ProCredit Bank is a development-oriented bank of German origin. 20 years ago he came to Ecuador to bet on the country with a focus on responsible banking. The way to do this has been by establishing long-term relationships with their clients, in order to contribute to their growth, investing heavily in their staff to develop unique expertise in the financial sector, and guiding their actions in ethical principles, social responsibility and environmental sustainability.
For ProCredit, the concept of “development” goes beyond GDP growth or the improvement of some economic or financial indicator. Development is also to contribute to the training of people, to the strengthening of the institutional framework and the democratic organization of society and thus achieve progress in the field of social justice.
Having this business focus, in this case as a bank, is especially relevant in Latin America, where inequality rates are the highest worldwide. The lack of equal opportunities for people with different income levels, of different ethnicity or gender, deepen existing gaps and weaken our fragile democratic tradition, the economy and general well-being.
"Our contribution to development is derived mainly from the work we do with companies, because by implementing sustainable business models, investing in technology and innovation for their sectors, generating formal and dignified sources of employment, training their staff and contributing to the payment of taxes, are what really generate the development of Ecuador ”, explains Miguel Ebenberger, General Manager of Banco ProCredit.
The Bank is also committed to the development of people. “Instead of seeking to generate profits in the short term by pushing consumer loans, we advise our clients in the management of their personal finances, fostering a culture of savings as the main means of building their wealth. We also accompany them in their long-term plans and in the important moments of their lives, such as buying a home, educating their children and building family assets ”, says Francisco Nazati, Head of Personal Banking at Banco ProCredit .
Since its inception, ProCredit has provided its clients with transparent financial services, based on advice that is appropriate to their financial requirements and growth objectives. It does not have a sell or "cross sell" approach when offering such services. Similarly, in economic conditions, a balance is sought between the benefits for the Bank and its clients.
The Bank carefully selects its human team and invests heavily in their development. “Working at Banco ProCredit is very demanding, precisely because of the approach we have and that is based on the quality of our staff. In these 20 years, we have looked for people with different backgrounds, whose main motivation when doing their job is to make a positive difference in Ecuador. We have trained them, both locally and internationally, not only in Banking and Finance issues, but also in Ethics, Economy, Environment, and unconventional issues within traditional banking that promote critical thinking and social and historical awareness ", comments Carolina Landazuri, Head of Human Resources at Banco ProCredit.
The Bank has also invested in technology and innovation with a strong social, environmental and service quality focus for its customers. This way of doing banking has allowed the institution to currently have more than 25.000 active clients nationwide, a loan portfolio of USD 450 million, of which 95% is concentrated in companies, that is, with a productive destination. The share of green loans in its portfolio is close to 20%, which places the Bank as a leader in the banking system in terms of financing the transformation towards an eco-sustainable economy. In the same way, the institution has been a pioneer in digitization and for 3 years it has operated practically without a physical infrastructure of branches, since its clients carry out 99.9% of their transactions through digital channels.
“The experience of these 20 years has shown us that with our business model we can be a successful commercial bank, while we do banking in a responsible way, generating a return on capital that, beyond the generation of profits, is reflected in a broader contribution, through our clients. That is why we will continue to bet on the development of Ecuador, its companies and its people, ”says Ebenberger.
