Company: HALKBANK
Nomination Submitted by: Business Awards Consulting
Company Description: Halkbank has become one of the steadily growing, well-established, pioneering and respected brands of emerging Turkey, which established in 1938 to support tradesmen, SMEs and to accelerate permanent economic development. Pioneering the development of the Turkish banking sector for 83 years, Halkbank continues its mission of supporting the real sector
Nomination Category: Company / Organization Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Company of the Year - Financial Services - Large
 Nomination Title: HALKBANK
- Which will you submit for your nomination in this category, a video of up to five (5) minutes in length about the achievements of the nominated organization since 1 January 2021, OR written answers to the questions for this category? (Choose one):
Written answers to the questions
- If you are submitting a video of up to five (5) minutes in length, provide the URL of the nominated video here, OR attach it to your entry via the "Add Attachments, Videos, or Links to This Entry" link above, through which you may also upload a copy of your video.
- If you are providing written answers for your submission, you must provide an answer to this first question: Briefly describe the nominated organization: its history and past performance (up to 200 words):
Total 198 words used.
Halkbank, established in 1938 with the mission of supporting artisans and SMEs and accelerating sustainable economic development in Turkiye, has become one of the prominent, stable, pioneering, and reputable brands in the rising country. For 85 years, the Bank has been leading development of the Turkish banking sector.
As "The Bank of Productive Turkiye" Halkbank develops products and services that respond to the needs of the real sector with its expertise in SME Banking. Among the most efficient banks in terms of equity profitability, Halkbank serves throughout Turkiye with 1,038 branches and 4,075 ATMs.
In 2022, despite ongoing negative impacts of the pandemic, raw material crisis, and inflationary economic developments worldwide, Halkbank continued to be a strong supporter of Turkish economy, achieving growth of 54.5% in total assets, 56.2% in cash loans, and 69.5% in total deposits. Economic value created and distributed by Halkbank in 2022 increased by 225.5% to reach 74.8 billion TL.
Artisans, entrepreneurs, and SMEs in Turkiye are among those most affected by social and economic developments. Halkbank increased its support for SME customers during this challenging period by allocating 53.1% of its commercial loans to SMEs.
- If you are providing written answers for your submission, you must provide an answer to this second question: Outline the organization's achievements since the beginning of 2021 that you wish to bring to the judges' attention (up to 250 words):
Total 241 words used.
Halkbank has embraced the vision of Sustainable Banking in all its activities and developed the Halkbank Value Modelin 2021, aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs).
Shaping its efforts with the goal of making concrete contributions to all SDGs, Halkbank continues to fulfill its responsibilities in critical areas for a sustainable future. Taking into account the needs and expectations of its stakeholders, the bank has identified four strategic focus areas for 2022:
- Supporting Women Entrepreneurship
- Digitalization
- Creating Value for the Local Economy
- Supporting the Fight Against Climate Change
Under these focus areas, Halkbank has developed numerous successful projects:
- In 2021, Halkbank established the first "Women Entrepreneurship Banking" department in Türkiye, providing support not only through banking activities but also offering various assistance to promote women's participation in the workforce and support women entrepreneurs.
- Emphasizing digitalization, Halkbank has updated all its services with an innovative approach. It introduced Paraf RingPay, the wearable technology as a ring-shaped credit card, for the first time in Türkiye. Additionally, Halkbank became the first Turkish bank to open a branch in Metaverse.
- While continuing to support local economies with advantageous support packages for SMEs and artisans, Halkbank introduced "Entrepreneurial Loans" for the first time in Türkiye.
Halkbank has adopted sustainability and environmental policies as part of its corporate strategy. By aligning all service units with the Zero Waste regulation, Halkbank has become the first Turkish bank to receive the Zero Waste Certificate at 1078 service points.
- If you are providing written answers for your submission, you must provide an answer to this third question: Explain why the achievements you have highlighted are unique or significant. If possible compare the achievements to the performance of other players in your industry and/or to the organization's past performance (up to 250 words):
Total 250 words used.
Halkbank, implementing pioneering practices in all focus areas, attaches importance to contributing to social welfare while providing support to the real sector, SMEs, and stakeholders. With this vision, the bank focuses not only on banking activities but also on social awareness campaigns and corporate social responsibility projects.
Serving customers from all socio-economic levels and educational backgrounds, Halkbank has also taken responsibility for education in the country by offering free educational platforms such as the "SME Development Platform" and the "Producing Women Academy." Additionally, through its YouTube channel, "Halkbank Health Academy" the bank continues to educate the public about public health.
On one hand, Halkbank stands out in the banking sector with its innovative products. In 2022, the bank renovated its branches with a more innovative, modern concept that enhances the employee and customer experience. This new concept has received praise from both employees and customers, with a satisfaction score of 91 and an NPS of 72, indicating high levels of customer satisfaction.
Halkbank also works to minimize its environmental impact, developing environmental policies to reduce energy and natural resource consumption. The bank became the first Turkish bank to implement the ISO 50001 Energy Management System. In 2022, Halkbank introduced "Carbon Neutral Credit Card" Paraf Doğal, which aims to offset the climate impact resulting from plastic use. Additionally, Halkbank supports businesses interested in investing in energy, environment, and climate through its Green Energy Credit Packages.
Halkbank's support for its stakeholders and Turkish economy is also reflected in its financial results.
- You have the option to answer this final question: Reference any attachments of supporting materials throughout this nomination and how they provide evidence of the claims you have made in this nomination (up to 250 words):
Total 258 words used.
The bank achieved a growth of 54.5% in total assets, 56.2% in cash loans, and 69.5% in total deposits, increasing the total economic value it created by 225.5% to reach 74.8 billion TL in 2022.
According to BrandFinance Brand Valuation Research, an independent international auditing institution, Halkbank ranked 22nd among Türkiye's most valuable brands. In 2023, it climbed five places to rank 17th.
Halkbank's CEO, Mr. Osman Arslan, stated the following regarding the bank's 2023 vision: "As Türkiye's leading SME bank, in 2023, the 100th anniversary of our Republic and the 85th anniversary of our bank, we will continue to work with all our might to transform small businesses into medium-sized enterprises, and medium-sized enterprises into large industrial organizations and exporters in line with our Türkiye Century goals and new economic strategy. We will be by their side with our support, as always, on our country's journey of growth."
Apx1: Report: Halkbank Summarized Integrated Annual Report 2022
Apx2: Halkbank Value Model
Apx3: Video: Halkbank 85th Anniversary Commercial Film
https://youtu.be/QUFjbiarTYo
Apx4: Video: Examples of Halkbank 2022 Activities
A short compilation of promotional films of various Halkbank products
https://youtu.be/eTHHh6J8XaQ
Apx5: Halkbank Promotional Movie
Halkbank's history and general introduction movie
https://youtu.be/hB43R3-Sv2g
Apx6: Video: Halkbank Testimonials
https://youtu.be/wyFMDTypwJg
Apx7: Video: Halkbank Family Remarks
Halkbank is a family with its customers, employees, their families and retirees. You can access the video in which members of this family share their views on working at Halkbank from this link
https://youtu.be/mz4qUNkKgNw
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