On 28 November 2007, the Financial Times granted awards to a number of banks in various categories. The Danske Bank Group received the award “Bank of the Year Denmark”.
An eventful year
The past year has been quite an eventful period for the Danske Bank Group. The acquisition of Sampo Bank, the merger of Danske Bank and BG Bank in Denmark as well as the introduction of new products have been a real challenge.
Therefore, it was a great pleasure for Peter John Hughes, Danske Bank’s head of the London Branch, to receive the award in recognition of the Group’s achievements. The award is one of many presented once a year by The Banker, a Financial Times magazine. 
Acquisition of bank and merger of two banks
Brian Caplen, Editor of The Banker, pointed out that the acquisition of Sampo Bank and the merger of the two Danish banks were of paramount importance for the jury’s decision, but another key feature was the Bank’s considerable increase of its product range to retail customers as well as international businesses.
Economies of scale mean more competitive rates and fees
Peter Straarup, Chairman of the Executive Board of the Danske Bank Group, comments on the award to the Financial Times: “We’ve made our largest acquisition ever to obtain a solid market position in Finland and gain a foothold in the Baltic markets. In addition, we’ve merged our two bank brands in Denmark into an even stronger unit.
Finally, we’ve achieved economies of scale that allow us to offer our customers highly competitive rates and fees. For example, we’ve launched high-interest current accounts and no-fee accounts with international credit cards free of charge in Denmark. Outside Denmark, we offer our customers similar solutions. Therefore, I’m obviously delighted to receive this award in recognition of our efforts.”
Published on December 3, 2007