BAWAG Group AG: Best Banking Group Governance DACH 2020

With a legacy that stretches back to 1883, BAWAG’s banking operations are rooted in a bedrock of expertise and ethics. The bank is one of Austria’s most respected brands, with a deserved reputation for customer-centricity, operational excellence and a strong capital position. BAWAG Group is a Vienna-based financial services holding company with subsidiaries in Austria, Germany and Switzerland; the principle of these, BAWAG PSK, serves 2.5m customers. Other subsidiaries offer a range of financial services, including insurance, investment and credit solutions. BAWAG measures business success not only by the balance sheet, but also by its commitment to corporate social responsibility (CSR). In 2019, its employees completed nearly 20,000 training days and the group introduced three advanced development programmes. It also organised 170 free educational events to increase consumers’ financial literacy. BAWAG has increased sustainable investment four-fold, raised €200,000 for social projects and set CSR milestones in product implementation processes which target ecological and social criteria. The group upped its green energy consumption figure to 97 percent and its proportion of female managers to 34 percent. BAWAG has cultivated a corporate culture of respect and dedication, embracing technology to simplify finances, enhance customer experience, increase efficiency, and trim costs. The bank is driving expansion efforts with the launch of digital initiatives, such as e-banking and point-of-sale consumer links, and welcomes strategically selected partners and acquisitions. The CFI.co judging panel congratulates the group on a record year, with profits up by six percent at €604m, and declares BAWAG Group AG as the winner of the 2020 award for Best Banking Group Governance (DACH).