Group – History

The Second World War was a period in which Pocztowa Kasa Oszczędności’s activity came to a standstill and it suffered huge losses.

• Pocztowa Kasa Oszczędności was transformed into Powszechna Kasa Oszczędności.
• The Banking Law Act introduced a privilege for saving deposits held in Powszechna Kasa Oszczędności; they were covered by a State guarantee.
• Powszechna Kasa Oszczędności introduced a modern product: a current account.
• In the years 1975–1987, Powszechna Kasa Oszczędności was merged into the structures of the National Bank of Poland (NBP), yet it retained its identity.

• The first Internet information portal of the Bank and the first e-PKO Internet branch were launched.
• PKO Towarzystwo Funduszy Inwestycyjnych S.A. (PKO TFI S.A.) began its operations.
• PKO BP BANKOWY PTE S.A. was formed.
• Bankowy Fundusz Leasingowy S.A. (currently PKO Leasing S.A.) was formed which provides operating and finance leases of non-current assets and property.
• PKO Bank Polski S.A., as one of the founders, formed Centrum Elektronicznych Usług Płatniczych eService S.A. (currently CEUP eService sp. z o.o.).
• In 2000, the Bank was transformed into a joint-stock company fully-owned by the State Treasury under the name Powszechna Kasa Oszczędności Bank Polski Spółka Akcyjna (PKO Bank Polski S.A.).

• The Bank acquired Inteligo Financial Services S.A., a company that provides services covering the maintenance and development of banking systems, also including electronic access to bank accounts (Inteligo account).
• The Bank acquired 66.65% shares in KREDOBANK S.A. The company is registered and operates in Ukraine. At present, the Bank holds 100% of shares in the company’s share capital.
• In 2004, PKO Bank Polski S.A. was floated on the WSE. At the end of the first day of quotations, shares reached a price of PLN 24.50 against the issue price fixed at PLN 20.50.
• PKO BP Faktoring S.A. (currently PKO Faktoring S.A.) began operating.

• 2013–2015 strategy: “PKO Bank Polski. Every day the best” strengthened the position of the Bank’s Group as a leader in key market segments.
• In 2013, PKO Bank Polski S.A. set a new standard of mobile payments – IKO. The innovative solution on the market of mobile payments was used to create the BLIK payment system in 2015, which became a standard on the Polish market.
• The Bank signed an agreement for a twenty-year strategic alliance in the electronic payment market with EVO Payments International Acquisition GmbH, and at the same time sold a significant portion of shares in CEUP eService sp. z o.o.
• PKO Bank Hipoteczny S.A. was formed. Its operations include issuing long-term mortgage covered bonds and granting long-term mortgage loans to retail customers.
• PKO Bank Polski S.A. acquired shares in the Nordea Group companies, including shares in Nordea Bank Polska S.A., and a portfolio of amounts due from corporate customers. In October 2014, the merger of the banks was carried out.
• PKO Towarzystwo Ubezpieczeń S.A. was formed. The Company provides property insurance services to the retail customers of PKO Bank Polski S.A.
• PKO Bank Polski S.A. started its expansion into foreign markets and established its first foreign branch abroad (in Frankfurt-am-Main in the Federal Republic of Germany).

• PKO Bank Polski S.A. implemented the strategy for 2016-2020 “We support the development of Poland and the Poles” and strategy for 2020-2022 “PKO Bank of the Future”.
• PKO Leasing S.A. – the Bank’s subsidiary – acquired Raiffeisen-Leasing Polska S.A. and Prime Car Management S.A. (with their subsidiaries). This allowed PKO Leasing S.A. to strengthen its position on the lease market, as well as to extend its offer of car fleet management services and rental of cars.
• The Bank’s Group acquired KBC TFI S.A. and the merger with PKO TFI S.A. helped additionally accelerate the rapid development of PKO TFI S.A., and strengthened its leading position in the retail funds segment.
• The Bank’s portfolio of investment projects expanded by Operator Chmury Krajowej sp. z o.o. (cloud computing services), which was joined by another shareholder – Polski Fundusz Rozwoju S.A.
• The Bank established an investment fund managed by PKO TFI S.A. under the business name PKO VC, which pursues an appropriate policy for a venture capital funds and invests in financial technological innovations.
• PKO Bank Polski S.A. continued its development abroad and established a corporate branch in Prague (the Czech Republic) and in Bratislava (the Slovak Republic).
• According to the Inteliace Research report, PKO Bank Polski S.A. was the largest bank in the CEE region in terms of assets in 2020.

• In June 2022, PKO Bank Polski S.A. and 7 other banks established a system for the protection of commercial banks to ensure the liquidity and solvency of its participants, as well as to support the resolution regime carried out by the Bank Guarantee Fund (BGF).
• In the first half of 2023, a branch in Romania was opened. The operational launch of the Bucharest branch is planned for 2024.
• PKO Bank Polski S.A. has been implementing its strategy for 2023-2025 „Prepared for the challenges, focused on the future”. The strategy involves leveraging the Bank Group’s competitive advantages: the scale of operations, digital and technological advancement as well as security and stability. The Bank’s efforts will be focused on people – customers and employees, as well as innovation and technology.