Editorial

LOCAL CUSTOMER-FOCUSED TEAMS AND UNIVERSALITY: WHAT DRIVES US

Among the highlights of Crédit Agricole Group in 2019, one exceeds the others by its strength and scope: it is the expression of a Raison d’Être, not statutory, but that commits us both internally and with respect to our stakeholders. Much more than a roadmap, our Raison d’Être, unveiled last June, expresses the true meaning of our activities. 
It is the link between our history, our values and the Group Project. It fuels the responsible relationship-based banking model that characterises us.

What is the particular importance of the Group’s Raison d’Être?

D. L. : The Raison d’Être drives our commitment to our customers and society as a whole. It is both our compass for the future and the synthesis of the values that are the strength of Crédit Agricole and the basis for its usefulness for more than 125 years. It places our project in a virtuous dynamic where each individual decision is made in the common interest.

P. B. : The Raison d’Être is the cornerstone of our Group Project, which is divided into three pillars that reinforce each other. The Societal Project aims to finance a greener economy and for the Group to be a useful player committed to enabling inclusive development in each and every region. These topics are already known to us, but the challenge is to change the scale and take them into account: it is to move from an added responsibility to an integrated responsibility, at the heart of our activities and ambitions.

The Customer Project and the Human-centric Project are closely linked to reach excellence in customer relations: digital transformation allows women and men of the Group to bring all their added value to customers, in order for them to benefit from excellence in customer relations and direct access to an empowered relationship manager.

What strategic orientation have you implemented to serve this ambition?

P. B. : The results of the year are positive in terms of activity, operational efficiency and performance. In addition to the above, another factor of satisfaction is the fact that 2019 has strengthened the recognition of our relationship-based banking model. This model is based on the aggregation over time of all the business lines that are useful to a global response to the needs of its customers. The Group participates in international banking consolidation, not through cross-border banking mergers, but through the signing of partnerships, through business lines, with other players in Europe and Asia. In 2019, we signed or strengthened many distribution agreements in France, Italy, Spain and China. The sustainability of this process is based on its effectiveness.