Creating value
Our purpose and values
For almost 200 years, we in DNB have been here for you.
We are Norwegian and we are international. We are tradition and innovation. We are a partner in your single life, family life, daily life, business life and community life. We are here to help with the small details and the big questions. Every day we bring together people and ideas with knowledge and capital.
Our purpose is to make your everyday life easier. As Scandinavia’s largest financial services group, we offer a complete range of financial services through mobile solutions, online banking, 24/7 customer service centres, branch offices, real estate broking and international offices.
Purpose
We are here. So you can stay ahead.
This is our purpose, and the answer to why DNB is here for customers, society and employees. The purpose sets the direction for our choices and priorities. It inspires innovation and drives change. Our values describe how we will deliver our purpose, both as an organisation and as colleagues. Our values describe what we expect from each other and what customers, our owners and society in general can expect from us.
Values
Curious
Being curious means that we seek new knowledge and learn from our experiences, so that we continuously gain new insight. We are genuinely interested in and curious about how we can make everyday life better for our customers and colleagues. We find good solutions together.
Bold
Being bold means that we challenge established truths, and make decisions even though the picture is unclear. We take responsibility for our actions, admit when we make mistakes and then learn from them. We face challenges and new competition with an unshakeable conviction that we will become even better at developing the best ideas and solutions.
Responsible
We create value in a sustainable way. We will be transparent about our operations and contribute positively to society. We listen to those who have insight into and opinions about what society expects of us. We use simple language and are predictable in our actions.
Our strategy
The strategy sets the direction for the Group’s transformation in the face of macroeconomic changes, regulations and political affairs, changed customer behaviour, new technology and the competitive situation. There is little doubt that the financial services industry is changing, and we have proven that we are capable of change.
For DNB, the time ahead will be all about preserving and increasing existing revenue streams, while at the same time finding new sources of income. Our overarching goals are to create the best customer experiences and to deliver on our financial targets.
CREATE THE BEST CUSTOMER EXPERIENCES
Strong customer relationships are essential in order to retain customers and ensure continued profitability. With a gradually more open infrastructure, lower costs attached to switching banks and declining customer loyalty, it will be increasingly difficult to “own” the customer relationship. We must therefore earn it again and again through each experience we offer our customers.
DELIVERING ON FINANCIAL TARGETS
Long-term profitability is the underlying premise for everything we do. To reach these goals, we must continue to improve, develop and streamline our current operations, while actively phasing out the activities that are no longer profitable. These types of changes are essential in order to position ourselves for the future, but the traditional business activities will continue to be the main contributor to the financial results for the foreseeable future. We must acquire some of the strengths of our new competitors, and this means implementing fundamental changes and making tough decisions.
1) Based on transitional rules and including a management buffer, the target was around 16.3 per cent as at 31 December 2018. The target for the end of 2019 is around 16.8 per cent including the management buffer.
2) 73 per cent includes the share buy-back programme representing 1.5 per cent of the shares.
STRATEGIC PRIORITIES
Today, DNB is a traditional bank with digital products, services and channels. We will continue to be a bank in the future. However, being a bank will entail something else in the future than it does today.
To succeed, we need to accelerate our pace of innovation while balancing scarce resources such as capital, development funds and people.
We have therefore identified four areas as essential for creating the best customer experiences:
1 Increase innovative power
2 Increase the use of customer insight
3 Drive skills enhancement
4 Incorporate corporate responsibility in all processes
We must think and act like a technology company in areas such as customer experience, innovation, automation, working methodology, new business models, third party collaboration, use of data and obtaining the right skills mix. The four priorities shall help us develop in this direction. A suitable technology platform is a fundamental premise for realising the Group’s strategic priorities.
WHAT DID WE DO IN 2018?
We delivered a good result in 2018, and we are well underway with the changes that we have to implement.
At the start of 2018, we established a new Group management team. The new structure was finalised during the spring, and in the autumn, we could already see results in the form of improved internal processes, faster product development and better customer experiences. The four priority areas are constantly being filled with more content and serve as important guidelines for prioritising scarce resources.
Under the headline of increased innovative power, we initiated several exciting projects, with the launch of DNB Puls (described in more detail here) as a prominent example. New technology and new ways of working provide gradual improvements and increasingly effective operation.
We systemised partnership in 2018. The insurance merger with SpareBank 1 Gruppen is the best example of this. In the course of the year, our Chief Data Officer (CDO) set up his organisation and started the implementation of customer insight tools that will make our customer service both more personalised and more relevant in the years to come. Better tools and structure will enable a faster pace of development. This will in turn be a prerequisite for creating new opportunities in which data and customer insight are the underlying values.
The changes we see in the world around us are also influencing the skills mix of the Group. In the course of the year, we therefore educated the first group of skilled data analysts through our internal Data Scientist programme. The participants have acquired new and relevant skills, while at the same time being familiar with the DNB culture and the organisation. We upskill all employees with simple tools and offer more in-depth training to those who need to top up their expertise. New colleagues bring new skills, and the Group currently has a far more diversified group of employees than it did only a year ago.
Corporate responsibility forms the basis for everything we do, from enhancing the skills of our own employees, to setting requirements in credit processes. We delivered more green mutual funds and investment products to the market and are experiencing strong demand for green funding – both from investors and customers.
2018 was a year of transformation. A new organisational structure, new work tools and a large number of proofs of changes that have been made across the Group. In 2019, this trend will continue, and the customers will notice increasingly better and more personalised products and services.
Our organisation
OPERATIONAL STRUCTURE
Our organisation and operational structure will ensure that we quickly and effectively adapt to changes in customer behaviour and develop products and services that meet customer needs. Customer areas are responsible for customer relationships and customer service, while product areas are responsible for product development.
CUSTOMER AREAS
Personal Banking
The Personal Banking area serves the personal customers. We are a market leader in the Norwegian personal customer market and have more than 2 million personal customers in Norway. Customers are offered a wide range of services through a modern distribution network, which comprises mobile solutions, 24/7 customer service centres and online banking, branch offices, post offices, in-store postal outlets and real estate brokers.
Corporate Banking
The Corporate Banking area serves the small and medium-sized corporate customers. We promote the development of active and well-functioning businesses in Norway. Small and medium-sized enterprises are the bedrock of the Norwegian business community and contribute to significant value creation for society.
Large Corporates and International (LCI)
LCI serves large companies and international customers. The segment includes the Group’s largest Norwegian corporate customers, the public sector, all international customers, as well as financial institutions. Our ambition in the large corporate segment is to maintain our number one position in Norway, and to strengthen our leading position within selected industries internationally. The large corporate segment is characterised by strong customer relations and sound banking and industry expertise. High-quality customer service is assured through our financial strength, a broad international network, competitive services and the ability to adapt quickly to new customer needs.
PRODUCT AREAS
Markets
Markets is Norway’s leading investment firm and offers our customers investment banking services, including risk management, investment and financing products in the capital markets. By working in customer teams and applying good digital solutions, the employees provide advice and develop tailor-made solutions for the various customer segments. Markets’ market making and other trading support the general customer activities with products and prices.
Wealth Management & Insurance (WMI)
WMI serves high net worth individuals through its Private Banking unit. In addition, the product area is responsible for the further development of the Group’s savings and life insurance products and delivers defined-contribution pension schemes to all DNB customers in cooperation with the customer areas.
New Business
New Business will create increased competitive power and growth for DNB by designing new solutions and business models for the Group and strengthening the delivery capacity of existing segments. This will be achieved through a more unified strategy and consistent management of data and customer insight, payments and payment infrastructure, open banking, the use of technology, and partnerships.
STAFF AND SUPPORT UNITS
Operational tasks and group services are carried out by the Group’s support and staff units, which provide infrastructure and cost-efficient services for the business units.
REPORTING STRUCTURE
Our financial management is adapted to the different segments. The income statements and balance sheets for the segments are presented in accordance with internal financial reporting principles, according to which revenues, costs and capital requirements are allocated to the segments based on a number of assumptions. Reported figures for the different segments thus reflect the total sales of products and services to the relevant segments. The follow-up of total customer relationships and segment profitability are two important dimensions when making strategic priorities and deciding on where to allocate the Group’s resources.
The segment reporting is presented in more detail in note 2 to the annual accounts.
Group management
As at 6 March 2019
The group management team is the group chief executive’s collegiate body for management at group level in DNB. All important decisions are made in consultation with the group management team.
1) Shareholdings in DNB as at 31 December 2018. Shares held by the immediate family and companies in which the shareholder has decisive influence are also included.
Our role in society
DNB is Norway’s largest financial institution, and as such we play a major role in society. As an employer, investor, lender, facilitator and provider of financial infrastructure, we will create value to the benefit of society and lay the foundation for further growth. How this value is created, is what constitutes the core of our corporate responsibility. We are convinced that the companies that will maintain their competitive edge and thus succeed in the future are the ones that take responsibility for making society a better place, and that consider both risks and opportunities in a long-term perspective.
Viewing risks and opportunities in a long-term perspective
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?
The rapid changes in global and national development trends underline how important it is for DNB to view risks and opportunities in a long-term perspective. New technology, globalisation, changing framework conditions and regulations, climate-related risks and opportunities (described in more detail here) and new and changing expectations from customers are some of the things that directly affect us, and that have to be taken into account in our activities to ensure value creation over time.
To our owners it is essential that these long-term challenges – but also opportunities – are reflected in the Group’s corporate governance, and this is also specified in the State Ownership Report.
To ensure that we have an active approach to risks and opportunities, risk management is integrated in the Group’s governance processes, and the framework for risk appetite is included as part of our governance system. The framework represents an operationalisation of the Group’s policy and guidelines for risk management, and is intended to contribute to a strong and long-term risk culture.
In addition to safeguarding a long-term perspective, the governance system shall also ensure balanced monitoring of our performance. This is done by, among other things, establishing financial, operational and strategic KPIs, in addition to health and risk indicators. In this way, targets are set which not only rate the Group’s financial performance, but also the non-financial values.
DNB’s incentive structure is meant to safeguard the Group’s risks and opportunities. The variable remuneration scheme is performance-based without exposing the Group to unwanted risk, and also aims to counter excessive risk-taking, as well as promote healthy and effective risk management in DNB. This is ensured by the strong correlation between individual targets and the Group’s governance model.
In the variable remuneration model, the total amount is based on profits achieved over the past two years. Variable remuneration cannot exceed 50 per cent of fixed salary for members of the group management team. DNB does not offer other long-term incentive schemes for its employees.
Read more about risk management and the remuneration scheme under Corporate governance.
WHAT DID WE DO IN 2018?
In 2018, we continued the work to ensure compliance with the corporate standard for approval of all products and services. This “Shelf Control”, which was introduced in 2017, is meant to ensure that all products and services satisfy the requirements set by owners, customers and society at large. In the course of 2018, all products and services were reviewed, evaluated and approved, and some products were phased out. The purpose of this group standard is to ensure high quality in our portfolio of products and services, and thereby increase our competitiveness, improve our reputation and safeguard our corporate responsibility. Thus, the standard helps reduce risk in connection with individual commitments and services, as well as at group level.
The ability to balance risks and opportunities over time is also essential to the successful operation of the business, and this is followed up through our governance system. How we do this is described in more detail later in the annual report, where we have defined and described the 15 material topics we consider to be most vital for our ability to create value over time. We believe this is a good way to evaluate how we hedge against downside risk, while at the same time safeguarding the scope of opportunities related to responsible products and services. It also demonstrates how we are working to integrate corporate responsibility in all our processes. Moreover, it is natural that Group Audit assesses DNB’s work of incorporating ESG factors in credit proposals, as the Group gains more experience in this field. (See the materiality analysis and stakeholder dialogue for the 15 topics below.)
In the efforts to see risks and opportunities in a long-term perspective, we are particularly pleased with our work with the updated materiality analysis, which includes a wide range of topics, all related to the bank’s core business. Linking sustainability closely with business operations also makes it easier to define specific goals and ambitions for the various topics in the course of the year.
THE WAY FORWARD
In 2019, we will continue to focus on strengthening the work related to general risk appetite in the Group’s various business areas and support units.
STAKEHOLDER DIALOGUE AND MATERIALITY ANALYSIS
DNB is in a key position to and thus also has a particular responsibility to assert a positive influence in the areas that are most closely related to the core business. To assess which topics that are strategically important for the bank’s long-term value creation, seen in the context of the expectations from our various stakeholders within the different topics, DNB has developed an updated materiality analysis. This analysis is a tool that helps us define the areas where we can make the greatest difference in society and that support our long-term value creation. Moreover, our goals of creating the best customer experiences and delivering on financial targets form a foundation for the analysis.
As part of the work with the materiality analysis, and with including input from stakeholders in decision-making processes, an ongoing stakeholder dialogue is an important part of the operations. In the course of 2018, we have therefore engaged in dialogue with customers, employees, shareholders, the authorities and other relevant stakeholders in society. Through various meeting places, we have received a lot of input and gained a greater understanding of what our stakeholders expect of us, as well as the areas where it is particularly important that we deliver.
The figure below presents the results of the stakeholder dialogue and the Group’s internal materiality analysis. The topics identified here are the most significant topics for DNB as a company.
>Materiality matrix
DNB IN SOCIETY
With significant loan and investment portfolios, a broad customer base, a large range of financial services and products as well as several thousand dedicated employees, DNB has a broad role in society both in Norway and internationally.
We manage a substantial investment portfolio both for our customers and for the bank itself. Customers expect our investment activities to be responsible. Responsible and sustainable investments imply taking environmental, social and economic conditions into account and ensuring sound corporate governance in investment management. As an investor, DNB can assert influence through our selection of investment objects, exclusion and active ownership. To be a responsible investor is not just about what to select or exclude, but also about having a dialogue with and setting requirements for the companies.
With over two million personal customers, we want to make a contribution by offering great services to and sharing knowledge with the Norwegian people. We want to assist the personal customers through the various stages of life and generally help them to manage their own finances. Furthermore, we can assert influence through offering sustainable mutual funds and products, thus making it easier for customers to make sustainable choices.
As a lender, DNB shall contribute to a sustainable development of society. Responsible business practices with an emphasis on environmental, social and corporate factors are important in the decision about which customers to fund. Risk factors related to corporate responsibility must be analysed and emphasised on an equal footing to other risk drivers in the credit process. Requirements for both new and existing customers, as well as an ongoing dialogue about challenges and opportunities related to the companies’ own corporate responsibility, are means to guide customers in the right direction. As Norway’s largest bank, DNB has an important role to play in helping the Norwegian business community gain access to capital. Business loans are an important source of growth and profitability for companies, but we can also contribute beyond pure lending.
By enabling corporate customers to raise equity and debt capital, we are an important contributor to growth and value creation in Norway and the business community at large. Advisory services related to restructuring, acquisitions and mergers help promote growth and change. Through the NXT concept, we connect ideas and companies with capital at an early stage, and offer advisory services to entrepreneurs. The restructuring of Norway also requires private capital to be put to work to promote future growth and value creation. DNB has Norway’s largest network of entrepreneurs and startups, as well as the country’s largest network of investors. Through our role, we enable the members of these networks to meet. It is when ideas and capital meet that future value and jobs are created.
Furthermore, a good financial infrastructure is necessary for money, transactions and information to flow seamlessly between the different parties, and for customers’ assets and data to be safe and secure. From a social perspective, an effective and secure infrastructure is critical for maintaining financial stability and trust in the financial system. The infrastructure must therefore constantly be further developed in line with the technological advances. Because of our size, we are an important participant in the financial community’s traditional cooperation, whose objective is to ensure that the Norwegian payment infrastructure is world-class.
As a large company in a Norwegian perspective, DNB also has an important role as an employer. Our employees are critical to the success of our strategy and long-term contribution to society, and it is through their skills, motivation and actions that corporate responsibility can be integrated in all processes and decisions. In 2018, we have therefore focused a lot on enhancing the employees’ skills related to corporate responsibility in general and in their individual business areas and support units.