Summary of the year

Heavy burdens imposed on the banking sector, such as the tax on certain financial institutions (so called “banking tax”) and the contribution to the Bank Guarantee Fund (BFG), which cannot be recognised as tax deductible expenses, new regulations (e.g. MIFID 2), and unfavourable conditions on the capital market hampered growth in net profit. Provisions for legal risk associated with FX mortgage loans also affected the results of some banks (including mBank). In addition, high capital buffers and curbs on dividend payment did not help banks reach high profitability ratios.

• We were named the most friendly company in the opinion of consumers, winning a statuette in the “Star of Service Quality” competition, organized by the Polish Service Quality Program. Its mission is to raise the standard of relations with customers by constantly monitoring their level of satisfaction.
• We received two distinctions in the “Złoty Bankier 2019” ranking. The first one, in the “Safe Bank – Best Practices” category for best banking security practices. Experts from Observatorium.biz and SecurRing awarded mBank one of the three main prizes for the high quality of security measures used in our mobile and online banking. Moreover, another award in the “Fin-tech Innovation” category went to mBank and Digital Fingerprints for breakthrough behavioural biometrics.
• In the “Banking Stars” ranking organized by Dziennik Gazeta Prawna and PwC Polska, we were ranked second in the main category “Whole Business”. mBank also won first place in the “Star of Innovation” category, and third place for “Customer Relationship”.
• mBank received a double distinction in the “Trustworthy Brand 2019” survey in the “Bank offering loans and advances to companies” and „Bank offering a corporate account” categories. The purpose of the survey published by the business monthly “My Company Polska” was to determine the level of confidence of Polish entrepreneurs in brands of products and services addressed to business.
• mBank was the winner of a competition organized by Global Finance magazine in the category “World’s Best Corporate/Institutional Digital Banks 2019”. Our online transactional service for corporate clients was recognized as the best not only in Poland, but also in Central and Eastern Europe. During the selection of the winners, the following factors were taken into account: strategy towards digitalization, increase in the number of users of digital services and the number of online banking clients, product offer, as well as the evaluation of the website functionality of the transactional and mobile service.
• In Q4 2019, the magazines Professional Wealth Management and The Banker, published by the Financial Times group, honoured mBank for the best private banking in Poland. mBank’s offer was recognized as the best in Poland thanks to a responsible and mature approach to asset management, which resembles the model often found in Western European countries. Moreover, the bank’s services in the area of wealth management were appreciated, including individual consultancy, asset management, intergenerational planning and comprehensive financing.

• Forbes magazine appreciated mBank in the famous ranking “Banking Innovation of the Year 2019”, during which our pioneering behavioural biometrics pilot program was awarded. The second place on the podium was taken by the “mBank business starter” service, which allows to open a company remotely through the bank, without visiting the public office.
• We won the “Online Communication Leader” award in the Golden Issuer Website competition organised by the Polish Association of Listed Companies. mBank won first place in the category of Large Companies. In the competition, the jury evaluated companies from the WIG20 and mWIG40 indexes for, among others, social media communication and investor presentations.
• The President of mBank, Cezary Stypułkowski, received the prestigious title of “Global Leader of the Banking Sector” during the Banking Technology Forum Congress. The distinction for mBank was awarded, among others, for the implementation of a modern user interface and full online banking according to the latest model, which set the directions on the domestic and European financial market.
• We were honoured in the “Employer Branding Excellence Awards 2019” competition. In the “Internet Campaign” category, mBank won a distinction for the “Modelling Mission” project, which we addressed to students interested in developing in analytical banking as a modeller in the risk area.
• During the meeting Horizons of Banking 2019 mBank won first prize in the category “Innovation” and “Bank for Young”. The second prize was awarded on the basis of questionnaires with the participation of bank customers up to 26 years old, who gave marks for, among others, the services offered or the quality of service.
• In October 2019, we won an honourable place on the podium in the category “Best Employer Brand on LinkedIn” in the first Polish edition of LinkedIn Talent Awards. We were awarded for the image and recruitment activities that we conduct on this portal.
• In the competition for listed companies “The Best Annual Report”, organised by the Institute of Accounting and Taxes, mBank was awarded the “Best of the Best” statuette and received a distinction for the best Statement of Corporate Governance.
• In another edition of the prestigious “Effie Awards Poland” competition, mBank received three silver statuettes – in the “Finances” and “Business to Business” categories for the “Setting up a company with mBank” campaign and in the “Finances” category for the “Yearbook 2000” campaign, in which mBank addressed directly to people entering adulthood in 2018.
• The 9th edition of the “Executive Summit 2019” congress took place in November. During the Final Gala of the Competition, Marketing Director of the Year, Iwona Ryniewicz, Director of the Communication and Marketing Strategy Department, was awarded in the category “Low budget – high impact” for exceptional social effectiveness. The submitted project was the activity of the Foundation for the promotion of mathematics. Rafał Jakubowski, Director of Retail Banking Marketing at mBank in the category “Long Term Marketing Excellence” was also a winner of the competition.
• On 3 December, 2019, the 10th Jubilee Gala of “Eurobuild Awards 2019” was held, during which awards for the best projects, companies and personalities in the commercial real estate market were presented. mBank was ranked among the top three banks in the CEE real estate financing market and was awarded the “Financing Provider of the Year in CEE” statuette in the “Jury Awards” category.
• In this year’s edition of the “Cashless Poland Programme”, mBank took the third place in the category of entities for the largest sale of contracts. The main objectives of the organisation are, among other things, to popularise and promote non-cash trade, actions aimed at expanding and expanding the network of merchants of electronic payment instruments at points of sale and offices, as well as to raise awareness and knowledge of citizens about non-cash trade mechanisms.