Our successful merger with Raiffeisen Bank Polska’s core business has also turned our Bank into one of the leading players in the Polish market. I keep noticing changes in our business environment and competition. In my opinion, the strategy adopted by the Bank is taking us in the right direction. Membership in a strong international financial group will permit us to combine the group’s global experience with our strong position and in-depth knowledge of the local market. The new scale of our business has provided us with the potential to compete effectively with other financial institutions operating in Poland.
We have opened a new chapter in our history. Today, BNP Paribas Bank Polska is a new organization with a new identity and new culture, open to changes and ready to support its clients and employees as it develops. We are a universal Bank focused on serving our clients as best we can by providing them with top quality products and services. At the same time, our institution is aware of how significant employees are for its success. Our staff are offered opportunities for personal and professional development through training, workshops and webinars as well as benefits consistent with their actual needs. A team of competent and committed employees is a significant competitive advantage of our Bank.
We all contribute to the creation of a financial institution that can be proud of its responsible approach to running a business, its involvement in initiatives important to clients and its sensitivity to socially important matters. An example of this is the Bank’s participation in activities aimed at protecting the natural environment. In addition to employee volunteering and participation in a variety of initiatives, including for instance forest cleaning endeavors, activities of a strictly business nature should also be mentioned in this context. As the Bank of Green Changes, we are consistently developing our funding for energy transformation and supporting clients in building a low-emission economy. In 2019, the Bank established cooperation with the European Investment Bank, which has enabled us to increase the volume of financing provided for investments in this area. The Bank has also joined the Biznesmax Guarantee program established to support small and medium-sized enterprises seeking to invest in energy efficiency, renewable energy sources and other environmentally friendly initiatives.
We are entering the year 2020 as a Bank with impressive growth potential in all areas of its business. Currently, as a single institution, we are focusing on building the best achievable position in the Polish market based on our business competences and values that are significant both to us and our clients.
