National Bank of Greece: Best Corporate Governance Greece 2017
National Bank of Greece (NBG) is a global financial services provider established back in 1841, with a 176-years history. NBG leads one of the largest Greek financial groups, with international presence including activities in Southeastern Europe and elsewhere. With a branch network covering entire Greece and subsidiaries in Greece and abroad, NBG has a global presence and offers a broad range of financial products and services.
NBG is justifiably proud of its corporate governance record. Attaching great importance to transparency of both its operations and plans, NBG has established an approach that ensures enduring success. Throughout the years, NBG has consistently rose to challenges and proved the inestimable value of solid corporate governance.
NBG Group has sound and efficient corporate governance arrangements incorporating international best practices, and centered around ensuring transparency, probity and focus on sustainable success over the longer term. A set of rules and procedures are followed, like the Corporate Governance Code and a number of Charters and Policies, incorporating Directive 2013/36/EU (CRD IV) and principles and best practices the Group applies, like Basel Committee on Banking Supervision Corporate governance principles for banks and the G20/OECD Principles of Corporate Governance.
NBG corporate governance arrangements are mirrored, inter alia, in the pioneering process the Bank followed during 2016 by publicly advertising positions both in Greece and abroad seeking candidates at the level of its Board of Directors thus enforcing an open and transparent recruitment process. Further indicative actions in applying best practices include annual evaluations of the Board of Directors and its Committees including collective performance and evaluation of performance of individual Board members and their contribution to the efficient operation of the BoD.
Further, NBG has been traditionally oriented towards contributing to society and the economy and accordingly it has taken a number of initiatives, while it has in place certain measures enhancing its Socially Responsible role and its contribution. In this context, NBG, among others, participates in a number of Associations, Unions, Organizations and Indices, it supports initiatives towards sustainable development, offers products and services targeted to the protection of the environment, proceeds in donations, while it has received a number of awards for its Corporate Social Responsibility depicting a wider acknowledgement of the Bank’s initiatives in this respect.
The CFI.co judging panel has followed NBG for a number of years. The judges agree that National Bank of Greece again merits recognition for its dedication to excellence in governance. NBG is hereby declared winner of the 2017 Best Corporate Governance Greece Award.