Sampo Banka Has Been Transformed into Danske Banka
In a press conference yesterday there was an announcement made on Sampo Banka joining the multi-branch financial group Danske Bank Group as a result of which Sampo Banka ceases to exist by its former name.
According to Mads Jacobsen, Senior Executive Vice President of Danske Bank A/S: ‘I am very pleased by the fact that Danske Bank Group has been joined by a bank in Latvia. The changes that have taken place today are essential, because, by joining the group, the Latvian Danske Banka will obtain access to both the expertise of the highly qualified staff of our bank, as well as to the IT platform and the wide range of services offered by Danske Bank Group.’
Bank representatives expressed their conviction that by integrating itself in Danske Bank Group new opportunities for development have opened to the bank. The bank strategy so far has been aimed at servicing of private individuals by focusing its attention particularly on mortgage lending. Whereas, by incorporation in Danske Bank Group special attention will be paid to the corporate services sector through the use of the considerable experience of Danske Bank Group and its state-of-the-art banking IT platform.
The process of implementation of the platform in Latvia has already been commenced and will continue in 2009. The IT platform of Danske Bank Group will help to improve our customer service by providing a considerably wider range of products and services, including cheaper and faster bank transfers within the group, improved functionality of internet banking etc. Starting this year already services like investing in Danske investment funds, trade financial services and derived currency and interest rate products have been introduced.
Raivis Kakānis, Chief Executive Officer of Danske Bank A/S branch in Latvia underlined: ‘Thanks to the unique IT platform one would be able to compare us to a small car with a highly powerful engine. Since the beginning of 2008 the bank has also entered the corporate customer services sector as a result of which our market share in the said sector has over half a year grown from 0.1% to 0.6%. However, I would like to underline that increasing the market share has not been an aim in itself for us, but rather a logical result of our dynamically developing banking activity.’
Bank claims to offer a professional, truly sincere and personal customer service by providing individual approach to each customer. In order for the bank to be able along with the increase of the number of bank customers to ensure individual customer service, it is constantly training its staff, improving the customer service standard introduced in the bank and planning to open new customer service centres. The bank is positioning itself in the market as customer advisors rather than sellers of bank services and products.
About Sampo Banka:
Sampo Banka is one of the newest banks in Latvia, however, with a considerable past performance. In November of 2004 Sampo Banka bought Māras Banka in order to maintain its special and individual treatment of every customer. In 2007 Sampo Banka was purchased by one of the leading financial groups of Scandinavia and Northern Europe — Danske Bank Group.
Sampo Banka is a bank with a considerate, knowledge based and proven business policy in the area of investment, lending and savings. We express and take care of your future welfare today. Our team is open to straightforward negotiations and detailed planning of your finances even for a time span of ten years.
Bank has been servicing its customers in four Customer Service Centres and soon the fifth will open its doors.
About Danske Bank Group:
Danske Bank Group is a multi-branch financial service group providing a large spectrum of services to 4.9 millions of private individuals and 150 000 corporate customers across Scandinavia and Northern Europe.
Danske Bank is the largest bank in Denmark and takes the leading role in the financial markets of Scandinavia and Northern Europe. Danske Bank Group comprising Danske Bank, BG Bank, Realkredit Danmark, Sampo Bank in Finland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, Danica Pension and several affiliates offers a wide range of services, including daily banking, mortgage lending, asset management, insurance, leasing and other financial transactions.