mBank Crisis Command was established in February 2020 as a part of the business continuity management process. According to the mBank S.A. Business Continuity Management Policy, mBank Crisis Command is comprised of key employees responsible for on-going operation of the bank (including IT, Administration, HR, PR), headed by the Vice-President of the Management Board, Head of Operations and IT.
mBank Crisis Command has been meeting on a daily basis at the early stage of the pandemic and currently it meets weekly. Still, it is monitoring key indicators daily, including the number of employees working remotely as well as liquidity ratios. These indicators provide an operational overview and highlight areas for decision. mBank Crisis Command consulted a professor of epidemiology in its decision-making process.
mBank Crisis Command works to mitigate the impact of the pandemic on the bank, protect employees and clients (including by mitigating the risk of infection), and secure all processes ensuring that the bank operates and provides services under any conditions. This is a top priority, especially for a financial institution, which is an essential component of the economic system.
mBank Crisis Command decides about:
- the bank’s work model (at this time, mainly remote work for the bank’s head office);
- preparation and updates of necessary processes and procedures (in particular critical processes which underpin the bank’s business continuity);
- protective equipment for the personnel (in particular, employees at branches and persons who cannot work remotely);
- adjustment of the infrastructure, buildings and branches to the current conditions.
mBank Crisis Command compiles and analyses all information concerning the impact of the pandemic and related restrictions on the bank and its clients. The subsidiaries of mBank Group run their separate crisis command centres. The Group co-ordinates its activities and its members exchange experience and good practices.
To protect data of the bank’s clients, we instructed our employees in the principles of remote work. We recommend that employees only work from home. They are allowed to use the bank’s secured network only. It is forbidden to process clients’ data beyond what is necessary for business purposes. The bank’s security services continuously monitor the equipment and communication channels used by our employees.
Due to imposed restrictions, all investor and analysts meetings moved online. Quarterly results events were held remotely starting in Q1 2020. The bank’s other investor meetings also took place via communication platforms and conference calls.