the language used to communicate with customers
Key success measures
  • Increase in NPS mass vs 2019 (systematic upward trend since early 2020)
Our ambitions
  • We will ensure lasting customer relationships through products designed using service design competencies based on carefully collected and segmented customer voice
  • We will increase the localization and digitalization of our customers
  • We will continuously improve the level of customer satisfaction (NPS)

Strategic direction: omni-channel

Strategic goal

Self-service and remote bank

Actions taken
  • We have accelerated the digitization of processes
  • We have increased the availability of processes in remote channels
  • We have reduced the number of processes requiring a customer visit at a branch
  • We have maximized the consistency of the customer experience standards across all channels
Key success measures
  • 3 million digital customers
  • Growth in the number of transactions made in remote channels
  • Increase in product sales in self-service channels
  • Growth in paperless transactions executed without traditional signatures
Our ambitions
  • We will maximize the use of self-service and remote channels in key sales and after-sales processes
  • We will increase the number of digital customers
  • We will enhance customer comfort and satisfaction in using remote channels of contact with the bank

Strategic direction: evolution to an open platform

Strategic goal

Best financial services platform

Actions taken
  • We have supported the further evolution to an Open Platform in collaboration with Santander Group and external Partners
  • We have developed open banking through Santander Open
Key success measures
  • Launching the GTS platform providing new digital services to corporate customers
  • Expanding cooperation with external partners
  • Growing number of customers using Santander Open (PSD2 aggregator)
Our ambitions
  • We will continue to develop and improve the Open Financial Services Platform

Strategic direction: Safety and Trust

Strategic goal

Customer safety and trust in the bank

Actions taken
  • We have continued sponsorship projects in the areas of sports, culture and education
  • We have promoted cybersecurity awareness and culture
  • We have supported and provided assistance to customers in all segments in connection with COVID-19
  • We have improved the stability of IT systems
  • We have supported the development of the Green Offer and the Green Bank
Key success measures
  • Coordination of the issuance of Poland’s first sustainable development bonds worth EUR 1 billion
  • 100% of energy purchased by the bank comes from renewable sources
  • Continuation of the strong stability trend with a decrease in the number of incidents
  • Implementation and co-financing of several dozen projects within the Santander Bank Polska Foundation
  • Implementation and co-financing of several dozen projects within the Santander Bank Polska Foundation
Our ambitions
  • We will continue to advance leadership development, employee focus, diversity, equity and an inclusive work environment
  • We will expand our Green Offer
  • By implementing measures to promote a culture of cybersecurity, we will ensure high awareness of fraud risk among the bank’s customers and employees
  • Having achieved a significant reduction in failure incidence, we will continue to focus on ensuring high stability of our systems