Historical background
We have been offering services to our retail and institutional customers already for 100 years. Our ability to combine tradition and modern lifestyles, and our comprehensive product offer that reflects the changing customer preferences, leads the next generations of Poles to use the bank's services.
Annual Report
2019
2019
- PKO Bank Polski celebrated its centenary.
- The bank accomplished its financial goals set for 2020 two years in advance and announced an updated strategy for the years 2020–2022 “PKO Bank of the Future. We support the development of Poland and the Poles”.
- PKO Leasing completed the acquisition of Prime Car Management with its subsidiaries (Masterlease Group) and strengthened its position on the lease market, as well as extended its offer of services related to the car fleet management and rental of cars.
- National Cloud Operator announced its strategic partnership with Google. They were joined by a second partner – Polish Development Fund.
- PKO Bank Polski has once again become the most valuable company quoted on the WSE. The value of the bank’s shares at year-end reached over PLN 43 billion.
- For the second time, IKO application ranked first in the ranking of mobile applications of the 100 largest banks in the world with a total of 4.2 million active applications.
- Approval of the 2016–2020 strategy “We support the development of Poland and the Poles” with the aim to continue to strengthen the position of the bank’s Group as a leader in key market segments, enhance innovativeness and adapt to customer needs.
- PKO Leasing SA, which belongs to the Group, successfully completed the acquisition of Raiffeisen-Leasing Polska SA, becoming the main lease provider in Poland.
- The Group acquired KBC TFI SA and the merger with PKO TFI SA helped to additionally accelerate the current dynamic development of PKO TFI SA, and strengthen its leading position in the retail funds segment.
- New companies became part of the Group, offering new technological solutions: ZenCard sp. z o.o. (IT services and products supporting trade and service sectors) and National Cloud Operator – Operator Chmury Krajowej sp. z o.o. (cloud computing services).
- PKO Bank Polski established an investment fund managed by PKO TFI under the business name PKO VC, which pursues an appropriate policy for a venture capital fund and invests in technological financial innovations.
- We continued our development abroad and formed a second foreign branch – the corporate branch in Prague.
- As the only company in Poland from among 37, the bank was accepted to the FTSE Russell index for large companies in developed markets.
- 2013–2015 strategy “PKO Bank Polski. Every day the best” strengthened the position of the bank’s Group as a leader in key market segments.
- In 2013, we set a new standard of mobile payments – IKO – an innovative solution on the market of mobile payments, transformed in 2015 into the BLIK payment system, which became the standard on the Polish market.
- PKO BP signed an agreement for a twenty-year strategic alliance in the electronic payment market with EVO Payments International Acquisition GmbH, and at the same time sold a significant portion of shares in CEUP eService sp. z o.o.
- PKO Bank Hipoteczny was formed – its operations include issuing long-term mortgage covered bonds and granting long-term mortgage loans to retail customers.
- PKO Bank Polski acquired shares in Nordea Group companies, including shares in Nordea Bank Polska SA, and a loan portfolio of corporate customers. In October 2014, a merger of the banks was carried out.
- PKO Towarzystwo Ubezpieczeń SA was formed, which provides property insurance services to the retail customers.
- Expansion into foreign markets by establishing the first foreign branch of the bank in Frankfurt.
- The bank acquired Inteligo Financial Services SA, a company that provides services covering maintenance and development of ICT systems used in banking systems, also including electronic access to bank accounts (Inteligo account).
- The bank acquired 66.65% shares in KREDOBANK SA. The company is registered and operates in Ukraine. At present, the bank holds 100% of shares in the company’s share capital.
- In 2004, PKO Bank Polski’s floatation took place – at the end of the first day of quotations, shares reached a price of PLN 24.50 against the issue price fixed at PLN 20.50.
- PKO Faktoring SA began its operations.
- The first internet portal of the bank and the first e-PKO internet branch were launched.
- PKO Towarzystwo Funduszy Inwestycyjnych SA began its operations.
- PKO BP BANKOWY PTE SA was formed.
- Bankowy Fundusz Leasingowy SA (currently PKO Leasing) was formed, which provides operating and finance leases of non-current assets and property.
- PKO BP, as one of the founders, formed Centrum Elektronicznych Usług Płatniczych eService SA.
- In 2000, the bank was transformed into a joint-stock company fully owned by the State Treasury under the name Powszechna Kasa Oszczędności Bank Polski Spółka Akcyjna (PKO Bank Polski SA).
- Pocztowa Kasa Oszczędności was transformed into Powszechna Kasa Oszczędności.
- The Banking Law Act introduced a privilege for saving deposits held in Powszechna Kasa Oszczędności – they were covered by a state guarantee.
- Powszechna Kasa Oszczędności introduced a new modern product: a current account.
- In the years 1975–1987, Powszechna Kasa Oszczędności was merged into the structures of the National Bank of Poland (NBP), yet it retained its identity.
- The Second World War was a period that marked a standstill to the activity of Pocztowa Kasa Oszczędności, which suffered huge losses.
- Pocztowa Kasa Oszczędności was established on 7 February 1919 by virtue of a decree signed by the Head of State Józef Piłsudski, the Prime Minister Ignacy Paderewski and Hubert Linde – PKO’s founder and its first president.
- Pocztowa Kasa Oszczędności was vested with legal personality as a state institution, operating under the supervision and with the guarantee of the State.
- The first local branch of Pocztowa Kasa Oszczędności was opened in Poznań.
- On the initiative of Pocztowa Kasa Oszczędności, the Ministry of Treasury decided to set up Bank Polska Kasa Opieki (today Pekao SA) as a public company to facilitate the transfer of foreign currencies to Poland by Poles living abroad.
- Pocztowa Kasa Oszczędności strongly contributed to the development of non-cash transactions – every other larger industrial plant and enterprise had a cheque account with Pocztowa Kasa Oszczędności, while the cheque turnover in Poland was 1.5x higher than the cash turnover.