History

In January LUKAS Bank starts the refurbishment of its bank branches. The first ones are branches in Warsaw, Poznań, Katowice and Wrocław. The refurbished outlets feature both new external design (furniture, customer service stations) and overall organization of work of advisors. The refurbishment is a part of a larger project aimed at introducing a new model of work in all LUKAS Bank branches in Poland. By the end of the year the bank plans to refurbish all branches.

For the first time in the Bank’s history its offering features structured products. Up to 10% of annual profit is promised by Lukas Bank from its new guaranteed capital investment product launched in March. The condition for generating such profit is a stable, within a specific bracket, EUR/PLN exchange rate over the period of 2 years.

In April the bank launches services to corporate clientele.

In May LUKAS Bank promotes its cash loan by clearly communicating the associated costs. The Bank asserts that every Customer can easily calculate the costs of a loan. The offer is supported by a TV commercial.

On 23 September, LUKAS Bank S.A. changed its name to Credit Agricole Bank Polska Spółka Akcyjna and launched the Crédit Agricole brand for retail banking in Poland. The change of our name emphasises the fact that for 10 years we have been part of Crédit Agricole, one of the largest financial groups in the world. All our efforts are designed to make our bank even more credible, accessible, professional and friendly towards Customers.

On 23 September 2011, the international brand Crédit Agricole replaced Lukas Bank and soon afterwards the "Prosto i z sensem" (simply and reasonably) slogan replaced the previously used "Tak powinno być w każdym banku" (This is what it should be like at any bank).

"Prosto i z sensem" corresponds to "Le bon sens a de l'avenir", which, translated literally, means "common sense has a future". Both versions of our motto reflect Crédit Agricole's conviction that, despite widespread opinion to the contrary, it is possible to like a bank, and the offering of a financial institution can be simple and easy to understand.
The new slogan made its debut in the image-building campaign of Credit Agricole Bank Polska launched on 18 October. Juliette Binoche, an outstanding French actress, an Oscar, César, and Golden Palm prize winner, known from such films as Krzysztof Kieslowski's Three Colours: Blue, The English Patient, or Chocolat, was the face of the campaign.
The commercial showed the bank in the context of the likes and dislikes of financial institution customers. The light-in-style film collage illustrated the motto of Credit Agricole Bank Polska, "Prosto i z sensem", in a very simple but at the same time very attractive way.

In November, Credit Agricole Bank Polska launched its Discount Club for those customers that want to use their payment cards even more effectively and save money at the same time. Under the program customers can get discounts at the moment of making a card payment; discounts are applied right at the till. An innovative feature of the program offered by Credit Agricole is the possibility for customers to enjoy not only discounts offered in partner stores on a regular basis, all year round, but also extra discounts. The Club's partners comprise both large nationwide companies and small local businesses, which is another distinctive feature of the bank's offering.

At the end of the year we revamped our credit card portfolio. The most important of the changes made was the structuring of the offering in line with the retail customers segmentation. The aim of the change was to tailor the offering to meet, to a larger extent than previously, the needs of card holders and to make the products offered more distinct. In the Standard segment the bank launched a Credit Agricole Visa Standard card replacing the Maxima PLUS card. The Silver segment is represented by Credit Agricole Visa Silver and Credit Agricole MasterCard Silver cards, the latter replacing the MasterCard FURORA card. The Gold segment cards offered include Credit Agricole Visa Gold and Credit Agricole MasterCard Gold.

In February, the offering of personal accounts changes.

In March LUKAS Bank offers to its bank account customers a car loan, a mortgage loan and a cash loan without any origination fee, free current account and standing orders as well as higher interest rates on saving accounts and term deposits. The offer is also advertised on TV and on the Internet.

The Bank initiates CSR activities - it co-organizes the actions: "Get your bike to work. Let your car rest for a week" and "Saving Paper Saves Hedgehogs".

In June and July LUKAS Bank conducts the fist universal bank campaign-the Bank changes the service model for individual customers. Advisors do not wait for customers in bank branches but actively call them and invite to meetings. Apart from building relationships with customers, which was the key objective of the campaign, the advisors sold altogether 98 thousands products.

In June the layout of the bank website changes. New functionalities, such as a search tool and useful clipboard, are added. In July the Bank launches Lokata Poranna ("morning term deposit") with daily capitalization of interest, and in August it provides its customers with individual credit line facility for accounts.

After the first half of 2010 LUKAS Bank holds 966 thousand personal accounts and 51 thousand business accounts.

In November we have launched cooperation with the Wrocław University of Economics. On the 9th of November Romuald Szeliga shared his banking knowledge and experience with the students. The meeting was organised under the Business Education Forum programme, designed to bring together the experience of business people and the theoretical knowledge of academics. Until the end of the year another 3 lectures of our experts will be held at the University.

LUKAS Bank promotes a consolidation loan. The Bank organizes other promotions of FURORA credit card supported by advertising campaigns, for instance offering to customers a 6 percent refund in building and interior design shops in the spring and in sport shops in the summer.

In September the Bank implements a new sales structure. Credit centers are transformed into bank branches that provide comprehensive product offering.

At the end of the year, LUKAS Bank operates through the network of 444 points of sales. The Bank holds 935 thousand personal accounts and over 50 thousand business accounts. The Bank issued 1.37 million credit cards.

LUKAS Bank has launched a credit card-based FURORA loyalty programme. For the payments made with the FURORA card the customer gets a refund of a part of the amount spent on shopping. LUKAS Bank provides its customers with an option to receive statements via email. The Bank has been also developing its sales network, with 229 bank branches and 154 credit centres at the end of 2008. The Bank opened the first fully franchised credit centre.

Further intensive developement of banks sales network at the end of the year LUKAS Bank has over 330 branches. LUKAS Bank exceeded the number of one million issued credit cards thus assumed the leader position among credit card issuers in Poland.

Fast developement of LUKAS Banks sales network. Number of credit centers. LUKAS Bank presented also first mobile bank branch in Poland - LUKASmobil.

In September 2005 the business of LUKAS SA was transferred to LUKAS Bank SA by way of an in-kind contribution. Consequent to this operation, business activities pursued to date by LUKAS were transferred to LUKAS Bank, which now pursues its activities in two business lines: retail banking and consumer finance.

Taking advantage of the growth potential of the Polish financial services market, LUKAS Bank extensively develops its line of retail banking, also aimed at the SME sector. LUKAS SA reinforces its position as the consumer finance leader and constantly expands its offering of cash loans, car loans, and credit cards - so as to provide the customers with a comprehensive range of financial services.

On 6 February 2001, the shareholders of LUKAS SA sign an agreement with a new investor - Crédit Agricole. Consequently, one of the world"s biggest financial groups becomes a shareholder of the Bank. The Bank"s name changes to LUKAS Bank SA and its head office is transferred to Wrocław.

Intensive bank development. The Bank creates a Poland-wide network of bank outlets and launches its customer service over the phone and the Internet. The Bank starts co-operation with the biggest commercial chains in Poland in the provision of credit facilities to customers.

On 17 March 1998 the General Meeting of Shareholders of Bank Świętokrzyski adopts a resolution on the increase of its share capital by an issue of shares to be allotted to a strategic investor - LUKAS SA. Consequently, LUKAS SA, a leader in the consumer finance market - becomes one of the Bank"s shareholders. In August the Bank changes its name to LUKAS Bank Świętokrzyski SA.

The instalment loan service is transferred from a trading company LUKAS Sp. z o.o. to a special purpose company S.L. The Company"s service is called the LUKAS Instalment System.

Bank Świętokrzyski SA starts its operating activity. During the first years of its existence, the Bank is a universal financial institution. In May, LUKAS Sp. z o.o. opens a new department dealing with instalment loans in Wrocław. Soon other branches appear across Poland.

Bank Świętokrzyski is established by virtue of Decision No. 66 of the President of the National Bank of Poland issued in consultation with the Minister of Finance. In the same year a trading company LUKAS sp. z o.o. (Polish limited liability company) is established.