Mobiasbanca-Groupe Société Générale celebrates 150th anniversary of the Group

PRESS RELEASE

Chisinau, 7 May 2014

 

Mobiasbanca – Groupe Société Générale celebrates 150 years anniversary of the group

 

Groupe Société Générale was founded on May 4, 1864, when Napoleon III signed the Imperial decree. At the group level, 2014 is all about its 150th anniversary. As a part of the Société Générale, Mobiasbanca celebrates this important date, together with employees, clients and partners. In order to make this event even more notable, Mobiasbanca launches a dedicated new design for all of the cards issued based on the innovative chip technology, offering to our customers more safety and comfort.

Founded by a group of industrialists and financiers driven by a common entrepreneurial spirit, the bank’s very name illustrated their ambition: “Société Générale pour favoriser le développement du commerce et de l’industrie en France” (“Société Générale to support the development of trade and industry in France”), as written in the decree, signed by Napoléon III. With a view to modernising the economy, Société Générale adopted the universal banking model, which at the time and ever since has been at the cutting edge of financial innovation.

In his message, Frédéric Oudéa – Chairman and CEO of the Group – stated: “Our 150 years in operation have been achieved under entrepreneurial spirit, innovation and team spirit, the very DNA of Société Générale. These historical strengths are a powerful driver of development, and have helped us remain extraordinarily steadfast during times of difficulty: few banks have made 150 years of history on their own. Our vision, centred on our client relationships, is what is guiding us through the changes taking place in our business lines. This 150th anniversary is an opportunity for us to take strength from our origins so that we can better project ourselves into the future, reinvent our business lines and build the banking relationship of tomorrow.”

Ridha Tekaia, president of Mobiasbanca – Groupe Société Générale, said: “Mobiasbanca became part of Groupe Société Générale in 2007, when the group decided to create an economic link between Europe and CIS. The bank took over the values, principles and procedures of the group, but most important – the expertise and the know-how gained during 150 years of activity. Mobiasbanca proved to be a transparent, trustful, stable, independent, innovative, international bank, with a strong, professional and committed team, a reference bank on the market, chosen for the quality of products and services. We are proud to celebrate this anniversary together with colleagues, clients and partners of Société Générale.”

On the occasion of this great anniversary, Mobiasbanca – Groupe Société Générale launches the new design of the bank’s cards range equipped with chip – Maestro, MasterCard, Cherie Cherie collection, both credit and debit, in all currencies. The new design is innovative, inspired from our main value – team spirit and expresses the freedom, trust and safety that the Mobiasbanca cards give to our clients being issued based on modern chip technology.

Société Générale has always been a bank of entrepreneurs serving other entrepreneurs, contributing to the financing of infrastructures that symbolized the modern world or accompanying the creation and development of flagship French industrial and economic groups. A pioneering bank, Société Générale was among the first French banks starting international expansion, in 1871, with opening branches in Great Britain and Sankt Petersburg, before expanding into the Maghreb, USA, Latin America, Senegal and the Ivory Coast. It was also among the first to set up operations in Central European countries after the fall of the Berlin Wall. Société Générale was also a forerunner in the financing of international trade, the diversification of banking products and services, specialized corporate financing, and new international financial instruments that accompanied the development of the financial markets. The group has accompanied the creation and development of flagship French industrial and economic groups, helping to finance infrastructure projects that symbolized the modern world: the Paris metro, French railway lines, the Trans-Siberian Railway, the Panama Canal, the Suez Canal and even the Eiffel Tower.

Today, Société Générale operates in 76 countries, relying on the expertise of more than 154,000 employees serving 32 million clients around the globe. It is one of the largest European financial services groups. Based on a diversified universal banking model, the Group combines financial solidity with a strategy of sustainable growth, and aims to be the reference for relationship banking, recognized on its markets, close to clients, chosen for the quality and commitment of its teams.

Société Générale’s teams offer advice and services to individual, corporate and institutional customers in three core businesses:

1. Retail banking in France with the Société Générale branch network, Credit du Nord and Boursorama, offering a comprehensive range of multichannel financial services on the leading edge of digital innovation;

2. International retail banking, financial services and insurance with a presence in emerging economies and leading specialized businessesp;

3. Corporate and investment banking, private banking, asset management and securities services, with recognized expertise, top international rankings and integrated solutions.

As a social responsible company, Société Générale supports culture – classical music and contemporary arts, and sports – rugby (for more than 25 years), golf and disabled sports. As a part of the group, Mobiasbanca supports the classical music at a local level and has a longterm partnership with the Rugby Federation of Moldova and with the Special Olympics Moldova.

Mobiasbanca is a universal commercial bank, serving over 106,000 active clients in the corporate, SME and retail sectors through a network of 56 branches.