VKF_FRAE_2018_uyg11

36 Section I: Introduction VakıfBank: The strength on the side of the national economy In 2018, VakıfBank relocated its headquarters to a new campus and designated its vision for the new period as the “Leading Bank of Strong Turkey.” With its solid performance throughout a challenging year, VakıfBank continued to be the strength on the side of the national economy and all its stakeholders. VakıfBank stood apart from the competition with its robust balance sheet, high liquidity and increasing market share. The Bank continued its uninterrupted support to the real economy during the year. Despite the heightened risk perception and market volatility in emerging economies, VakıfBank recorded healthy growth in loans and assets without compromising its philosophy of total customer satisfaction. With 951 branches, 16,767 employees and efficiency-centered strategies, the Bank continued to be the strength on the side of households and the real sector while outperforming the sector average in numerous balance sheet metrics. In 2018, VakıfBank further deepened cooperation with its subsidiaries under VakıfBank Finance Group. The Bank aims to serve customers across all areas of financial services. With this approach, VakıfBank provides customers the convenience of receiving all services from a single brand, while making a positive contribution to the balance sheet of the Bank and its subsidiaries. Digital transformation gained pace in 2018. In keeping with its revised vision for the new reporting period, VakıfBank embarked upon a transformation process centered on digitalization. 2018 was a year when the Bank’s digital transformation picked up pace. The Bank has revamped all its business processes and applications, while also supporting this transformation with new products. As a result, more than 93% of all banking transactions was executed via non-branch channels in 2018. Meanwhile, the user base of VakıfBank Mobile, which was upgraded during the year, approached 3.5 million. Boasting numerous unique features – such as withdrawing money via QR code, direct login to the e-government system, card-free payment, payment with a single click, and access to the Trade Online application – VakıfBank Mobile is an industry standout with its exceptional security and extensive array of transactions. Having upgraded its Call Center during the year and expanded its customer representative employees, VakıfBank also became the first bank to issue digital letters of guarantee – one of the products most resistant to change in the sector. Setting an example with its know- how and transformation efforts, VakıfBank has provided guidance to numerous domestic and international enterprises with its deep experience. VakıfBank Culture Publications was founded in 2018. Efforts to establish VakıfBank Culture Publications (VKBY) commenced in 2018. The publishing house aims to deliver unequaled works to a discerning readership. VKBY published and distributed its first volumes in the same year. VKBY is committed to enriching and promoting culture and the arts, first at a national and then at a universal level. It plans to preserve and develop the assets and values that it has inherited. The publishing house generated intense interest at the fairs and events it participated in during 2018. Publishing world class works in history, philosophy, humanities, social sciences, arts, economics, classics, youth and academia, VKBY extends its publishing catalogue with sophisticated, pioneering books that raise public awareness, in line with its forward-looking editorial policy. In 2018, VakıfBank recorded healthy credit and asset growth while not compromising on total customer satisfaction. VakıfBank is on your side by prioritizing customer satisfaction and making a difference with its innovative approach... 2018 AT A GLANCE