Our Values

PrudenceProviding safe and sustainable services and value to our stakeholders.

PrOfessiOnalismExceeding our clients’ highest expectations.

integritYRemaining transparent, honest, unbiased, and trustworthy no matter what.

imPrOVementConstantly improving our processes and services using the best available technologies.

PerfOrmanceSeeking the highest standards to achieve balanced, stable and secure growth.

stewardshiPProtecting and improving the well-being of our people, our community and the environment.

abOut this reView

This review highlights some of our activities in the priority areas of corporate responsibility, mainly in the field of eco-nomic, social and governance practices, and emphasizes our commitment to provide a dignified and equitable envi-ronment at both the internal and external levels ofthe organisation.

Our cOrPOrate sOcial resPOnsibilitY strategY

BLOM BANK is a leading Lebanese Bank, offering universal banking services that revolve around trust and credibility. Our corporate social responsibility strategy supports the bank’s core purpose of helping customers become financially better off, bringing thus economic and social development in the communities where it operates along with stability and comfort.

• On December 26, 2014, BLOM BANK joined the UN Global Compact committing to respect its ten principles, to take action in support of UN Goals and to submit annually a Communication on Progress.

• In April 2015, the Board of Directors approved the establishment of a “Corporate Social Responsibility Committee” which is an advisory and consultative body with a primary purpose of assisting the Board of Directors in fulfilling its oversight responsibilities in relation to the Bank’s social responsibility policies and programs, and the Bank’s social re-sponsibility performance.

message frOm the chairman

Since its establishment, the Bank’s conservative strategy and prudent risk management have led us to never compromise on quality for the sake of quantity. Today, we know that a successful business can only be achieved with the highest integrity and ethics, and by integrating economic, social and governance practices into our day-to-day business activities.

By its very nature, our business has a direct economic and social impact across our geographic footprints. We believe that CSR is

the new business model where measuring success goes beyond financial results. Today it is measured by customer satisfaction, employees’ engagement, strong governance practices and support for the communities we serve.

We have an impact on the economy whether by providing credit to large companies that employ many people or supporting individual enterprises with business loans. Our customers count on us for day-to-day banking services and consumer loans, for providing them easy, flexible and safe access to payment systems and processes, and for making banking accessible to all parts of the community.

Furthermore, our social programs reflect our community commitments, whether to our beloved nation through the “Giving Card” demining program, to our future generations through the “BLOM shabeb” program or to our environment through the “Green Cycle” program.

To support governance and ethical leadership, we committed ourselves to the highest standards of corporate governance beyond corporate laws and regulations, and by becoming the first Lebanese bank to sign the Investors for Governance and Integrity Declaration.

The successful and consistent delivery of our corporate responsibility promise couldn’t be achieved without our dedicated management team and staff. Our continuous training and awareness-raising activities for our employees make sure that each one acts professionally, ethically and with the utmost integrity. We recognize that our human resources are the prime stakeholders in the institution, and we aim accordingly to treat all employees in the most equitable manner; in this respect, this puts our staff in no doubt as to their importance to our societal commitments.

We will continue to work closely with all our stakeholders, and will constantly review how to innovate further and explore new opportunities to bring Peace of Mind to our society in an ethical and responsible way.

Saad AzhARI, Chairman and General Manager

assisted

1,025 cOmPanies PaY salaries tO

200,552PersOns

helPed

10,081 start their life tOgether thrOugh Our

wedding PrOgram

cleared

228,207 m2

frOm

landmines

helPed

1,315entrePreneurs

254grOuP branches/OutletsPresent in 13 countries throughoutthe middle east and euroPe

650,000custOmers

whO we are

4,776 emPlOYees

helPed 115,000 PersOns

in their saVings

serVed custOmers

1,700 hOurs mOrethan Other banks bY OPening till 5 Pm

203,933 students benefited frOm OurblOm shabeb PrOgram

financed

1,931sOlar Panels

mOre than

7.77 milliOn transactiOns were annuallY PerfOrmed On Our atms

*as at end of sePtemBer 2015

Our custOmers at the heart Of Our bank

Customers want good services, assistance for their financial needs, and benefits that meet their expectations. They want a bank they can trust which gives them the tools to manage their money better and in a secure way. We aim to provide that with the right products and services, but also by ensuring that we know their feedback and act accordingly and by never compromising on security and safety. We perform periodic surveys and ask whether they would recommend BLOM BANK, and follow up with those that wouldn’t to find out why. Customers have great ideas about service, so we listen to them carefully and believe in their right to Peace of Mind. This is how in fact many products have been developed such as Oumniyati and the Full Option Account.

OumniYati

Some clients are keen on the importance of saving for unplanned situations, but face the problem of not benefiting from interests on small amounts. The Oumniyati time deposit savings account was designed to provide them with interest on small amounts, allowing low and medium income individuals to save as little as USD 50 or LBP 75,000 at a preferential rate, thus encouraging small depositors to take advantage of our banking services.

full OPtiOn accOunt

Our customers are pleased with the planned payment schedules they have chosen, as this will help them plan and control their financials. however, they also admit that sometimes some unforeseen situations bring them to overdraw for a period of time putting them at unease before the bank. BLOM BANK proposed thus the Full Option Account with every loan and salary domiciliation, granting them an overdraft that provides them with more flexibility, convenience and liquidity so they don’t have to worry about slipping in the red.

adaPtabilitY

As customers want a Bank that can adapt to their long working schedules and provide convenient services, BLOM BANK became in 2012 the first Lebanese Bank to extend its working hours from 8:00 am till 5:00 pm all week long and in all its branches. Moreover, and to ensure a 24/7 service to our customers, BLOM BANK’s call center is available 24-hours a day all year long to receive any request, feedback or complaint and assist all clients accordingly.

cOnVenient technOlOgY

Technology in the banking sector is critical in improving efficiencies and enhancing the customer experience. In a field survey done in 2014 with Nielsen, when clients were asked why they think banks use innovation, 35% replied that the Bank’s innovations should be driven by the care to provide better services and 33% by the need to increase efficiency. This survey confirmed our thinking about technology.

With the eCASh service we were able to go beyond the standard usage of ATMs allowing even the non-clients to benefit from our technology without the need for a bank account. The eCASh is a person-to-person cardless payment service through our ATMs in which a customer can choose to make a payment in real-time to another person. After choosing the recipient, amount and currency, the eCASh code is generated and instantly sent to the recipient’s email address knowing that the recipient does not need to have an account with the Bank. The recipient will need to go to the nearest BLOM BANK ATM is Lebanon, enter the code, amount and currency and withdraw his/her cash.

addressing custOmer cOncerns

At BLOM BANK we adhere by all law, rules, and regulations set by Banque du Liban (BDL), but also go beyond that to better serve our customers. The latest example is the 134 Circular issued by BDL regarding the Principles of Banking and Financial Operations with Customers, as we went beyond this circular by enhancing our 24/7 call center and adding the Live Chat option where the clients can inquire about any banking matter live anytime and anywhere in the world.

Moreover, as our objective is to guarantee safe transactions and respond to our customers concerns regarding security, we make sure that any technology-based service achieves regulatory compliance and ensures data security and systems resiliency. So we have introduced different authentication methods to protect the customer’s digital identity. For example, customers accessing the eBlom Portal shall need to authenticate themselves using a two-factor authentication method, including the customer’s username and password which are part of the credentials that a customer know, and an SMS base OTP which is the other part of the credentials that the customer would need to retrieve from his mobile phone.

Moreover, BLOM BANK offers a real-time alerting system based on delivering SMS to customers’ mobile phones to instantly inform them about movements on their accounts or cards and about selected debit transactions effected on their accounts.

Our emPlOYees Our mOst Valuable asset

Our success is based on the skills, knowledge and commitment of our employees. Through their efforts, they continue to maintain and improve the Bank’s status as a major player in the regional financial markets.

BLOM BANK offers a variety of career opportunities for professionals and graduates as well. Our people are the key to achieving our vision of being the leader in client relationships, which is why we work hard to create an environment where all employees can excel, and we continuously educate and train our staff and recognize their work. For instance, the Bank offers focused training programs designed to develop high potential staff with exceptional performance and high levels of competence. These programs prepare qualified employees who are chosen for them to achieve a leadership role within BLOM BANK.

rewards

Our employees are rewarded for their hard work with fair and competitive compensation, flexible benefits and access to ongoing skills and career development. Furthermore, the management periodically choses the employee of the month who has demonstrated service excellence in his/her department.

1,151,905 training hOursPerfOrmed in the grOuP

diVersitY and inclusiOn

People at BLOM BANK are treated with the utmost respect in a culture that strives on fairness, ethics and transparency. BLOM BANK prohibits discrimination of any type and offers equal opportunities to all its employees without regard to sex, religion, ethnical background, age or disability.

gender

(BLOM BANK Lebanon employees)

emPlOYees benefits

BLOM BANK is aware of the significance of investing in its employees and keeping them motivated. In addition to investing in their training and education, the Bank ensures employees’ access to a variety of benefits and facilities such as special interest rates, medical coverage, guaranteed eligibility for preferred medical coverage upon retirement, profit sharing, special allowances…

sOcial actiVities engagement

BLOM BANK, being a large institution with over 2,000 employees in Lebanon alone and focusing on the wellbeing of its employees, encourages them to participate in various social activities organized by the bank such as: BLOM Basketball Team (Males), BLOM Basketball Team (Females), BLOM Football Team, BLOM Running Team and BLOM Band – the bank’s musical talents unite to create oriental and acoustic melodies, noting that this band volunteers to perform entertainments for several NGOs. These activities give also employees the opportunity to mingle after working hours creating thus a better teamwork spirit at work.

safetY and securitY first

All within its motto of bringing safety and security to stakeholders, at both external and internal levels, the management has developed a hotline program which aims at strengthening the fraud policy and the code of conduct. The purpose of the hotline is to ensure that every employee should be able to report his/her concerns (violations, fraud, abuse, discrimination, harassment…) to an independent authority from his immediate supervisor. The main objectives of the hotline are:

- Demonstrate management’s zero tolerance attitude- Identify and resolve issues early- Reduce liability and demonstrate due diligence- Provide a risk-free way to voice concerns

On another level, it is the Bank’s duty to keep raising its employees’ awareness on security threats. It thus launched Information Security Awareness Campaigns to address and prevent security threats and pro-actively monitor systems’ activity by implementing advanced preventive and detective controls.

53%males

47%females

Our cOmmunitY Our sOcial cOmmitment

For BLOM BANK, our responsibility as a corporate citizen is not only about charity donations; it is also about making positive investment decisions that maintain a sustainable balance between society and our business. Our mission is to provide Peace of Mind, to our clients and to the society at large, through the implementation of various programs in the banking field that serve the community.

beirut traders shOPPing carda card like no other

An example that we are quite proud of is being able to give small retailers the possibility to be part of co-branded programs through the Beirut Traders Shopping Card, providing them thus with the liquidity and loyalty solutions to their customers that only large retailers where able to give. This card encompasses the largest network of retailers’ offers in Lebanon (we began with 500 retailers and the number has now increased to 1000) and is linked to a special loyalty program from which both retailers and customers can benefit. With this program, we are reducing the gap between large and small retailers.

blOm shabeb a comPrehensive Youth orientation Program

Based on our belief that the youth of today can shape tomorrow’s world, we have established a program to guarantee a successful future and career path to the pillars of our society. BLOM shabeb Program is a comprehensive platform that helps the Lebanese young generation plan their education and facilitate their career choice to ensure a successful future. The program provides indispensable information needed to create a suitable medium for a beneficial discussion between students, professors and parents concerning academic decisions and future careers. It also provides frequent job fairs, career events, and work-related workshops to enhance the marketability and labor market options of graduates.

Furthermore, as our business remains that of helping the youth become financially independent and knowledgeable, we embarked into enhancing the financial literacy of youth.

Within the same scope of activities, BLOM BANK embraced a new endeavor in 2013: Protect ED program, which is a Canadian program adapted to meet Lebanon’s specific cultural and safety needs, and offers kids preventative, proactive, and innovative safety education.

With a focus on physical safety, road safety, ethics, good citizenship and internet safety, Protect ED builds confidence, reduces risks, and protects the future of our children. This is why BLOM BANK is proud to have contributed in spreading more “Peace of Mind” to the community and the country as a whole.

demining PrOgrama noBle cause for a safer nation

BLOM BANK chose the demining cause because we believe in the right of communities to recovery, freedom and development. Therefore, we have introduced in 2010, the BLOM MasterCard “Giving Card”, a first of its kind program in the world. In collaboration with the Lebanon Mine Action Center, a unit in the Lebanese Army, the BLOM “Giving Card” assists in the removal of mines and cluster bombs from the Lebanese territories. Donations are made whenever BLOM MasterCard Giving cardholders pay the card’s annual fee and whenever they use their cards for purchases or for cash withdrawals without bearing any extra cost.

What is also remarkable about the “Giving Card” initiative is that it embodies three goals that are highly valued in our reputed programs of Corporate Social Responsibility. First, and most important, is the humanitarian goal of providing a living space that is free of the instruments of death and killing, and available again for a life full of dignity and hope. Second is the social goal of clearing these areas where people can socialize freely again and contribute to a safe, peaceful, and humane community. Third is the economic goal of enabling the land to be productive again and be a source of income and creativity, and ready to be utilized for housing, commercial, industrial, agricultural, or cultural purposes. All three goals reinforce our belief in the program and motivate us to give more and work harder to achieve them.

suPPOrting startuPsa strong Believe in entrPreneurshiP

Tech startup firms are especially appreciated for their job creation benefits and resilience to economic downturns when jobs are less available and entrepreneurship becomes more tempting. Yet, they are the ones facing most difficulties when it comes to financing. BLOMINVEST BANK, the investment arm of BLOM BANK, was part of a national scheme to inject $400Mn in knowledge/technology related local startups, in accordance to Circular 331 issued by Banque du Liban. The initiative guarantees 75% of commercial banks’ investment in startup companies and incentivizes banks to finance and partner into promising projects in the ICT/knowledge sector with the ultimate aim of transforming successful ideas into investment opportunities. BLOMINVEST BANK was actively involved in the structure, placement, and closing of three funds: MEVP Impact Fund, Berytech Fund II and Leap Investments I. Moreover, BLOMINVEST is proud to put its employees’ expertise at the service of each entrepreneur looking for advice and asking for assessment.

Our enVirOnment a green beginning Since 2011, BLOM BANK began taking serious actions to shift towards a green environment. The Bank’s aim was first to reduce its wasteful impact on the environment and then encourage green activities across the bank.

The first action was to actively reduce paper at the internal level, so we have set a number of “Best Practices” that have remarkable impact on paper reduction while requiring a minimal effort from our staff. We decreased the number of printers in the bank and encouraged double sided printing which is now the default setting for all computers. Furthermore, we stopped the generation of several reports and advices that no longer serve our business needs.

As for used papers, we have signed an agreement with “T.E.R.R.E Liban” for paper recycling. This initiative aims at making consumed paper beneficial to the environment. Keep in mind that every 1 ton of paper delivered to “T.E.R.R.E Liban” grants BLOM BANK 4 trees to be planted anywhere! Our goal for 2015 is to have zero growth in paper consumption for all departments and branches and further promote a paper saving environment at BLOM BANK, noting that the consumption of continuous paper has dropped by 30% from 2014 till 2015. The Bank has also reduced its energy consumption since 2013 and has switched to economic bulbs in 2014 and optimized the lighting control in our offices. For instance, the bulb of 50 WATTS was replaced by the 5 WATTS for a decrease of 90% consumption, noting that the lifetime of the bulb has increased by 5 times bringing more beauty and clarity to our offices.

cOrPOrate gOVernancesafeguarding the interestsOf stakehOlders Corporate Social Responsibility is all about implementing good practices in the core business of the institution and going beyond rules and regulations set by the official bodies to better serve all environments. As our objective is to guarantee safe transactions and investments for our stakeholders, BLOM BANK is the first bank in the Arab World to sign the Investors for Governance and Integrity (IGI) Declaration, committing thus to implement the Governance and Integrity Rating guidelines and recommendations into its own ownership policies and practices; and work to further the advancement of good corporate governance practices, thus contributing to the safety of the financial environment in Lebanon. This was the perfect opportunity to demonstrate our commitment to mitigate any risk that would harm stakeholders and to create awareness on how adherence to best practices in class corporate governance could be a winning strategy for listed banks.

Our objective is to promote Lebanon as a safe investment destination where shareholders rights are protected and to become the leading country in terms of accountability, transparency and shareholder’s protection. Our ambition is to lead by example, making corporate governance not only our Bank’s comparative advantage but an added value that will improve the competitiveness of our country. The Bank will continue to develop its Corporate Governance practices as well as its governance structure in line with the latest regulatory requirements and international best practices, while seeking to protect minority shareholders’ rights and enhance stakeholders’ interests.

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