the current name Veneto Banca was adopted, following the acquisition of Banca di Credito Cooperativo del Piave e del Livenza.
The choice of new name is not accidental. Veneto Banca's mission is already evident in its name: to keep the connection with the local area strong, whilst at the same time, broadening its own scope . The recently built futuristic Head Office just outside Montebelluna, in the province of Treviso, is concrete proof of the Institution's intention to maintain its independence, "with both its head and its heart in its area of origin", as President Flavio Trinca and General Director Vincenzo Consoli affirm. The complex, opened on 8th October 2004, covers an area of 63,862 square meters, and houses the offices of the President and Management as well as 400 employees.
Autonomy and expansion characterise the history of Veneto Banca. Independence is a bold choice, and contrary to the trend with regard to a banking system which increasingly leans toward amalgamation. At the same time, the desire to grow, by finding the right competitive size, allows us to take advantage of a number of opportunities presented by the market. In September 2000, there was the acquisition of Banca Italo Romena and in April 2001, the acquisition of Banca di Bergamo. In December 2002 the acquisition of Banca Meridiana was concluded. In February 2005 the acquisition of Banca del Garda by the Credem Group was finalised, strengthening the presence of the Bank in the Verona region.
The Bank's target customers, made up of companies (in particular, small and medium enterprises), entities and households, have made it necessary to expand and diversify the offer, also enriching it with insurance and financial products and services. Falling under this strategy of offer expansion are, the formation of Claris Assicurazioni (1998) and of Veneto Ireland Financial Services (1999); the subsidiaries Claris Factor (1990), Claris Broker (2000) and Claris Leasing (2001). The investments, held from 2000, in Palladio Finanziaria, (one of the leading companies in Italy in the merchant banking sector) and in Sintesi 2000 (an international consulting company), were very interesting, as well as those made by the Austrian group Uniqa in insurance company Uniqa Previdenza.
Thus, Veneto Banca finds itself at the head of a Banking Group which operates in the bancassurance sector, in merchant banking, in specialised business consultancy, as well as in leasing, factoring and insurance brokerage.
Relying on its experience in Romania, the bank invests in Eastern Europe, in countries with high development potential and where there is a strong presence of Italian entrepreneurs. In 2006 Veneto Banca acquired control of Eximbank in Moldova and of Gospodarsko Kreditna Banka - given a new name Veneto Banka - in Croatia.
