Societe Generale Group announces the creation of its new french retail banking: SG
On the 1st of January 2023, Societe Generale Group announced that it had completed the legal merger of its two French Retail Banking networks, Societe Generale and Crédit du Nord Group. SG is now the Group’s new French Retail Banking.The bank SG aims to build a leading banking partner on the French market serving 10 million customers and be in the Top 3 of customer satisfaction.The completion of the merger is accompanied by the implementation of a new relationship model, which will improve the quality of service provided to individual, business and corporate customers and establish itself as a leading player in the French market in terms of savings, insurance and excellent solutions for businesses and professionals.The bank SG makes firm commitments to its customers in terms of proximity, responsiveness, expertise and responsibility. SG will be, for our customers:
a bank with a greater regional presence, with the vast majority of decisions taken at regional level, and increasingly directly in branches and business centres. All customers will benefit from an increased number of points of sale, multiplied by more than two for customers from Crédit du Nord Group and increased by 15% for Societe Generale customers. The brand strategy illustrates the territorial roots of the French Retail Banking, with a national SG brand accompanied by regional brands: SG CREDIT DU NORD, SG GRAND EST, SG LAYDERNIER, SG AUVERGNE RHÔNE ALPES, SG SMC, SG COURTOIS, SG SUD OUEST, SG TARNEAUD, SG GRAND OUEST and, in Ile-de-France as well as in Corsica, SG SOCIETE GENERALE;
an expertise bank, with systems even more adapted to the specific needs of the different categories of customers, with, for example, the setting up of a wealth bank, the roll-out of the single advisor for business customers, both for their personal and professional needs, or the increase in the number of experts across the territory in terms of savings, insurance and support for professionals and companies in all their financing and advisory needs;
an accessible and responsive bank, with shorter decision-making circuits to speed up decision-making and response time to customer requests, state-of-the-art digital services enabling it to carry out its day-to-day banking operations remotely, in a secure manner, and to subscribe more and more offers by the mobile application;
a responsible bank, which places CSR issues at the heart of its new model to strengthen the positive impact for customers and territories, through new choices in terms of offer and organization, in particular the establishment of CSR consulting teams in each region, allowing SG to accelerate the financing of the ecological transition and to be a major player in the development, both economic and social, of the regions and their ecosystems.
A merger that is progressing on scheduleInitiated in 2020, the merger of the two networks has mobilized thousands of employees, at all levels of the bank, to define the new banking model. It is carried out in compliance with all the commitments made at the launch of the project, in particular that of not leaving any city and to carry it out in the context of constructive industrial relations. Four agreements were signed in this respect with a majority of representative trade unions in 2021 and 2022.The legal merger is an important step that marks the effective creation of the new bank. The new organization is now in place and all management teams have been appointed, both at headquarters and in the regions. The IT migration of Crédit du Nord Group’s banks to Societe Generale’s information system will be carried out in two stages during the first half of 2023. Branch groupings will begin in the second half of 2023, with a first step of 150 reconciliations (30%). 80% of the groupings will be completed by the end of 2024, and 100% by the end of 2025.The new SG brand will be gradually deployed on the facades of our branches, with a first step of 1,000 branches affected by the end of 2023. To support the launch of the new bank SG, an advertising campaign will start from 15 January and will continue throughout the year.“We are very pleased to start 2023 with the launch of SG, the new French Retail Banking. The legal merger of Societe Generale’s networks and the banks of Crédit du Nord Group on 1 January 2023 is a major step, completed within the planned deadlines. This new bank is not only a banking merger. It is also the implementation of a new model, which will allow us to offer our 10 million private, business and corporate customers, throughout the territory, more proximity, responsiveness, expertise and responsibility. Our goal is to become an even more essential player in the French market, recognised for the quality of its expertise, its speed of execution, its regional roots, and to achieve the Top 3 customer satisfaction,” said Sébastien Proto, Deputy General Manager, in charge SG French Retail Banking Network, Private Banking and their IT division.
A new phase in the planned retail banking network merger to create a new French Retail Bank
Societe Generale and Crédit du Nord have marked another step forward in their plan to merge the two retail banking networks by announcing today the new branding of the future French retail bank, operational as of 2023, as well as the appointment of future Regional Directors.2022 is the year of the finalisation of the prepared merger of the Societe Generale and Crédit du Nord retail banking networks, with the legal implementation taking place on 1 January, 2023. Following the completion of several major milestones since December 2020, with the presentation of the detailed model of the future bank, advances in IT work, and the conclusion of several key human resources agreements with staff representative bodies, the Group is presenting the branding of its future retail bank in France.New branding for the French retail bankResulting from the merger of the Societe Generale network and the banks of the Crédit du Nord group, the new brand aims to create a new leader, closely attuned to the expectations of its 10 million customers.The identity chosen is a new national SG brand coupled with ten regional brands: SG CREDIT DU NORD, SG GRAND EST, SG LAYDERNIER, SG AUVERGNE RHÔNE ALPES, SG SMC, SG COURTOIS, SG SUD OUEST, SG TARNEAUD, SG GRAND OUEST and, in the Ile-de-France (Paris) region and Corsica, SG SOCIETE GENERALE.It reflects the strategic orientations of the plan to combine the two networks: a strong brand capitalising on the power of the Societe Generale brand, with its emblematic red and black colours, along with the local roots of the regional banks, whose identity is reaffirmed to represent the territorial proximity of the New Bank, in keeping with the values and history of each individual bank. The logo also evolves, changing into an open square, a symbol of balance and symmetry between the national brand and the regional brands.
A collaborative processThis new branding is the result of a collaborative approach which notably included staff of the two banks from a diverse range of professional horizons. This extensive collaborative process was launched to address the issues of innovation, dynamism and staff inclusion.A deployment in line with the New Bank’s CSR objectivesThe regional branding will be rolled out at the various customer contact points (branches, digital applications, payment methods, print materials, etc.) as of January 2023. The deployment of this new branding will take place in line with all of Societe Generale group’s environmental commitments, particularly in terms of lighting and the choice of materials.Sébastien Proto, Deputy General Manager in charge of the Societe Generale, Crédit du Nord, and Private Banking networks and their Innovation, Technology, and IT division, said: “We are moving forward with this merger in line with the planned timeline and in respect of all the commitments we have made concerning our clients and our staff. We provide a new example today with this new brand strategy, whose process of definition directly included staff from both banks and is true to the respective histories and strengths of both networks. It embodies our values and, together, what we want to offer our customers: the strength of a major international group combined with the proximity of a bank with firm local roots – that is to say, the best of our two brands to strengthen the quality, relevance and responsiveness of the services we offer our customers. The appointments announced today are equally in line with our commitment to ensure a balance in the nominations between the two banks, coherent with the respective weight of each brand, and with our aim to advance as efficiently as possible in the preparation of the final steps before the legal merger in January 2023.”Appointments of future Regional DirectorsAs part of the active preparation of the merger, the Group is pleased to announce the appointment of the future Regional Directors, who will now oversee the preparation and implementation of their future entity, assuming effective responsibility at the time of the legal merger in January 2023.For the 11 future regions and the Corporate Finance and Major Relations division, the Group announces the following appointments:
Jean Dumont for SG CREDIT DU NORD, with Laurent Platel as Deputy Director;
Jean-Yves Dupuy for SG GRAND OUEST, with Mathilde Lepelletier as Deputy Director;
Isabelle Deloeil Geraud for SG SUD OUEST;
Benoît Vandermarcq for SG TARNEAUD;
Didier Pariset for SG AUVERGNE RHÔNE ALPES;
Stéphane Bourdonnec for SG COURTOIS, with Hélène Sauvan as Deputy Director;
Bruno Deschamp for SG SMC, with Isabelle Martinon as Deputy Director;
Vincent Thebault for SG LAYDERNIER;
Frédéric Di Scala for SG GRAND EST;
Karim Idrissi for SG SOCIETE GENERALE in the Ile-de-France Nord region;
Thierry Le Marre for SG SOCIETE GENERALE in the Ile-de-France Sud region;
Nasrine Hassan for the Corporate Finance and Major Relations division.
Χρ. Θεοφιλίδη (ΕΤΕ): Οι ελληνικές τράπεζες στο νέο μοντέλο του retail banking
Το κατάστημα θα παραμείνει, αλλά ο ρόλος του θα είναι συμβουλευτικός, δήλωσε η γενική διευθύντρια λιανικής τραπεζικής της Εθνικής Τράπεζας, Χριστίνα Θεοφιλίδη.Σε όλη την αγορά διαμορφώνεται ένα νέο περιβάλλον με την ιλιγγιώδη ανάπτυξη του τεχνολογικού τομέα επιφέροντας αλλαγές και στις καταναλωτικές συνήθειες, στις οποίες προσαρμόζεται το τραπεζικό σύστημα.
Σύμφωνα με τη γενική διευθύντρια λιανικής τραπεζικής της Εθνικής Τράπεζας, κυρία Χριστίνα Θεοφιλίδη, τα χαρακτηριστικά της νέας ψηφιακής εποχής είναι: ταχύτητα και ευκολία στη συναλλαγή με αυξημένη ασφάλεια, εύκολη μεταφορά δεδομένων, εξοικονόμηση χρόνου. Όπως εξήγησε σε ομιλία της στο Fin Forum 2021, Shaping the future of banking & finance, σχετικά με το νέο retail banking, σήμερα ενισχύεται η ιδέα που συνοψίζεται στη φράση “η τράπεζα μαζί μου, παντού, από το κινητό μου ή τον υπολογιστή μου”.
Όπως ανέφερε χαρακτηριστικά, στο νέο τοπίο, η αγορά δεν έχει και τόσο αυστηρά «σύνορα» και όρια, οπότε οι τράπεζες συγκρίνονται με τις πλατφόρμες όπως το Netflix, η Amazon, το Spotify, και οδηγούμαστε στο να παρέχουμε υψηλό επίπεδο εξυπηρέτησης και παροχής υπηρεσιών.Ειδικά στη χώρα μας, συμπλήρωσε η κα Θεοφιλίδη, την τελευταία δεκαετία μπορεί κανείς να ξεχωρίσει δύο γεγονότα που επιτάχυναν έως και επέβαλαν την ψηφιακή μας εκπαίδευση, όσον αφορά σε τραπεζικές υπηρεσίες.
Το πρώτο γεγονός συνδέεται με τα capital controls, όταν μάθαμε να χρησιμοποιούμε τις χρεωστικές κάρτες, έξω από τα ΑΤΜ και πέρα από την ανάληψη μετρητών, στην πληρωμή προϊόντων και υπηρεσιών.Το δεύτερο γεγονός έρχεται λίγα χρόνια μετά, με τα απαραίτητα μέτρα κατά της πανδημίας, όταν γνωρίσαμε τις ψηφιακές τραπεζικές υπηρεσίες.
“Μάθαμε να ανοίγουμε τον πρώτο μας λογαριασμό στην τράπεζα από το κινητό μας, μια υπηρεσία που πρώτη η Εθνική παρουσίασε στην αγορά, να μεταφέρουμε χρήματα, να πληρώνουμε λογαριασμούς, να αγοράζουμε προϊόντα, όπως κάρτες, προθεσμιακές καταθέσεις, ασφάλεια αυτοκινήτου, ακόμα και να παίρνουμε ένα προσωπικό δάνειο, με τα χρήματα να πιστώνονται στο λογαριασμό μας μέσα σε λίγα λεπτά. Όλα αυτά χωρίς την ανάγκη επίσκεψης στο κατάστημα, από όπου και όποτε θέλουμε”, σημείωσε.Παρ’ όλα αυτά, η κα Θεοφιλίδη ανέφερε ότι το τραπεζικό κατάστημα δεν θα καταργηθεί αλλά θα αλλάξει ρόλο. Εξήγησε ότι το δίκτυο των καταστημάτων είναι το βασικό συστατικό της σχέσης εμπιστοσύνης που δημιουργεί η τράπεζα με τον πελάτη. Παραμένει δε, ένα από τα πιο σημαντικά κριτήρια επιλογής τράπεζας, σύμφωνα με πρόσφατη έρευνα. Συνεπώς, μπορεί τα δίκτυα των τραπεζών να έχουν περιορίσει την παρουσία τους τα τελευταία χρόνια, όμως δεν πρόκειται να εξαφανιστούν.
“Σήμερα έχουμε φθάσει σε μία ισορροπία, με τον αριθμό καταστημάτων ανά 1000 κατοίκους να είναι κοντά στον ευρωπαϊκό μέσο όρο, γύρω στα 20”, ανέφερε.
Έτσι, στο νέο retail banking, κυρίως μεταβάλλεται η φύση των εργασιών μέσα στο κατάστημα. Εξάλλου, ήδη πάνω από το 90% των εγχρήματων συναλλαγών πραγματοποιείται σε αυτόματες μηχανές, όπως ATM και APS και φυσικά online. Χωρίς να λαμβάνονται υπόψη οι συναλλαγές που πραγματοποιούνται με πιστωτικές ή χρεωστικές κάρτες. Με την τάση αυτή, συνέχισε η κα Θεοφιλίδη, απελευθερώνεται πολύτιμος χρόνος που μπορεί να αξιοποιηθεί για την παροχή αναβαθμισμένων υπηρεσιών, όπως συμβουλευτικών υπηρεσιών για την καλύτερη καθημερινή διαχείριση των οικονομικών της οικογένειας και τον προγραμματισμό και κάλυψη των αναγκών ρευστότητας μιας επιχείρησης.
“Στην Εθνική δίνουμε μεγάλο βάρος σε αυτόν τον μετασχηματισμό. Πέρα από την ανάπτυξη χρήσιμων υπηρεσιών για τους πελάτες μας και την εκπαίδευσή τους ώστε να μπορέσουν να τις αξιοποιήσουν με τον καλύτερο δυνατό τρόπο, επενδύουμε με πάθος στα στελέχη μας και ειδικά στα στελέχη της πρώτης γραμμής, ώστε να αναπτύξουν τις δεξιότητες εκείνες που θα τους καταστίσουν πολύτιμους συνεργάτες σε κάθε πελάτη μας. Δεν θέλουμε να διεκπεραιώνουμε ούτε να πουλάμε – αναπτύσσουμε συμβούλους με γνώση και σεβασμό στον πελάτη μας. Και αυτή είναι μία επιθυμητή εξέλιξη και για τα στελέχη που βρίσκονται στα καταστήματα. Αυτός είναι και ο νέος ρόλος του δικτύου στην ψηφιακή μας εποχή”, πρόσθεσε.