The PKO Bank Polski SA Group – historical background

The PKO Bank Polski SA Group strengthens its position as the leader of Polish banking, offering services to retail as well as institutional customers for 96 years.

The PKO Bank Polski SA Group – historical background

1919-19381. Pocztowa Kasa Oszczędności was established through a decree signed by the Head of the country Józef Piłsudski, prime minister Ignacy Paderewski and Hubert Linde – founder and the first president.
2. Pocztowa Kasa Oszczędności vested with legal personality as a state institution, operating under the supervision and with guarantee of the State.
3. First local branch of Pocztowa Kasa Oszczędności was founded in Poznań.
4. Pocztowa Kasa Oszczędności started to run School Savings Unions (Szkolne Kasy Oszczędności).
5. With the initiative of Pocztowa Kasa Oszczędności, Treasury Ministry has decided to set up Bank Polska Kasa Opieki (today Pekao SA) as
a public company to facilitate the Polish Diaspora the transfer of Polish foreign currencies to the country.
6. Pocztowa Kasa Oszczędności strongly contributed to the development of non-cash transactions - every other larger industrial plant and any large company had a cheque account in Pocztowa Kasa Oszczędności, and cheque turnover in Poland was half as much greater than the cash.
1939-1945   Years of war were time of huge losses and standstill in the activity of Pocztowa Kasa Oszczędności
1949-19881. Pocztowa Kasa Oszczędności transformed into Powszechna Kasa Oszczędności.
2. Banking Act introduced privilege of saving deposits held in Powszechna Kasa Oszczędności, they were covered by the State guarantee.
3. Powszechna Kasa Oszczędności introduced a modern product: current account.
4. Powszechna Kasa Oszczędności merged into the structures of the National Bank of Poland (NBP); yet retains its identity (1975).
5. Powszechna Kasa Oszczędności was separated from the National Bank of Poland (1988).
1991-20001. The Memorandum of Association granted to Bank by the Council of Ministers included a modified name of Powszechna Kasa Oszczędności - Bank Państwowy (a state bank);
PKO Bank Polski SA in the short form. The first Supervisory Board of PKO Bank Polski SA was appointed.
2. The Bank became a sole shareholder of Inbudex Sp. z o.o. (currently Qualia Development Sp. z o.o.) a development company, which implements, through its subsidiaries, specific projects.
3. The first Internet information portal of the Bank and the first e-PKO Internet branch were launched.
4. PKO Towarzystwo Funduszy Inwestycyjnych SA (PKO TFI SA), established by PKO Bank Polski SA and Credit Suisse Asset Management Holding Europe (Luxembourg) SA, started operations. Since 2009 the Bank is the sole shareholder of the Company.
5. PKO BANK POLSKI SA and Bank Handlowy w Warszawie SA established PKO BP BANKOWY Powszechne Towarzystwo Emerytalne SA. Since 2003 the Bank is the sole shareholder of the Company.
6. Bankowy Fundusz Leasingowy SA (currently PKO Leasing SA) was established. The Company, together with its subsidiary, provides services of operating and financial leases of non-current assets and properties.PKO BANK POLSKI SA and Bank Śląski SA established Centrum Elektronicznych
of operating and financial leases of non-current assets and properties.
7. PKO BANK POLSKI SA and Bank Śląski SA established Centrum Elektronicznych Usług Płatniczych eService SA. Since 2001 the Bank held 100% of the Company’s shares.
8. In 2000 the Bank was transformed into a wholly-owned subsidiary of the State Treasury under the name of PKO Bank Polski Spółka Akcyjna.
2002-20091. The Bank took over Inteligo Financial Services SA. The Company provides services ensuring the maintenance and development of IT data transmission systems supporting banking systems, including electronic access to bank accounts (Inteligo account).
2. The Bank purchased 66.65% of KREDOBANK SA shares. The Company is registered and operates in Ukraine. The Bank owns 99.5655% in the Company’s share capital. In 2004 Bank’s flotation took place - at the end of the first day of quotations, shares reached a price of PLN 24.50 per unit against the issue price fixed at PLN 20.50.
3. PKO BP Faktoring SA started operations.
4.  
5. Successful rights issue of 250 000 000 D series shares was conducted within public offering, which resulted in the Bank’s share capital increase from PLN 1 000 000 000 to PLN 1 250 000 000 (2009).
2010-20131. PKO Bank Polski SA (through its subsidiary PKO Finance AB) issued 5-year Eurobonds with value of EUR 800 million and bonds to the American market in the amount of USD 1.0 billion, which became benchmark securities not only for Polish entities but also for issuers in Central and Eastern Europe.
2. The Bank won a prestigious contract for comprehensive services for the Social Insurance Institution (ZUS), making the Bank one of the key players in the transaction banking market.
3. Strategy for the years 2013-2015 ‘PKO Bank Polski. Daily the best’, which assumptions will help to strengthen the position of the Group as a leader in key market segments was approved.
4. PKO Bank Polski SA set a new standard for mobile payments - IKO - the innovative solution for the mobile payments market.
5. PKO Bank Polski SA has signed with EVO Payments International Acquisition GmbH an agreement for twenty-year strategic alliance in the electronic payment market and therefore sold a significant portion of shares in eService Sp. z o.o.
6. PKO Bank Polski SA has implemented the PKO Junior offer - one of the world’s first online banking services for children, which at the same time is a comprehensive financial education programme.
7. PKO Bank Polski SA has signed with Nordea Bank AB an agreement concerning the acquisition of entities: Nordea Bank Polska SA, Nordea Polska Towarzystwo Ubezpieczeń na Życie SA, Nordea Finance Polska SA and the corporate loan portfolio serviced directly by the seller.
 1. PKO Bank Polski SA acquired the shares of Nordea Bank Polska SA, Nordea Polska Towarzystwo Ubezpieczeń na Życie SA and Nordea Finance Polska SA, as well as a portfolio of receivables due to corporate clients. In October there was the legal merger of the banks.
20142. PKO Bank Hipoteczny was established, which will offer long-term mortgage loans to retail customers and will issue mortgage bonds after obtaining permission from the Polish Financial Supervision Authority.
 3. Expansion into foreign markets through actions aimed to establishment the first foreign corporate branch of PKO Bank Polski SA in Frankfurt am Main.
 4. PKO Bank Polski SA joined the initiative ‘Karta Dużej Rodziny’, whose owners may enjoy the PKO Bank Polski SA’s services on preferential terms.
 5. The Bank launched ‘Wirtualny Oddział’ (the Virtual Branch), whose goal is providing opportunities to sell products and operating service without the need of visiting a branch.