2015 ANNUAL REPORT
TÜRK EKONOMİ BANKASI’S PERFORMANCE IN 2015
Presented below is a summary of TEB’s shares of the banking industry’s basic indicators as of 31 December 2014 and 31 December 2015 together with information about changes in those shares. Looking at the highlights of the Bank’s performance in 2015 as compared with that of 2014 we see that:
(TL million) |
31.12.2015 |
||
|---|---|---|---|
TEB |
Sector |
TEB’S Share (%) |
|
Total Assets |
71,960 |
2,357,453 |
3.05 |
Total Loans |
53,213 |
1,522,173 |
3.50 |
Total Deposits |
44,396 |
1,325,480 |
3.35 |
Number of Branches |
532 |
12,269 |
4.34 |
Number of Personnel |
9,927 |
217,504 |
4.56 |
Source: Sectoral figures taken from BRSA’s December 2015 monthly bulletin
Corporate Banking
Retail Banking
Environmental and Corporate Sustainability Category - Ruban D’Honneur Special Award
Direct Marketing Category - Best Use of Social Audience
Digital-Micro Site Category - Success Award
Campaign - Service Category - Silver Award
Customer-Focused Product and Service Category - Customer Experience Excellence Award
Web Site and Micro Sites Category - Silver Award
Social Media Category - Silver Award
Social Media Category - Bronze Award
Education Category - Golden Spider Award
Social Responsibility Category - Best 2nd Web Site
Education Category - Excellence Standard Award
Financial Services Category - Excellence Standard Award
Game Category - Excellence Standard Award
Banking Category - Excellence Standard Award
Financial Services Category - Excellence Standard Award
Banking Category - Excellence Standard Award
Banking Category - Distinguished Web Site Award
Financial Services Category - Distinguished Web Site Award
Web Site- Financial Services Category - Silver Award
Website Features - Visual Appeal Category - Silver Award
Best Call Center Category -Silver Award
Best Call Center Team Category - Bronze Award
Best Call Center Category (BCCC) - Silver Award
Best Rating System Category (EMEA) - Golden Award
Private Banking
Borsa İstanbul The Angel Investment Network with Most Investment of the Year Award
SME Banking
Corporate Communications
Banking Category - Crystal Apple Award
Corporate Image Category - Silver Apple Award
Human Resources
Banking Operations and Support Services
Capital Market Instruments Services
TEB provides major domestic and international firms, corporate groups, and holding companies whose annual turnovers amount to at least TRY 50 million with products and services together with added-value-creating solutions that reflect both its own extensive product and service options and capabilities as a financial institution as well as those of its strategic partner, BNP Paribas.
In the corporate banking business line TEB serves customers in the areas of:
TEB provides its corporate banking customers with superior made-to-order service through 15 corporate branches (7 in İstanbul alone), expert-staffed Foreign Trade Centers, and a team specialized in dealing with the unique needs of multinational firms. TEB supports these services with the synergies arising from its own group companies and its partnership with BNP Paribas in 75 countries.
In 2015 TEB once again further strengthened the solid and trusted reputation it enjoys in the corporate banking business line while maintaining the highest level of customer satisfaction by addressing its customers’ particular needs in the constantly changing and intensively competitive environment that is characteristic of financial markets.
TEB strives to be “the first bank that comes to mind of customers” whenever a customer is in need of any product or service in the corporate banking business line.
A differentiated and specialized bank in foreign trade
Foreign trade is a business line to which TEB has been giving special attention since the 1980s. Benefiting also from the global service network of its strategic partner BNP Paribas, TEB enjoys an international reputation as a distinguished specialist in foreign trade finance.
In foreign trade finance BNP Paribas ranks first in Europe and third in the world. BNP Paribas’s operations in 75 countries and Trade Centers active at 99 locations in 64 countries significantly contribute to TEB’s competitive edge in the foreign trade finance business line.
TEB also has correspondent relationships with more than 1,500 banks located all over the world and it is constantly seeking to expand this network in line with customers’ needs. In Boosting its market shares in a number of markets in 2015, TEB also developed products capable of addressing a variety of foreign trade finance needs. In this context, products such as long-term investment loans (ECA-Export Credit Agencies) intended for areas such as foreign trade risks and insurance of export risks by international organizations were offered.
As a well-established expert in foreign trade finance, TEB can also provide specialized operational solutions such as foreign trade legal framework consultancy and preparing letter of credit documentation.
Cost-effective fund transfers
Whenever customers with investments in different countries need to transfer funds internationally, TEB is at their side with an extensive network of correspondent banks that make it easy to effect transfers in 135 different currency units to more than 180 countries. For customers who need to transfer euros or US dollars domestically, TEB offers same-day value-date solutions that are also very cost-effective.
TEB handles Chinese yuan (renminbi) transactions for its customers.
Under an agreement between TEB and Bank of China, TEB is authorized to process renminbi (RMB) denominated foreign trade transactions for its customers. This means that TEB customers can transfer funds to RMB accounts in China and other countries, pay for their imports in yuan, and have letters of credit issued in yuan. TEB is also the first bank in Turkey to issue yuan-denominated export letters of credit and letters of guarantee.
TEB also processes on-shore and off-shore RMB payments through Bank of China Ltd Beijing and Bank of China (Hong Kong).
115% of our syndicated loan was renewed.
A one-year syndicated loan which TEB had obtained to support foreign trade finance and whose term expired in August 2015 was renewed at the rate of 115%.
This loan was renewed at Libor/Euribor + 0.65% for 364-day tranches and at Libor/Euribor + 0.75% for 367-day tranches , thus making it one of the lowest-cost sources of funding for which an agreement was signed in the Turkish banking industry in 2015. Thirty-three banks took part in the syndication, underwriting a two-component (EUR & USD) loan totaling EUR 544 million. The 115% renewal once again confirmed the strong reputation that TEB enjoys in international markets.
EUR 50 million loan from the EBRD (European Bank for Reconstruction and Development) to support Women SMEs in Turkey
Within the scope of Finance and Consultancy Support Program for Women's Businesses funded by TEB, the European Union, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the Republic of Turkey, TEB obtained EUR 50 million of resources from the EBRD to provide loans to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) managed by women in Turkey. The loan agreement was signed on 22 April 2015.
TEB Trade Centers
Providing both foreign trade finance and foreign trade consultancy products and services, TEB’s Trade Center network is the first of its kind in the Turkish banking industry. TEB Trade Centers are located in five cities (Adana, Ankara, Bursa, İstanbul, and İzmir) which together account for some 70% of Turkey’s total foreign trade.
Thanks to TEB’s and BNP Paribas’s foreign trade finance expertise and extensive correspondent networks, TEB Trade Centers are places where foreign trade finance models can be exactly tailored according to a customer’s needs. These centers are also linked up with the international network of BNP Paribas Trade Centers in more than 100 localities in more than 60 countries around the world, thereby enabling them to quickly come up with appropriate and competitively-priced solutions.
Strongly positioned in export finance
TEB is one of Turkey’s most prominent and experienced banks in the foreign trade finance business line. The Bank’s strong position in export finance is attested to by sectoral data. According to December 2015 figures published by BRSA, the Turkish banking industry’s export-finance lending accounted for about 6% of total loans when retail credit is excluded. In TEB’s case, about 14% of the bank’s performing loans excluding retail segment lendings were used to finance exports.
TEB is ranked 5th in the sector in terms of its total volume of export credits. While TEB's share in Turkey's total foreign trade stood at 6.8% in 2015, the Bank mediated in 10% of the guarantees provided to Turkey from outside the country and mediated in 9% of export letters of credit.
The staffing of every TEB Trade Center includes a team whose members have expertise in structured trade and commodity finance. This team devises financing solutions that are specifically fashioned according to the goods involved and customer cash flows. In this way, firms can be offered made-to-order products that go beyond the sector’s conventional financing methods.
Traditionally strong in hazelnut and tobacco export financing, TEB is also adept at coming up with financing solutions for other export commodities such as grain, edible oils, synthetic lubricants, synthetic rubber, plastic raw materials, chemicals, fruit concentrates, and mineral ores such as iron, copper, and chromium. Supported by experts, TEB customers’ financing needs in both domestic and international markets can be precisely addressed at every stage from initial procurement to final collection.
Having completed the legal infrastructure, TEB commenced its licensed warehouse operations in early 2013. Concurrently with this, TEB introduced yet another innovative product to the Turkish banking industry by becoming the first bank in the country to own a licensed warehouse and to offer structured commodity financing credit whose collateral is the goods that are being held in it.
One of the solutions offered to exporters within the scope of rediscount credit opportunities intended for exports, which the Central Bank of Turkey allocates to Turkish exporters, TEB actively plays a role in the market as a bank that provides the highest quantity of this resource after Turk Eximbank.
Awards and evaluations
TEB was handed the "Best Bank for Commodity Finance Turkey" award in the field of structured trade and commodity finance by the Global Banking & Finance Review Magazine in 2015.
The TEB Foreign Trade Centers Department was also ranked 1st in terms of the quality of service and suitable solutions for the needs of customers which are provided by Department specialists in a survey conducted in 2014 which covers the foreign trade needs of large corporations in Turkey, conducted by Greenwich Associates, which carries out surveys in the field of international banking for large corporate companies.
Foreign trade training
TEB provides its customers with specialized consultancy services related to their foreign trade and investment activities. In addition, TEB also works with sectoral and regional exporters’ associations, chambers of commerce and industry, organized industrial zone directorates, and similar organizations to provide practical foreign trade training and seminars on foreign trade issues that are designed to meet the particular needs of firms in different parts of the country.
BPO (Bank Payment Obligation)
The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC ) issued international rules of a new trade finance solution in April 2013 considering the fact that more than 70% of world trade is realized as a running account and the shares of the letter of credit had fallen below 12%. This method, designed to facilitate running account trade and to combine the speed of running account payment method with the security of letter of credit, is called a BPO.
In Turkey, nearly 75% of whose exports are conducted through running accounts, concerns about collection risk have been driving a search for solutions to better manage it.
Keeping a close watch on this process, TEB began exploring the BPO option itself in 2013. Holding a series of seminars through which it provided customers with information about this new settlement solution while simultaneously completing the infrastructure required by it in 2014, the bank carried out its first BPO transactions in the last two months of the year.
As one of only two banks in Turkey with the ability to offer its customers this newest and most sophisticated payment solution, TEB’s introduction of BPO makes it the 16th bank in the world to do so and the 5th in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.
In 2015, foreign supplies of importer customers continued to be carried out by TEB. Also, BPO transactions that include funding for the importing party were carried out for the first time in the world by TEB.
Employing an experienced team of foreign trade specialists, TEB will continue to keep its customers supplied with the most up-to-date foreign trade finance and risk management products and services in the future as well.
TEB Cash Management continued to develop innovative customer-focused products and services.
TEB was again granted in 2015 the “Turkey Domestic Cash Management Bank of the Year” award by Asian Banking & Finance, a magazine that conducts one of the most prestigious international awards programs for retail financial services. TEB received this award based on the opinions of judges from four of the world’s top international consultancies: KPMG, Deloitte Consulting, and Ernst & Young Advisory.
TEB also supports the e-Government transformation process. In addition to being a private integrator of “e-Billing”, TEB is also a private integrator of “e-Archive”. TEB began to offer to its customers new and different financial services such as payment, collections and credit facilities integrated with e-government solutions.
Cash management services and solutions for multinationals
TEB also develops international cash management solutions working in partnership with BNP Paribas. In 2015 TEB supplied BNP Paribas’s global customers with many specially-designed products and solutions allowing them to achieve greater efficiency and control in the conduct of national and international payment and collection processes related to their existing or planned operations in Turkey.
TEB will continue to supply multinational customers who need to employ a single global solution for operations that may be scattered all over the world with products and services that are fully integrated into BNP Paribas’s global cash management system.
TEB Multinationals Desk
As the first bank in Turkey to set up a Multinationals Desk back in 2006, TEB understands such firms very well. The bank distinguishes itself through service competencies that address multinationals’ unique needs.
Calling upon the resources of its own extensive network of domestic branches in Turkey as well as those of BNP Paribas’s 188 thousand employees, 23 million customers, more than 7 thousand branches, and 99 trade centers all located in 75 countries, TEB provides multinationals as well as Turkish firms with international operations with advantages and convenience in keeping with BNP Paribas’s “One Bank for Corporates in Europe and Beyond” slogan.
Through the Multinationals Desk of its corporate banking division, TEB seeks to be the main bank with which multinationals with operations in Turkey prefer to work.
Cross selling and synergy
In line with corporate strategies, TEB’s Cross-Selling and Business Development activities continue to offer customer specific innovative and creative products and services. The Bank also serves as a connection point in relations between Corporate Banking customers, the Bank’s subsidiaries and the Bank’s other business lines.
The Cross Selling Culture involves offering different products from a single point to the Bank's corporate customers in a more practical manner. This approach also aims to mobilize relevant parties and provide services rapidly for use by determining the Bank’s customers’ different needs from a single point.
The needs of the Bank's corporate customers who have international operations are met by taking advantage of strong international network of BNP Paribas. These needs are as follows;
Additionally, other areas of synergy between TEB and BNP Paribas include providing consultancy and project finance facilities aimed at international procurements and mediating in international bond issues and public offerings.
In accordance with the operational areas of TEB's customers and TEB's local and international product variety, cross selling, business development and synergic activities are carried out in the areas of Agricultural Banking, Consumer Finance, Housing Finance Projects, Payment Systems with Card& POS Services, Solutions towards Dealers, Project Finance, Debt Instruments, Corporate Finance, Infrastructure Project Financing, Salary Agreements.
Cross selling activities are not limited to TEB business lines and BNP Paribas international products and services; they also come to the forefront with TEB’s affiliates and group companies that are leaders in their sectors:
The main focus of cross selling and synergic activities for 2016 is to continue providing all kinds of innovative and customer specific products and services for the long term financial transactions of TEB Corporate Banking customers, without being limited to just financing.
Competitive advantages in the SME banking business line
TEB, which started its SME Banking activities in 2005, continues to provide various solutions through its products and services in accordance with customer segments on topics such as growth and competitiveness, which are the most challenging areas facing SMEs. The Bank also continues enhance its "consultants banking" approach every year.
Differentiating its services in the SME Banking area for customers of business, Agriculture and Women’s Banking, TEB’s activities continued to focus on the need for information, education and experience support pertaining to management of financial resources and non-financial topics, which are among the problems that all customers (not only SME customers) have encountered.
Structural support for SMEs’ developmental efforts
The TEB SME Banking Group seeks to support SMEs’ efforts by standing beside them with its innovative products and services at every stage of their growth and development. In 2015 the group successfully continued its operations by introducing new products and services and making them accessible to an even broader customer audience.
According to the December 2015 report published by BRSA, the total volume of credit extended by the Turkish banking industry to SMEs grew by 16.8% in the previous twelve months, whereas TEB’s lending to this segment was up by 17.0%. According to the same report, TEB controlled 6.15% and 8.01% shares respectively of the SME segment cash and non-cash credit markets, grew its agricultural loans 43% outpacing the sectoral average, and continued to dominate the sector in gold-based lending. TEB’s lending to the SME market increased above sectoral averages in terms both of the number of placements and of their total volume.
Communication campaigns conducted throughout the year focused on addressing TEB customers’ cash needs on terms favorable to them.
Within the scope of campaigns, around TL 1 billion of commercial loans have been disbursed to SME and business customers with terms of up to 36 months at a reasonable cost.
Transferring knowledge and experience to banks in other developing countries
The SME Banking Group strengthened its unique position with the successful products and services that it offers in the international arena in 2015.In 2012, the TEB SME Banking Group was announced as being one of the best three banks worldwide in the field of “Provision of Non-Financial Services to SMEs” by International Finance Corporation (IFC) and became a member of Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) in2014. The bank continued to transfer its experiences in the international arena also 2015. TEB participated as an invited speaker in conferences which were held in various countries such as Brazil, the USA, Indonesia, Jordan, Colombia and Malaysia. TEB transferred its knowledge on SME Banking to banks in emerging countries such as Nigeria, Pakistan and Peru. Additionally, the Bank was invited as a speaker at the SME Finance Forum held as part of the G20 summit in Antalya, where it shared its knowledge and experience with SMEs about the services that the Bank provides within the framework of the consulting banking approach.
Hosting the European Financial Management Association Board of Directors Meeting
TEB hosted the "Banking Advisory Committee” meeting organized for the first time in March by the European Financial Management Association (EFMA), one of the most important institutions in the European Union finance and banking sector. In the meeting, information about the products and services under TEB SME Banking were transferred to the banks which make up the advisory board of the EFMA.
Membership of the Global SME Finance Forum
TEB participated in the Global SME Finance Forum, which aims to increase small and medium-sized enterprises’ access to finance, as a member under the initiative of International Finance Corporation (IFC) that is one of the World Bank Group institutions, and contributed globally to the development of SMEs.
The Global SME Finance Forum was launched within the framework of the G20 summit in Antalya in 2015. The Global SME Finance Forum is a platform in which institutions such as banks, finance institutions, development institutions and technology companies can join. The Forum currently has more than 60 members worldwide. TEB SME Banking is one of the founding members of this platform with more than 10 years’ experience.
Cooperation with Credit Guarantee Fund (CGF)
Micro-enterprises operating in certain areas could benefit from CGF support more easily and access to financial support more rapidly through the micro loans to micro SMEs project carried out by CGF and TEB with the portfolio guarantee system. Moreover, the scope of Treasury backed surety was extended with the renewed CGF loan backed by the Treasury, the Treasury backed Women’s Initiative SME Investment Banking loan and the Treasury backed Manufacturers SME Investment loan. This simplified access to financing for SMEs.
TEB SME TV
TEB SME TV reached 60,000 daily viewers, with 1,700,000 monthly viewings which included a total of 8,000 news items.
In order to attract more viewers to TEB SME TV, the channel has undergone a restructuring since 2014; news items around the same topic started to be broadcast in thematic channels.
In addition to the “Technological Solutions” channel for SMEs seeking to improve their business efficiency by taking advantage of technological developments, an additional two channels came on air in 2015. The “Women Manager Screen” has the quality of being a business development guide for women bosses, which will support them. A wide range of news and information ranging from business start-up processes to tips to help working women enjoy a good life are featured in this channel, and necessary information is delivered to them. “Women Manager Screen” has attracted interest of viewers and the channel reached more than 2,000 viewers in a very short time such as 3 months.
Secondly, for those professionals aiming for lifelong development in their business and personal life, a “Personal and Career Development Guide” channel was introduced. Thus, a comprehensive range of news items with rich content, including items related to personal development, motivation, sales and marketing, leadership and team management, stress management and the art of negotiation were offered to the channel’s audiences. The channel reached more than 3,000 viewers in the space of just 2 months.
As a world first, in cooperation with LinkedIn, content produced exclusively for professionals in business life was shared on the LinkedIn TEB SME page. In addition, in case of request, those following the content can receive training certificates from SME TV. In this way, professionals in business life can be reached and news pools are constantly being enriched and audience expanded.
The TEB SME Academy
The TEB SME Academy has been organized annually since 2005. During these events, TEB comes together with SMEs in the province where the meetings are held, and shares information that will carry small and medium-sized enterprises into the future. The Bank provided information required by SMEs on subjects ranging from information on provinces to global competition in the TEB SME Academies held in Şanlıurfa, Malatya, Tokat, Niğde, Kahramanmaraş, Manisa and Eskişehir in 2015. SMEs were informed and gained greater awareness about strategic management, growth and foreign trade in the workshops carried out after the academy.
SME Consultants
Within the framework of Consultant Banking approach, TEB provides training to customer representatives who are constantly in contact with customers on the issues of production management, marketing activities, foreign trade, reorganization and management of human resources. TEB provides TEB SME consultancy services which are a special education program to analyze customers.
These training programs, certified by the TOBB Economy and Technology University, consist of segment-based training sessions such as SME Consulting, Business Guides and Agricultural Experts. In addition, customer representatives, who were trained on SME Consulting, offer more comprehensive services in accordance with the requirements by receiving additional training in the fields of Domestic Marketing and Sales, Overseas Sales and Marketing, Production Management and Financial Management.
The mission to be a Bank of the Future
TEB follows closely the developments in the world of communication as well as the financial world.
TEB fulfils the requirements of dynamic banking through by sharing over social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube and continues to communicate in accordance with current trends. The bank has more than 130,000 followers in the @tebkobi, @teblegirisim and @teblekadin social media accounts.
With its TEB Boss Card, TEB provides the opportunity through an alternative distribution channel to meet the basic loan needs of shopkeepers and small enterprises with a single card. TEB customers can access their full limits in commercial loans which are paid in instalments, seasonal credit, the overdraft account and company credit card over a single card with the TEB Boss Card, and can meet their commercial loan needs with terms of up to 36 months from TEB ATMs and the TEB Corporate Internet branch on a 24/7 basis. Bills, cheques, payment of social security contributions and payments to the HGS (bridge and road tolls) can be paid with the overdraft account linked to the Boss card without needing to go to the branches.
The TEB Boss Card’s company credit card feature allows users to pay for purchases confidently and securely both in Turkey and abroad. The Boss Card also offers a 5% discount on fuel purchases made from contracted Total fuel stations, while special bonus and discount campaigns are offered for restaurants, cinema and theatre tickets. In addition, the Card also provides a 50% discount for parking in contracted airport car parks, and free airport lounge access in contracted airport terminals.
While businesses can take advantage of banking products and services with the TEB Business Expense Packages, they also have the opportunity to follow the expenses that they should pay in a planned manner. Customers may also inform the bank about issues related to daily banking transactions by sending SMS text messages and/or e-mail with the Practical Messenger product, therefore allowing them to follow up such issues comfortably.
30% increase in gold credit customers
TEB’s vision in the gold banking business line is to be a benchmark bank that creates value for its customers. Steadily increasing the value that it generates for customers all over the country through its expertise, accessibility, and efficiency, TEB is successfully conducting its efforts to be the leading bank-the bank whose name first comes to mind-in the gold banking business line.
TEB, which has been responding to the short and long term needs of the jewelry industry for 20 years, became one of the most important players in the sector at the end of 2015. The Bank registered 30% increase in the number of gold credited customers.
TEB maintains its close relationship with the jewelry industry by participating in gold and jewelry trade fairs held throughout the country as the main sponsor and supporter.
TEB Gold Banking offers a comprehensive service with a range of products including current/time Gold Deposit Accounts, the Silver Deposit Account, the Drop Gold Account and the Type B Gold Fund, and in 2015, the New Golden Age for individual and corporate customers looking make savings. The New Golden Age account brought gold defined as ‘under the mattress savings’ into the economy through 135 jewelers in 48 provinces.
Working with 350 municipalities and their agencies
Set up to develop and offer specialized banking products and services that address the unique needs of local governments, TEB Public Sector Banking continued to be one of the leading players in this business line in 2015. Through its public sector banking approach, TEB makes it easier for local governments to locate the financing they need and also helps them complete their large-scale investment projects faster and more efficiently. TEB also provides a number of cash management solutions, such as Turkey’s first online and real-time collection service, which makes it possible for people to pay municipal taxes, fees, etc. more quickly and conveniently.
TEB continues to be a consultant bank in the field of Public Banking. The bank shows programs about local government on TEB SME TV with public law specialists. TEB creates solutions for local governments in budget management and similar issues where there is a lack of knowledge, through the TEB SME Academy Public Meetings organized especially for local governments. The topic of financial sustainability in municipalities was examined in the TEB SME Academy Public Meeting organized in Malatya in 2015.
Continued growth for Agricultural Banking in 2015
TEB strengthened its agricultural banking organization with more than 170 agricultural banking portfolio managers, a site card distribution team and specialist head office and regional directorate teams. TEB Agricultural Banking continues to extend resources to support agricultural input finance as well as financing of investment projects for producers of all sizes.
The first "Seed Branches" had been opened in 2014 and which provide specialized services for the agricultural sector, and the openings continued in 2015. In this context, Seed Branches were opened in the boroughs of Hayrabolu (Tekirdağ), Çine (Aydın), Boğazlıyan (Yozgat), Acıpayam (Denizli), Kalkan (Antalya), Zile (Tokat) and Mut (Mersin).
Based on the success of the TEB SME Consultants project and its benefits to customers, it was decided to create a similar program compatible with the particular dynamics and needs of the agricultural sector. The result was the TEB Agricultural Specialists Program, which was launched in 2014. Within the scope of this program, 20 new TEB Agricultural Specialists completed the program during 2015. In total, 40 TEB Agricultural Specialists began providing consultancy services required outside banking products by the companies operating in the agricultural sector. The goal of the TEB Agricultural Specialists Program is to help producers transform themselves into agricultural enterprises.
Having already introduced “TEB Harman Kart” (TEB Harvest Card), a specialized credit card product that comes with advantageous payment terms that can be very useful when farmers procure essential inputs, TEB worked with a number of farmers’ associations and expanded its merchant partner network in order to enhance the card’s usefulness.
Under its “Instant Harvest Card” program, customers who have been assigned a Harvest Card credit limit do not have to wait for the card to arrive in order to start taking advantage of its benefits.
Within the context of subsidizing agricultural investment, TEB granted the loan letter of intent for IPARD backed investments, which are disbursed by the TKDK (Agriculture and Rural Development Support Agency). TEB is one of the pioneering banks in this field.
Financial and non-financial products were promoted through the participation of 16 national and international agricultural fairs in 2015, thus reinforcing relationships with stakeholders in the agricultural sector. A cooperation agreement was signed with AGCO, one of the largest agricultural equipment manufacturers, in 2015.
Continuing to support entrepreneurs in Turkey
Within the scope of enterprise banking established in 2013 by the TEB SME Banking Group, the bank continued to support entrepreneurs in a more comprehensive and effective manner through a range of financial products and services offered to SMEs in 2015.
Implementing a very comprehensive program to support entrepreneurs in Turkey, TEB SME Banking was involved in the announcement of the world's most comprehensive Enterprise Index (Global Enterprise Monitor-GEM) under the leadership of KOSGEB between 2013 and 2014. Index studies started in 2015 are still ongoing.
The Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (Global Entrepreneurship Monitor-GEM) is an academic research study that was started by the Babson College and London Business School in 1997 to investigate the importance of enterprise in the economic growth process. The examination of economic development and growth has traditionally focused on large enterprises. The GEM research study has raised the recognition of enterprise by highlighting the importance of new and small businesses.
It is observed that entrepreneurs have started to care about the use of limited resources, operate on the motivation of need and work to an approach of taking advantage of opportunities in today's conditions.
Strengthening enterprise, the importance of which is gradually growing in the economy, also contributes to economic growth and prosperity.
University students preparing for entrepreneurship at the TEB Enterprise House
Within the scope of Enterprise Banking founded by the TEB SME Banking Group in 2013, TEB continued to support entrepreneurs with financial and non-financial products and services provided to SMEs in a comprehensive and effective manner.
As of the end of December 2015, almost 12,000 entrepreneurs had received 312 training sessions (1,929 training-hours) and 2,428 entrepreneurs had been provided with 3,069 hours of consultancy services.
Supporting exports through TIM (Turkish Exporters Assembly)-TEB Enterprise House
The TIM-TEB Enterprise House is an entrepreneurial training and business development center, which was established to support entrepreneurs with the potential to export and/or projects/products that have the opportunity of expanding internationally. The TIM-TEB Enterprise House that was implemented to reach to entrepreneurs with technological and high value-added projects was established for the first time in Istanbul, Izmir and Gaziantep in January 2015. In July 2015, the TIM-TEB Enterprise House was opened in Pamukkale Technocity in Denizli with the support of Pamukkale Technocity.
In 2015, TEB signed a first in the sector with visions of “The Women's Consultant Bank” and “the bank that most women want to work with” in order to support women bosses and strengthen their presence in business life. In this context, the bank began providing banking services for women by setting up a separate department.
SheWorks was implemented by the IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, in partnership with the EDGE Authorized Foundation, the International Labor Organization and the United Nations Global Cooperation package. SheWorks, working with the sponsorship of leading companies in the private sector throughout the world, aims to increase the number and quality of employment opportunities for more than 300,000 women in the next two years. Collaborating with the IFC in line with its vision of being “the bank that most women want to work with”, TEB joined SheWorks to contribute to the development of working women.
As a result of focus group studies conducted with more than 80 women managers in five different regions in Turkey, TEB - which aims to be “The Women's Consultant Bank” - identified four main problems women face; access to finance, access to information, access to the markets and access to mentoring support.
Customer Experience
In 2015, TEB carried out “Understanding the Customer”, “Measurement”, “Research”, “Communication & Design” activities in order to improve the “TEB Experience”. The main objective of the activities was defined as “to be the most recommended bank” in terms of service quality.
The following developments were included within the scope of the work carried out in 2015.
Bancassurance
TEB provides a wide range of insurance and private pension products and services through:
At the end of December 2015, the sector had recorded 15%* growth in bancassurance life insurance premium production on a YoY basis, whereas TEB had achieved 6.3% growth. In the non-life insurance branch, bancassurance premium production grew by 18.3%*, while TEB achieved a 21.3% rate of growth, outperforming the sector rate.
TEB bancassurance continued to provide services from both TEB branches and alternative distribution channels in 2015 to meet its customers' needs for insurance and individual pension products. Projects were carried out for customers to purchase both products and services during 2015, not only from the branches, but also from alternative distribution channels. Policy purchasing and monitoring through customer interaction center and internet banking is made available. Activities to diversify products sold through these channels will continue.
In addition to insurance products, together with Individual Pension System regulations, communication and marketing campaigns were carried out to inform existing and potential customers of government funding practices, and to help them take advantage of them.
* Taken from sales channel based monthly sector premium production report issued by Turkey Insurance Association.
In compliance with the new legal regulations, TEB is constantly striving to further develop and improve its business processes in order to provide the best insurance and individual pension services to its customers. In line with this objective, the comprehensive projects launched in 2014 and 2015 will be continued in 2016 as well.
The TEB Family Academy
As part of the efforts to enhance financial literacy and access movement, which are being implemented with a vision of providing a better future for millions of families, TEB Family Academy provided 200,000 individuals with free financial literacy training. The training was given by TEB employees on a voluntary basis.
11 million elementary school pupils benefited from financial literacy through arts and music courses in the compulsory curriculum through the “Social and Financial Education Through Art” project implemented by TEB, the Ministry of Education and UNICEF in 2014. Work on the project continued in 2015.
A total of 30,000 children came to watch “The Wind’s Piggy Bank”, the first play staged by the TEB Children's Theatre, which was established as part of the TEB Family Academy in 2014 with the aim of raising awareness of savings and accumulation among children. The play was shown to children free of charge during the Turkey tour in 2015.
A protocol was signed with the Lifelong Learning General Directorate, which is an affiliation of Ministry of Education, for the project, which aims to provide free financial literacy training to 5 million people over 3 years with the objective of educating families without sufficient knowledge of budget management and who have low financial literacy.
Retail segment and loans
TEB stepped up its customer-focused activities in 2015 with a focus on customer experience in the Bank as well as the processes that are the main part of this experience. The actions that will be taken to improve the experience customers have after becoming acquainted with the bank were partly implemented in 2015, and the implementation will continue in 2016.
TEB completed the bulk of its channel developments that support accessibility, as well as improving and speeding up existing processes for personal loans. These improvements, that aim to bring ease employees and customers, also brought important efficiency gains for the bank.
TEB began disbursing loans through non-branch channels with the PTT in 2014 and continued loan disbursements through internet banking in 2015. Customers may use pre-approved credit limits by applying through TEB internet banking and may later complete applications that they had made in the branch on the internet banking platform, and may use their loans on a 24/7 basis.
TEB will continue its non-branch channel development activities in 2016.
Approximately 350,000 Ingenious Accounts
There were approximately 350,000 “Ingenious Accounts”, TEB's main accumulation and savings product, by the end of 2015. The product holds a significant share in the Bank's balance sheet.
TEB offered the "Ingenious Account" product which it has developed as an alternative savings account in a bid to change Turkey's savings habits in 2011.The Ingenious Account aims to raise public awareness of the necessity and the importance of saving, which is a product for those who want to save rather than just manage their daily cash flows. TEB offers preferential interest rates and attractive conditions with its Ingenious Account. The bank also provides opportunities for children and young savers between the ages of 12-25, to help them make use of their spending money and savings at attractive rates with amounts starting from 100 in TL/USD/EUR or GBP terms with the “Ingenious Young Account”, which was implemented in 2015. In addition, the TEB Bank Card, offering a 50% discount for weekend cinema and theater spending for those from 12 years of age, offers young savers the chance to withdraw up to TL 100 per day from all ATMs.
During the campaign, young people under the age of 18 and who have opened an “Ingenious Young Account” jointly with their parents may obtain an exclusive bonus for the first month when they open the account. The “Ingenious Young Account”, which can be offered to up to five children in the family, converts into the “Ingenious Account” when the account holders become 26 years of age.
The “Opportunity Account” is a savings account offered to upper-level customers which allows them to switch between TL, USD, EUR and GBP currencies, or to convert their savings into gold.
TEB Star Banking
TEB Star Banking products and services are designed for medium- and upper-segment customers and are provided by personal customer representatives and through the TEB Customer Interaction Center and the segment’s own website.
BNP Paribas, one of the world's most powerful banks and TEB's global partner, brings together middle-upper segment group customers in Turkey, France, Italy, Belgium and Luxembourg under a single roof with BNPP Priority. TEB Star aims to meet all of its customers’ banking needs thoroughly and with the highest priority and allow customers perform domestic and international banking transactions through BNP Paribas’s widespread global network for their use as a member of BNPP Priority.
TEB Star Banking, that has expanded its service network rapidly throughout Turkey, increased its number of customers by 9% and its volume by 13% when compared to the end of 2014.
The main activities carried out in this segment in 2015 can be summed up as follows:
Multi Chanel CRM
The New Multichannel Customer Relationship Management (CRM) model, which TEB implemented in 2013, has been used efficiently in all branches since 2014, and is focused on communication which meets customer needs by placing the customer at the center. Multichannel CRM achieved improvements in the rates of new customer activity and cross selling, while achieving a reduction in the rate of departing customers.
Seamless communication was achieved in all fields through trend analyses generated by putting the bank’s customers at the heart of its activities, location-based segmentation activities, new CRM applications and improvement measures in data quality, and the sales force was planned more efficiently.
Active sales channels
TEB Sales Management maintains its leadership in the sector with the use of superior technology as well as by providing a variety of products and services for sales undertaken through the tablet platform with the field team of 290 staff throughout Turkey. The objective of TEB Active Sales Channels team is to bring all banking services to customers by selling multiple products.
Mass customer acquisition and performance management
TEB put customers receiving salaries paid through the bank at the foundation of its growth in retail banking and 51% of its newly acquired customers were obtained from this channel in 2015. TEB placed priority on university payments in 2015, and offered facility for university salary or tuition fee payments by expanding its portfolio of universities.
Customer Interaction Center
2015 was a successful year for the TEB Customer Interaction Center, when the center produced and implemented different ideas, helped its employees attain expertise, invested in its culture, fully observed its customers’ experience with the team and worked to a simpler processes to make this journey most proactive.
A fruitful year for TEB Private Banking
TEB has been offering private banking services under the name of Asset Management since 1989, and was the first bank to provide private banking and asset management services in a real sense in the sector. TEB Private Banking, Turkey's most established bank in private banking, aims to provide products and services that make a difference to customers by combining TEB and BNP Paribas' global knowledge and experiences with its innovative approach.
TEB Private Banking develops solutions that are tailor-made and which will add value to assets by identifying customer needs and expectations through 13 Private Banking Centers and 14 in-branch service points throughout Turkey.
A first in private banking: The TEB Private Banking Academy
The TEB Private Banking Academy was one of the innovations launched in 2015 aimed at increasing sales and relationship management competencies, as well as the technical competencies of customers ' representatives; it is also aimed at creating the team spirit that will be building the 2020 success story of TEB Private Banking.
The academy was set up with contributions from the TEB Education Department and in collaboration with Bilgi University, with the courses consisting of 14 days of training and 4 modules. Customer representatives go through extensive training under the headings of strategic thinking, networking, influencing and persuasion skills which will also contribute especially to personal development, and they renew their knowledge of investment products, loans, insurance, taxation and law. Successful customer representatives receive a certificate from Bilgi University.
Turkey’s first accredited bank network: Private Banking Angel Investment Platform
TEB’s approach of acting as a consultant bank is both an important element of its corporate identity and its guiding principle in the TEB Private Banking products and services that it designs and offers. TEB Private Banking regards it as its mission not just to provide its customers with traditional products and services but also to proactively acquaint them with alternative and different ways of putting their assets to work. In this context, the TEB Private Angel Investment Platform implemented in 2013 offers a new investment opportunity to customers seeking investments for their assets in areas outside traditional financial instruments. The bank continues to contribute towards bringing Turkey’s entrepreneurs in the economy together by directing capital to promising projects.
The TEB Private Angel Investment Platform was authorized as an accredited angel investment network by the Undersecretariat to the Turkish Treasury as of 11 February 2015.
The TEB Private Angel Investment Platform was the first banking platform to be authorized by a public authority in the field of “angel investment” through accreditation. In this context, TEB Private Banking began mediating for investors to purchase Individual Participation Investors (IPI) license through the Angel Investment Platform channel and following up the investment processes by submitting documents and information pertaining to the investments made through the channel to the Undersecretariat to the Turkish Treasury.
A special new club for investors from TEB Private Banking
The TEB Private Banking Investors Club was created under the guidance of TEB Private Banking, which brings together business customers from various sectors who themselves are devoted to the issue of angel investment. The Club aims to offer an international experience to its members by including Silicon Valley investors into its body. The TEB Private Investors Club, which aims to bring mutual benefit by sharing enterprise opportunities with its member, is an international investment network. The Club is built on its members’ trust in each other and has adopted the mission of contributing beyond finance in the entrepreneurial ecosystem with its members who make a new investment every month. The most important feature of the club, which distinguishes itself from other angel networks and investment clubs, is that it is a venture company. In such a company, investments are undertaken either in companies which a member has decided to invest in or has already invested in.
TEB Private Banking received the “Angel Investor Network that undertook the most investment of the Year Award” in the ceremony to mark the first anniversary of activities conducted by the Borsa Istanbul Private Market.
Bringing TEB Private Banking close to its customers with the iPad app at any moment
The TEB Private Banking iPad app, the first in the private banking sector in Turkey, was commissioned in 2011 by TEB, and was subsequently developed to provide a service from a different channel by reaching its customers in digital media, and to create value.
TEB Private Network Mobile Application
The TEB Private Network, a social network application, was created to offer TEB Private Banking customers the opportunity to share important information between each other by creating a closed network among them through TEB Private Banking. It was also set up to provide special offers and opportunities for the users.
Through the TEB Private Banking Network, users share their interests and likes and have the opportunity to communicate with each other.
TEB believes that every art collection has its own story with the Special Digital Museum.
As the first practitioner of the private banking concept in Turkey, TEB Private Banking has been sharing its experience and expertise in asset management with its customers since 1989.
Additionally, the Bank keeps pace with the evolving and changing world with its new projects and supports the effects of digital transformation on human life with innovative ideas.
The TEB Private Digital Museum (www.tebozelmuze.com), launched in 2015, was Turkey's first digital museum platform. It was designed as a project where collectors can meet art lovers. From the point of view that each collection has its own story, the collections are immortalized in the TEB Private Digital Museum.
Consultancy services with TEB Private and BNP Paribas Wealth Management Experience
TEB Private assigns investment products in accordance with risk profiles and asset breakdowns through the system and can monitor performance with the Financial Portfolio Management tool used by BNP Paribas Wealth Management in Europe.
TEB Private Banking offers the services needed in the field of luxury properties in Turkey by the customers for both personal and commercial purposes through GİZ High-End Estate as one to one solutions. Additionally, the Bank offers solutions and opportunities in the area of commercial real estate, which has started to assume growing importance in recent years in Turkey through North West Real Estate, BNP Paribas Real Estate's partner in Turkey.
“Your assets have a story to tell. Come, let's write that story together…”
In line with its “Your assets have a story to tell. Come, let's write that story together…” vision, TEB Private Banking seeks to stand by its customers not only when dealing with their financial needs but also in all aspects of their life. In this context, the bank supports many events in the fields of art, sport and others. TEB Private Banking customers participate in photographic exhibitions, concerts and sporting events, of which TEB is the sponsor, as special guests.
Private Banking customers always privileged with TEB Private credit cards
TEB Private Banking customers qualify both for the TEB Private Platinum Card and for the TEB Private World Elite Card, a comprehensive and exclusive card offered in the MasterCard system. Customers may benefit from free lounge access in airports in various parts of the world with the Priority Pass Card that is complimentary for holders of the TEB Private World Elite Card. The TEB Private World Elite Card is still one of the most special cards in the sector with a 10% expense reimbursement in domestic and international restaurants and hotels.
Card marketing product and portfolio management
TEB received a plethora of awards from various institutions with its customer-oriented, innovative products in 2015 as in previous years. In this context, the TEB Platinum Debit Card was given the award for the most successful Debit Card by Visa; the Card Products Management department was awarded the Card Team of the year by BNP with the products that it developed and customer satisfaction that it achieved.
The fact that the product features, which the Bank brought into the sector, are included to cards by the other banks confirms that TEB has been progressing on the right track and setting trends.
The Bank was also deemed worthy of “Best Co-Branded Credit Card Turkey 2015” and “Best New Banking Product (PayPal Pre-Paid Card) Turkey 2015” by Global Banking and Finance.
TEB was one of the banks to post growth, growing by 14.4 % in a year the sector’s turnover increased by 11% in the credit card market. The sector’s cash turnover grew by 24% in 2015, while TEB realized 28% growth. TEB's total credit card receivables amounted to TL 2.8 billion at the end of 2015.
A strong sales network was created which includes the PayPal Cash Card, Migros, Teknosa, D&R and PTT, and 280% growth was achieved in 2015.
The Bank's credit cards were seen to be reliable, honest and sturdy by customers in the TEB Credit Cards perception survey conducted by an independent company in 2015 and commissioned by TEB.
Member business sales, marketing and product development
At the end of 2015, TEB POS was offering services at approximately 109,000 points providing cash register POS (PRD-Payment Recorder Device) services in 14,650 of the POS terminals. Its POS market share stood at 4.3%.
TEB POS supported cash register POS brands such as Beko, Profilo, Ingenico, Vera and Hugin and within the scope of BKM TechPOS platform, supported Mikrosaray and Informatik brands. It led the sector through campaigns for the Profilo and Vera brand cash register POSs, which include opportunities intended for end users.
The TEB POS works with 4 different payment system providers; Visa, Mastercard, Amex, and Union Pay, by following trends in payment systems. Turnover doubled in 2015 by working with American Express, one of the most powerful payment systems in the world, from 2014.
At the end of 2015, TEB’s total POS sales volume amounted to TL 22 billion.
Digital banking
In 2015, TEB brought its digital banking platform, CEPTETEB, to the focus of its investments.
The CEPTETEB Digital Banking Platform, which was launched in March 2015 and offers all the benefits a bank provides, provides services to users with its simple design, simple menu structure and practical use through Internet Banking, Mobile Banking, a Support Center and ATMs without having to go to the bank branch.
Users may apply to join CEPTETEB, which offers a wealth of advantages via www.cepteteb.com.t or from the mobile app. The membership process is completed within a maximum of two days by "CEPTETEB Customer Relationship Managers" who go to the specified address on appointment.
Users who can immediately benefit from CEPTETEB products and services may carry out all banking transactions through digital channels.
As of the end of 2015, the CEPTETEB Digital Banking Platform implemented 9 months previously had reached 190,000 customers with deposit volume of TL 2.5 billion. Also, various opportunities and benefits were offered by collaborating with IDO (Istanbul Sea Bus), TAV, Yemeksepeti, Markafoni and Urban Stations.
Transforming technology into service
Having identified them as a business line of strategic importance, in 2015 TEB continued its investments in non-branch banking services in keeping with its “The Bank That Transforms Technology Into Service” slogan.
In 2015, the number of TEB ATMs approached 1,700 throughout Turkey, and 70 million transactions were carried out at ATMs.
82% of TEB customers used digital channels in 2015.
In 2015, 82% of TEB’s customers used digital banking channels, with customers making increasing use of this channel.
In 2015, the Bank's internet user base exceeded 780,000 growing by 40%.The number of customers actively using the mobile banking application doubled to over 450,000.
83% of TEB's banking operations done digitally.
TEB continued to reduce operating costs and its income-expenditure ratio by transferring the branch transactions made during 2015 to digital channels.
Stepping up its investment in mobile and wearable technology in 2015
Having invested in wearable technologies like the Samsung Gear 2 Smart watch and the Google Glass in 2014, TEB continued to invest in wearable technologies in 2015. TEB implemented CEPTETEB and Practical Borsa applications, unique on the Apple Watch, and was the first and only bank in Turkey to feature on the Apple Watch with these two applications.
CEPTETEB Mobile Wallet
Providing its customers with the facility of withdrawing money from ATMs without a card for the first time in the world with the CEPTETEB Mobile Wallet, TEB commissioned the Contactless Mobile Payment in 2015. Customers who downloaded the CEPTETEB application to their smartphones began making payments with mobile phones without the need for a physical credit card. In addition, CEPTETEB customers are able to pass through rapid transition units at TAV airports and toll gates at IDO turnstiles at ferry ports with the QR Code produced from their CEPTETEB Mobile Wallet.
A total of 18 awards
TEB's digital banking channels won 18 awards in prestigious competitions both at home and abroad in 2015.
In 2015, the website www.tebcocuk.com of the TEB Child’s project, which won the first prize in education category of Golden Spider Web Awards for the 3rd time, received more than 530,000 hits. The TEB Child iPad app was downloaded 46,000 times.
The “All the Managers who wanted to work with me” project, in which the users create personal career videos, was given the “Usage of Social Target Audience in Best Direct Marketing” campaign award and the “Micro Site Success Award” in the MediaCat Felis Awards, and three awards in the Crystal Apple Awards.
TEB and social media
According to Socialbakers, a social media analysis and publishing firm, TEB is a “socially devoted” brand based on its superior performance in responding to questions put to it through social media.
Bank communicates directly with its customers through social media especially Facebook page with almost 1 million members and 90% response rate.
Collaboration with BNP Paribas
In 2015, within the framework of collaborating with BNP Paribas, TEB continued to use Radian6 software to monitor and analyze the contents in social media about the Bank.
TEB, one of the first banks in Turkey to develop an “Asset and Liability Management” approach, has adopted a management style based on cautious, sound and long-term strategies with its competent and experienced staff and the transfer of know-how from the BNP Paribas Group.
The Asset-Liability Management and Treasury Group, which have been working since 2005 manages interest, liquidity and structural foreign exchange risks with the aim of protecting the Bank’s sustainable profit.
2015: A successful year in terms of balance sheet management and financial results
The year 2015 was a volatile one in the interest and foreign exchange markets due to a number of developments, such as the two general elections in Turkey, mounting expectations in international markets of an interest rate hike by the Fed, a negative interest rate policy implemented by the European Central Bank (ECB), a slowdown in China and a rapid decline in the commodity prices.
The Asset-Liability Management and Treasury Group managed the loan-deposit pricing mechanism effectively by taking competitive conditions and the bank's profitability in the face of these fluctuations into consideration.
In order to improve operational efficiency, the pricing mechanism will be transformed into a fully automated and time-saving system with new IT modules that will be commissioned in 2016.
Support to product development
The ingenious account offered to TEB customers continued to be a sought-after product in 2015. Apart from ingenious account, support was extended to the opportunity account and “CEPTETEB” account application. In this context, the necessary technical adjustments in the pricing methodology to support the product development were carried out. The CEPTETEB product commissioned at the end of 2014 provided more support to the Bank’s strategy of common base deposit collection than expected, growing far in excess of the budgeted volumes.
The Asset and Liability Management and Treasury Group achieved a strong performance in terms of creating a portfolio against the backdrop of rising bond yields throughout 2015. Despite the loss in value of the portfolio investments, the Group was able to undertake new portfolio investments at as high a level as possible.
On the other hand, inflation-indexed state bond investments had a positive impact on the bank’s profitability with rising inflation throughout the year.
Hedge transactions to manage the interest rate risk borne by the bank were carried out with the right timing, shielding the balance sheet from interest shocks. At the same time, legal compliance and compliance with the bank’s internal liquidity ratios was ensured in line with the bank’s cautious and robust liquidity management policy, which contributed to the continuity of the bank’s liquidity.
Compliance with regulations
2015 was a year when rules set by the regulators stand out in terms of domestic and international operations. The Asset and Liability Management and Treasury Group carried out all of the changes required both by domestic legislation that TEB is obliged to comply with as well as international regulations that BNP Paribas is obliged to comply with. The Group implemented these changes into the business models. An additional objective was to raise awareness among Asset and Liability Management and Treasury Group employees by organizing training programs on compliance with national and international regulations.
Continued synergetic collaboration with BNP Paribas
The TEB Asset & Liability Management and Treasury Group continued to collaborate with BNP Paribas in 2015. Current developments in the bank’s balance sheet were examined and future expectations were discussed at regularly-held meetings. In this relationship, TEB benefits from its strategic partner’s know-how in such matters as borrowing alternatives and particularly in the matter of modeling balance-sheet products for which there is a need while BNP Paribas benefits from TEB’s authoritative market knowledge and expertise.
In addition, under the Bank's ongoing information technology projects, BNP Paribas’s effective business processes are being tailored to the TEB structure. Accordingly, business processes were stepped up to a more secure level in terms of identifying all possible operational risks and taking measures. On the other hand, monitoring and reporting of financial risk were made more effective.
Issuance under the EMTN program
Within the framework of EMTN program, five issuances amounting to USD 81 million were carried out through BNP Paribas in order to diversify short-term foreign currency debt instruments. On the other hand, private credit cost ratio support continued for import loan disbursements with a EUR 500 million resource.
TEB Corporate and Investment Banking was set up in 2011 in order to offer the Bank’s customers a new range of products.
There was significant growth in transactions undertaken in the Capital Markets in 2015, without compromising risk management principles. New solutions were developed to ensure the protection of customers from the exchange rate risk, while customers were offered interest rate derivatives transactions.
The competitive advantage of the Group
The Corporate Investment Banking Group, which combines TEB's power in the local market with BNP Paribas' expertise and experience in capital markets, its structured finance and consulting, has a structure that can respond to all needs in these areas as a stand-alone entity.
The Corporate Investment Banking is integrated into TEB's customer portfolio and BNP Paribas’ product range. This allows the Group to benefit from both the growing network of customers within TEB and the strong product specialists at BNP Paribas.
Maintaining a close relationship with its customers, TEB Corporate Investment Banking offers risk management solutions for a variety of products including foreign currency, interest and commodity derivatives.
The main purpose of the Corporate Investment Banking Group founded within TEB is to create synergy by combining the local customer network with BNP Paribas’ global product expertise. In 2015, the Group continued to create new synergies in the fields of Financial Markets, Structured Finance and Corporate Finance.
TEB will also continue to provide structured debt solutions and investment opportunities in the coming period.
An innovative approach in securities services
Since 2007, TEB Securities Services has been responsible for conducting the international settlement and custody services that BNP Paribas originally inaugurated in Turkey back in the 1990s.
The Capital Market Instruments Services department at TEB, also known as TEB Securities Services serves its customers with its team of specialists at the Head Office. The department offers exchange and custody services to its domestic and foreign customers in cooperation with BNP Paribas Securities Services, which is Europe's largest custodian bank. The department also creates solutions for needs pertaining to capital market instruments, which may arise subsequent to the investment and finances the decisions of financial institutions, institutional investors and issuers with its innovative and meticulous approach.
TEB Securities Services provides:
Successes in TEB’s Capital Market Instruments Services in 2015
In 2015, TEB Securities Services continued its success of previous years, by taking on new clients, and effectively managing the increased transaction volumes of its existing ones. The division performed particularly well in expanding its assets under custody and trading volumes last year.
Many changes have taken place in Turkey’s capital markets in Turkey since the new Capital Market Law was enacted at the end of 2012. Exchange and custody services provided by the department are defined as general custody services subject to the authorization of the Capital Market Board (CMB) under the new law. TEB obtained general custody permission from the CMB in November 2015.
In parallel with other changes brought about by the new law, individual and collective portfolio custody services that will be presented to portfolio management companies were structured such that they could be provided to non-group companies.
In November 2016, the transformation of the Borsa Istanbul trading platform and Takasbank exchange systems’ into the Nasdaq OMX-BISTECH system was successfully completed. Technical infrastructure and operations related to the services offered in this context were adapted to the BISTECH exchange system.
In addition, system investments and efficiency studies for the continuation of the department's service quality were carried out in 2015.
A more competitive Capital Market Instruments Service Department
TEB remained the choice of customers seeking more than a custodian bank for after transaction services aimed at capital market instruments thanks to its global perspective, pioneering and customer-focused approach in 2015.
All the developments in capital markets and banking sector are followed closely from legal, technological and operational aspects. If there were situations which required action, a fast response was given to the requirement with investments in new products and technology. TEB’s Capital Market Instruments Services department stood out from the competition in 2015with investments aimed at achieving operational excellence and with priority given to helping its customers expand their businesses.
In 2016 and beyond, the improvements and collaborations undertaken by both Capital Markets Board as well as Takasbank, Borsa Istanbul and institutions such as the MKK (central securities depository), and the changes affected by these are expected to align the market functioning with developed market practices and to create expectations for different product and service in the field of after-transaction services.
The Capital Market Instruments Services department expects this to bring new opportunities for cooperation with its customers. The objective of the department is to implement innovations that will contribute to the development of the business line as well as the market by taking the lead in after transaction services.
Collaborations in 2015
The Capital Market Instruments Services department is part of BNP Paribas CIB and acts as the Turkey arm of BNP Paribas Securities. Work is closely carried out with BNP Paribas companies that are also customers of general custody for the functioning of market and new products through a consultant approach.
The department has been working with affiliates that have capital markets operations in close cooperation. In particular, the services to the Borsa Istanbul Derivatives Exchange offered in partnership with TEB Investment have brought success in recent years. This has enabled TEB Investment to have one of the highest business volumes on the Borsa Istanbul.
New products developed in 2015
The most important product which the Capital Market Instruments Services department worked on in 2015 was the custody and fund services developed for Portfolio Management Companies. The department carried out activities to adapt this service shaped by the New Capital Market communique to meet the demands of its customers by taking the opportunity to offer it to group companies as well as external portfolio management companies.
Women’s Banking and CEPTETEB stand out among TEB’s new products and services offered in 2015.
In 2015, TEB signed a first in the sector with visions of “The Women's Consultant Bank” and “The Bank that most women want to work with” in order to support women bosses and strengthen their presence in business life. In this context, the bank set up a separate department to provide banking services especially for women.
With the aim of encouraging women to join business life as producers, not just consumers, the department provides SMEs and businesses with women leaders access to financial resources to help them compete in the global world and to maintain their presence with steady growth. Unsecured loans and special finance packages are developed accordingly.
Steps have been taken to facilitate access to finance as well as information, mentoring services and the market.
In 2015, the TEB SME TV-Women Manager’s Screen and TEB Women’s Academy were introduced to enable women to access information.
Women can access all kinds of information they need in their work lives, as well as stories of inspiring women with the TEB SME TV-the Women Manager Screen was commissioned in 2015.
Within the scope of Women Banking, the first TEB Women Academy was organized on 15 October 2015 in Istanbul to provide information needed by women bosses to improve their business by reaching them across the country and to bring them together with women from business life who inspire with their success.
The mentoring program was implemented to provide mentoring support, which is one of the most important requirements for women managers, by signing an agreement with the UK based Cherie Blair Foundation for Women. The Cherie Blair Foundation for Women, which operates in 80 countries across the world, will reach women for the first time in Turkey through the TEB mentoring program.
In 2015, TEB became a member of WeConnect International in order to help women bosses reach new markets. WeConnect is an organization which operates throughout the world in order to ensure participation of the companies with a 51% female partner in the supply chain by providing training and consultancy services for them to work with big partners on a regional or global scale.
In 2015, TEB brought the digital banking platform, CEPTETEB, to the focus of its investments.
The CEPTETEB Digital Banking Platform, which was launched in March 2015 and offers all the benefits a bank provides, serves its users with its simple design, simple menu structure and practical use through Internet Banking, Mobile Banking, Support Center and ATMs without having to go to the bank branch.
Users can apply CEPTETEB where many different advantages are offered via www.cepteteb.com.t or mobile application. The membership process is completed within a maximum of two days by “CEPTETEB Customer Relationship Managers” who go to the specified address with appointment.
The users, who can immediately benefit from CEPTETEB products and services, can carry out all banking transactions through digital channels.
TEB Human Resources Group plays a key role in TEB realizing its strategic objectives.
Human Resources Policy
The TEB Human Resources Group strives to:
With these practices, TEB Human Resources provides swift and effective support to all employees in all human resources related matters, while playing a key role in further raising the efficiency and performance of the TEB Head Office and the branches.
Career progression
Because particular attention is given to opportunities for TEB employees to advance in their careers, most appointments to management positions take the form of in-house assignments. In 2015, 103 successful TEB employees were promoted to management positions. In addition, 645 employees who work as managers and at lower titles were promoted to higher positions.
Information about current position vacancies in both the BNP Paribas and the TEB groups is provided through the E-Jobs system, which gives all employees an equal chance to learn about new career opportunities and to apply for vacant positions.
Talent management and talent development plans in 2015
Under the heading of Talent Management processes, in 2015 individuals who have demonstrated high potential and performance were identified and their development was monitored by the Talent Management team working together with the individuals’ superiors.
Talent development plans
Through online talent development forms, the strengths and weaknesses of about a thousand TEB employees who have demonstrated high potential and performance are identified and advice is provided to them about how best to pursue their future career paths. Individually-tailored 18-month progress plans formulated so as to advance their careers are further enriched by means of rotation, e-learning, classroom training, interactive workshops, and experience-sharing meetings. In 2015, 686 people were interviewed as part of the “Development Plan for Talent”.
In 2015 TEB continued to provide its employees with international career opportunities as a member of the “Mobility Community”, which gives BNP Paribas Group employees a chance to change jobs within the group’s operations in France, Belgium, Italy, UK, Turkey, and Luxembourg.
The “Breakfast Chats with Talents” program, which gives TEB employees who have demonstrated high potential and performance a chance to meet with senior executives in an open and informal environment, continued all year long in 2015.
In 2015, the foundations of the Idea Sharing Platform: TEB Fikirbazlar (Idea Magicians) project were laid to build a bridge between young professionals and senior management to ensure that senior management become closely acquainted with generation Y, and to maximize mutual sharing opportunities. The project was launched in December 2015, in which one Master Idea Magician (Fikirbaz) and three Young Idea Magicians (Fikirbaz) will meet every month during the four month period within the framework of structured interviews.
Remuneration and fringe benefits
Salaries at TEB are paid monthly in net amount after all legally-mandated deductions have been taken out of base pay. In addition to this monthly salary, all TEB employees may also be paid performance-based success/sales percentages or performance bonuses. The performance-based payments made by the bank in 2015 in total corresponded to 1.85 times the average monthly base pay of the personnel receiving them.
Depending on their job duties and positions, TEB employees may also be provided with company-owned vehicles and/or mobile phones for their use. All TEB employees are covered by the company’s private health and life insurance plans. The non-employed spouses and children of TEB employees also benefit from this health insurance coverage. TEB may, at their option, joint the employer-contributing private pension system that the bank runs.
Headquarters unit personnel take advantage of the restaurant and cafeteria services provided on TEB campuses. Regional and branch unit personnel are provided with meal tickets. Transportation services are provided for headquarters unit personnel. Statutorily-mandated rules and procedures apply to annual paid leave. Company-supplied social amenities are available for the use of all TEB employees and their families.
TEB Saklıköy Formation Academy
Located at Saklıköy in the Beykoz district of İstanbul, the TEB Formation Academy is not just a training center but also a place where employees and their families can take advantage of the academy’s sport, art, workshop, and restaurant facilities and activities.
TEB Formation Academy also serves as a venue for the important meetings of headquarters groups, business lines, TEB Group companies, and BNP Paribas.
In 2015, TEB Open Innovation Portal www.icatcikar.com and TEB Mind-Idea Campus site (www.tebakilfikirkampusu.com) continued to attract intensive interest from visitors with their new faces and advanced technologies.
HR Solution Center
The TEB Human Resources Solution Center was established to respond rapidly and accurately to the questions and requests from internal and external customers in relation to the bank's Human Resources practices as a first contact point, to increase customer satisfaction and to create a communication platform for these purposes. It continued its activities in this vein in 2015.
Great Place to Work
The TEB Human Resources Group serves as a Change Management leader on strategic projects undertaken at the bank.
The TEB Great Place to Work (GPTW) Project, whose goal is to create a workplace that people most want to work in and to make TEB the banking industry’s most preferred employer, has racked up many successes since it was launched in 2012.
One of the most important contributors to that success is the fact that TEB’s management engages in sincere and open communication on such issues because making TEB a great place to work is a goal that every TEB executive believes in and identifies with.
TEB has set up The Employee’s Voice Platform. Consisting of 600 representatives from all organizational groups at the bank, this platform is the first undertaking of its kind in the Turkish banking industry. The Employee’s Voice Platform supports employees’ efforts to involve themselves in decision-making processes on issues that affect them. It does this by enabling employees to convey their feelings and thoughts about TEB’s journey towards becoming A Great Place to Work to the Human Resources Department and to management and to keep everyone informed about action taken in response to such feedback. As such, The Employee’s Voice Platform is pointed to as a successful model in the sector.
TEB Sports Academy
Intramural sports meets and other events are organized as ways of protecting employee health, strengthening team spirit and an “Us” awareness, increasing employees’ company loyalty, and creating social and communal benefit as an expression of social responsibility. For much the same reason, employees are also encouraged to take part in extramural sports and to represent the company as members of bank-sponsored teams.
The highlights of TEB Sports Academy activities in 2015 are briefly summarized below.
TEB Club
TEB Club organizes activities in areas of interest to company employees that are intended to bring them together outside the workplace as well. The most active clubs among TEB Club Activities are the TEB Band, the Turkish Classical Music choir and the Modern Dance Group.
HR Bizbize (Only Us) Meetings
In 2015, the TEB Human Resources Group worked with 5,000 employees on a one-to-one basis in 43 HR Bizbize (Only Us) meetings held with all Headquarter and Regional employees. The Group carried out the following within the scope of these meetings:
BNP Paribas Communication Tools
Ambition, an in-house magazine published for BNP Paribas’s 190,000 employees in 78 countries and “Starlight”, the group’s internet TV broadcasts were made available in Turkish last year. TEB-related news items appeared on Echonet, the BNP Paribas corporate intranet, Ambition and Starlight.
Social responsibility activities
Within the framework of social responsibility activities in 2015, “Make a Wish” project was carried out to fulfil the wishes of 3rd grade students in Haşim İşcan Primary that is TEB's sister school and the dreams of children were transformed into a reality with a wide participation from the Bank.
In addition, the TEB Children's Choir Project was one of the projects selected in the Dream Up project carried out by the BNP Paribas Foundation, and the TEB Children's Choir project was initiated with children living in the Koruncuk Foundation Bolluca Children's Village.
Innovation at TEB
Having been cited as an exemplar of innovation by Gartner, a world-famous research company that has been studying the subject continuously since 2007, in 2013 TEB became the recipient of the European Financial Management Association’s “Most Successful Bank in Innovation Management” for the fourth year in a row.
In 2015, TEB continued to provide its customers with innovative products and services while also fostering innovation culture by encouraging its own customers and employees as well as university students and technology entrepreneurs through innovation-related activities.
Taking its efforts on behalf of innovation one step further, TEB launched an in-house Entrepreneurship Program, the first of its kind in the Turkish banking industry, in order to initiate an ecosystem that would encourage entrepreneurial-spirited employees to discover and demonstrate their innovative features and performance abilities.
Annual TEB Innovation Competition
In 2015 the 9th TEB Innovation Competition was held. One of the most outstanding examples of the bank’s efforts to promote innovation among the public at large, the competition is an annual event that is now much looked forward to.
Making life easier for its customers through the innovative and creative products and services that it offers them, TEB regards innovation as an important element of its brand-differentiation strategy.
In 2015, some 13,900 projects were submitted to TEB for consideration as entries in the year’s competition. The bank’s www.icatcikar.com website, through which submissions are made, received 186,000 visitors from 95 countries last year.
TEB transforms innovative ideas received from customers, university students, and newly-graduated young professionals into products and services for TEB customers.
University activities, TEB Innovation Campus
In 2015 the TEB Human Resources Group continued to reach out to talented young people through its university campus activities that sought to introduce them both to TEB and to its career possibilities. Last year these events were conducted on the Koç, Galatasaray, Boğaziçi, ODTÜ, İTÜ, Sabancı, Bilkent, YTÜ, İstanbul, Marmara, Bahçeşehir, Hacettepe, 9 Eylül, and Ege University campuses.
TEB Innovation Campus is a program designed to acquaint junior- and senior-year university students with innovation through unconventional training activities, to provide a work environment in which innovation and creativity are supported and rewarded, and to engage in enjoyable chats with TEB senior executives. Three events were conducted in this program during 2015. They were attended by a total of fifty-two students, to the most successful of whom traineeship and job offers were made.
2015 TEB Innovation Awards
TEB achieved a major success by reaching the semi-finals, entering among the top 16 among more than 2,000 large organizations worldwide with its Innovation approach in “Global IMP³rove Awards”.
In 2015, TEB won the BNP Paribas Group Innovation Award with its “CEPTETEB” application, the BNP Paribas Group IFS Award with its “TEB-Matic Monitoring” application and the IRB Innovation Award with its “Mars & Telescope” project.
TEB received the BNP Paribas Group Innovation Award with its “International Hackathon” event held simultaneously in 6 different countries in the field of Human Resources.
TEB was entitled to receive “Leadership Award” with “TEB In-House Entrepreneurship Program” in Gamechangers 2015, in which Turkey's most innovative companies are rewarded.
Training at TEB
Recognizing that qualified and well-trained human resources are the most critical distinguishing factor in the financial services industry, TEB seeks to support the personal and professional development of its employees in the most effective way possible. Training conducted with this approach in mind is concerned with development and change projects undertaken with the benefit of both internal and external resources, with internal customer service standardization in conjunction with training centers, and with similar issues.
In 2015 TEB expanded its in-house training staff. The bank also worked on projects to make more effective use of internal resources and to make digital platforms incorporating the latest training technology an essential element of all of its training programs.
The TEB Academy was ranked 8th by ATD (the Association for Talent Development), the world's largest and one of the prestigious organizations in the field of Training and Development, among companies described as “BEST” for their best and exemplary practices regarding training and development. The TEB Academy became the first among companies that entered the organization from Turkey. Moreover, the TEB Academy won 3 awards with “Sector Academies” in the Brandon Hall Group Excellence Awards, where the world's most important institutions in their field apply and which had a long history extending back 21 years.
At the end of 2015, each TEB employee had received an average of 73 hours of training.
A total of 10,921 TEB employees took part in classroom training, which made up 56% of total training time, with the remainder consisting of e-learning (42%) and on-the-job training (2%). TEB’s own instructor personnel provided 63% of all in-house training.