CIB has successfully implemented a progressive, multi-pronged growth strategy that has allowed the Bank to consistently and sustainably deliver value to its shareholders. The primary objective of this strategy has been to create a nimble organization capable of proactively identifying actionable market trends and adapting to a broad range of macro circumstances. CIB’s success in attaining this objective is demonstrated by its proven ability to withstand and capitalize on external shocks in a manner that sets it apart from peer institutions.
Since its IPO in 1993 CIB has become a trusted bellwether of the broader Egyptian market. CIB’s leading institutional banking platform provides it with exposure to a broad cross-section of Egypt’s large and diverse business ecosystem. With clients ranging from multinational corporations to SMEs, the Bank’s institutional portfolio covers all sectors of the Egyptian economy, which is underpinned by consumer demand from a young, mobile and rapidly growing population – the largest in the MENA region.
The central pillars of CIB’s strategy include the use of pragmatic balance sheet management to profitably grow the Bank’s asset base, increase its market share across product categories and cheaply optimize its funding structure. Similar emphasis is laid on the development of a customer-centric business model that further strengthens CIB’s brand equity, as well as on engendering a culture of operational efficiency through digital innovation and prudent cost management. Finally, CIB has reaped the gains from a heavy investment in human capital, with a special focus on its professionals’ training and development.
Over several decades, CIB has painstakingly worked to earn and leverage the trust of the Egyptian market. This has enabled the CIB to construct the largest asset base among its private sector peers, with the Bank enjoying particularly broad institutional footprint. Throughout, CIB has maintained a commitment to building the market’s highest-quality asset portfolio: an average ROAA of 3% over the past 5 years has made CIB into Egypt’s most profitable private bank by a considerable margin. Meanwhile, world-class risk management practices have ensured that profitable growth is achieved without compromising sustainability, implying an NPL ratio consistently below the market average: CIB enjoys credit ratings of B+ from Fitch, B from S&P and B3 from Moody’s.
The past decade has seen CIB work to put its deposit base on a surer footing by expanding the Bank’s retail footprint. While historically centered on institutional banking operations, today CIB operates a world class consumer banking franchise, with its 1.5 million retail clients trusting the Bank with the largest deposit base among private institutions. A focus on short-term, local currency deposits has played to the Bank’s competitive advantages by yielding consistent decreases in its cost of funding.
CIB has developed a customer-centric business model that sets it apart from its peers. The Bank has adopted a customer relationship model that generates the insights and data needed to originate superior financial products tailored to specific client requirements. Besides offering a comprehensive suite of bundled financial solutions and value-added services, CIB has implemented Egypt’s most successful retail segmentation strategy, with its CIB Wealth and CIB Plus programs consistently generating superior value.
CIB has consistently pioneered innovation in Egypt’s banking sector and has constructed a leading position in digital banking services. CIB’s suite of digital services ranges from a world-class online platform to Egypt’s most widely used Smart Wallet, yielding the market’s highest mobile payment activity rate. In an as-yet cash-dominated economy, around 93% of all transactions executed on CIB platforms are completed using the Bank’s digital channels. While enabling greater automation of functions, this digital focus has spurred the development of the market’s most sophisticated analytics and data management tools, driving value creation through such features as an intelligent product recommendation system and credit card purchase behavior segmentation.
In line with CIB’s commitment towards building a safe operational environment, cyber and information security are areas of major priority at the Bank. CIB’s security and governance policies are aligned with international standards and best practices. The Bank holds multiple international qualifications in the area of cybersecurity and has established multiple departments dedicated to ensuring that CIB maintains its information security posture status. Launched in 2017, the Bank’s Cybersecurity Operations Center is the first function of its kind in the Egyptian market and is responsible for monitoring and responding to cybersecurity threats on an ongoing basis.
CIB strives to attract and retain Egypt’s best financial talent. From the branch to the managerial level, the Bank invests heavily in employee education, providing access to some of the finest in-house training programs in the MENA region, and frequently sponsors further education at Egyptian and international institutions. CIB’s Board of Directors works to align employee and shareholder interests to the greatest extent possible, with innovative incentive packages and profit-sharing schemes helping bind its professionals to the Bank’s value proposition.
A commitment to sound corporate governance continues to define CIB. Supported by internal and external auditors, the Bank’s diverse and highly qualified Board of Directors works diligently to ensure that CIB develops and implements international best practices in corporate governance, with seven committees governed by well-defined charters that set out the Board’s responsibilities. CIB continually invests in further improvements to its business continuity capabilities and was the first private Egyptian bank to obtain ISO22301 certification.
Moving forward, CIB will work to further optimize its commercial activities. With nearly 80% of Egyptian adults still unbanked, CIB retains significant room for retail growth as the banking sector and the government renew a push to achieve comprehensive financial inclusion. The Bank will capitalize on its comprehensive suite of physical and digital channels to further refine Egypt’s most frictionless banking experience, while reaching ever more communities across the nation. On the institutional front, CIB will leverage its data-driven competitive advantages to continuously grow its market share.
Over the coming period, CIB will work to expand its geographical footprint beyond the Bank’s Egyptian base, with a focus on sub-Saharan Africa. Pioneering Egypt’s financial presence on the continent, CIB has already established a toehold in the region, with a representative office in Ethiopia and the successful acquisition of Kenya's Mayfair Bank. Recent years have seen a significant movement to liberalize banking practices in sub-Saharan Africa, which boasts the world’s youngest population, a rapidly growing economy and increasing demand for quality financial services. CIB will leverage its knowhow and digital infrastructure to generate sustainable value across its new geographies, while repurposing the continent’s digital innovations for profitable introduction to the Egyptian market.