SHB has been awarded by Global Banking and Finance Review – an online portal in finance and banking of UK – with “Fastest Growing Retail Bank” and “Best SMEs Bank” in Vietnam in 2013.

“Fastest Growing Retail Bank” selection criteria include: growth in retail distribution network, customer base, income from retail business, retail products and services, and retail technology. “Best SMEs Bank” selection criteria include commitments, preferences, initiatives and solutions to support SMEs in the context of the difficult international and domestic economy.

After 20 years of establishment, SHB always targets to become a leading modern multi-functional retail bank in Vietnam by 2015. In order to realize this target, SHB has continuously expanded its business and network with focus given on retail banking. Recently, the successful acquisition of Habubank has helped SHB to not only expand its retail distribution network but also to expand its market share, customer base, and diversification of products and services offered to individual and SMEs customers.

As of 30/6/2013, SHB’s retail network has expanded country-wide and in the region with almost 329 branches and sub-branches in Vietnam and 02 overseas branches in the South East Asia region (Laos and Cambodia), being one of the bank with the largest network and the fastest network growth in Vietnam. Currently, total number of customers having transactions with SHB has reached almost 2 million customers, in which the highest growths are in the individual and SMEs customer segments. Apart from that, with an updated modern IT platform, SHB can offer the best products and services to each retail customer segment meeting every diverse demand, combining between traditional and innovative retail products. In the future, retail customers shall continue to be targeted customers of SHB.

In recent time, although the economy is still experiencing difficulties and SMEs are still facing with many difficulties in accessing funds to finance their business, SHB commits to accompany them in preferential programs specially designed for SMEs, such as: Low-interest rate credit program offered to SMEs and business households in agricultural and export sectors with total credit line of VND 15,000 billion; Medium and Long Term Credit Program with Preferential interest rates offered to SMEs, etc.  Besides, SHB also takes up many initiatives and solutions to support SMEs such as: corporate finance advisory service, assisting companies in seeking clients and sales markets to help them increase their business efficiency and repayment capacity, loan rescheduling, company restructuring, etc. Those solutions have helped not only to increase SHB’s credit quality in particular but also to develop the SMEs sector in Vietnam in general.

In 2012, SHB proved to be the bank with the fastest growth in retail network and in retail customer base. In addition, income from retail business has also increased tremendously, and is taking a growing share in total income of SHB. Retail products are diversified, meeting the most sophisticated needs of clients. The bank has also constantly come up with initiatives and solutions to support SMEs in the right time of the economy…

Those facts and figures has convinced judging team of Global Banking and Finance Review to select SHB among many other qualified Vietnamese banks as “Fastest Growing Retail Bank” and “Best SMEs Bank” in Vietnam in 2013. Those two awards are deserving recognition of SHB’s efforts and achievements in retail banking and SME banking businesses./.