Fortis closed its books in 2006 with a €4.35bn net profit, ahead of its implicit 2009 target of €3.9bn, and gave its shareholders a 22% return on their investments.
Such good results always encourage bigger plans for the future. Fortis’s strategy for the next year involves stronger investments in the consumer finance operations and the creation of a European platform for consumer loans and credit cards.
“Fortis is delighted to be named Bank of the Year in Belgium for the fifth time in six years,” says Jean-Paul Votron, CEO at Fortis. “We recognise the importance of having a strong domestic platform across all of our Benelux home markets because this allows us to leverage the local opportunity but also provides us with a solid base for international expansion.
“In the past year, we reorganised our branch network in Belgium to become even closer to our customers. At the same time, we refined our customer segmentation, resulting in a tailored service offering for our customers. A more sales-focused organisation has led to improved customer satisfaction levels and more development opportunities for our staff. This award is a valuable endorsement for our strategy.”
