VICTORIA COMMERCIAL BANK

V ICTORI A CO M M E R C I A L B A N K

Displaying local agility across a global footprint www.turnerandtownsend.com

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Kenyan A CREDIT TO

Banking Victoria Commercial Bank has overcome a challenging end to 2015 by maintaining the pivotal relationships, core workforce and proactive approach to capital investments that have proved so successful over its history Writer: Matthew Staff Project Manager: Callum Philp

ictoria Commercial Bank (VCB) has built upon a successful 2014 with an even more prosperous 2015 as it continues to capitalise on the positive reputation constructed within Kenya’s finance industry.

Consistently ranked within the top three institutions in the sector and country among its peer group over the past half a decade, expansion and continuous improvement are two philosophies deeply ingrained into the fabric of the Company, and have been ever since the organisation’s inception in 1987.

A consistent leadership and management model has further aided the smooth organic evolution ever since, and Chief Executive Officer, Yogesh Pattni has been there to witness it all.

“Following the start of our operations, we converted to being a fully-fledged commercial bank in 1992, offering all the banking services that come with being a commercial bank, and we have grown over the past 29 years to now have three branches, with an intention to open a fourth branch next year, and a workforce close to 60 people,” he noted back at the start of 2015.

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KENYA COMMERCE EXCHANGE SERVICE BUREAU

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enya Commerce Exchange Service Bureau is a certified SWIFT bureau offering the complete range of SWIFT services, and more than 100 banks across Africa have outsourced their SWIFT requirements to KENEX. Our team of experienced and certified engineers, coupled with our multi-site infrastructure, decade-long operational experience and value-added services are the answer to all your needs.

Our range of services includes SWIFT connectivity on shared platforms, remote gateway services and both live and business continuity management.

Our latest offering is SWIFT connectivity using cloud services for small & medium banks and micro-finance institutions.

KENEX’s software division is specialised in finance related solutions and we are well equipped to respond to any request to add to your productivity.

Victoria Fortis branch entrance

...the Kenya Commerce Exchange Services Bureau Ltd has gone a long way in aiding VCB’s development; via its broad range of software solutions and services...

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“Out of the 43 operational licensed banks in the country, we may only be around the 25th biggest but we have been ranked as the leading bank for several years in our peer group.”

Regarding the past 12 months of progression, he enthused: “The year 2015 has been largely successful with most objectives being realised and being met in spite of the difficult environment and the banking difficulties experienced in the last quarter of the year.

“We launched the VCB Master Card credit card towards the end of last year and look towards expanding our market share now in 2016. We are also looking into enhancing our internet banking platform and providing greater and more versatile services online.”

Fitting in with VCB’s longstanding philosophies, 2015 has epitomised the Company’s ability to provide tailor-made solutions and products in

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With our SWIFT Standard Operating Practise accreditation as your assurance of our quality and availability, we can offer peace of mind with our fully managed services.

T +254 20 4445354/56/60 E kenex@kenexnbi.com

www.kenexnbi.com

Solutions for borderless banking

Kenya Commerce Exchange Service Bureau is the certified SWIFT bureau that offers the complete range of the SWIFT services, eliminating the need for in-house SWIFT installation and expertise, serving 100+ banks in 15 countries.

Our solutions include: • KS-SCAN sanctions screening solutions, integrated with SAA/SAE • KPrinter document management system • SWIFT integration and messaging solutions • Anti-money laundering solutions for enterprises • Asset liability management solutions for financial institutions • Biometrics based access control and monitoring systems • ERP solutions for small enterprises • Cheque truncation and clearing solutions • Secure electronic payment systems For details of these and more solutions visit our website: www.kenexnbi.com

Contact us on; Fortis Tower, 7th Floor P.O. Box 14639-00800 WoodVale Grove Nairobi Phone: +254 20 4445354/56/60 Email: kenex@kenexnbi.com

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accordance with consumer demand, market gaps and industry fluctuations; an initiative that will also be evident across the Company’s 2016 goals which embrace technological enhancements, manpower development and improved customer service levels.

High level of service

“These investments are expected to bring in cost benefits which will result in reduced cost of business for our clients,” Pattni says in regards to the latest phase of a 29-year development which has incorporated methodical organic growth and careful monitoring of each of its branches.

Always avoiding the lure of spreading its operations too thin, the focus has always been on optimisation of its existing outlets, introducing new branches after careful deliberation.

A third was subsequently unveiled in 2014, with a fourth still earmarked for 2016; addressing societal demands in more affluent areas.

PJ DAVE GROUP

T The industry is going through a transformation in that the regulations and enforcements are becoming much more enhanced

he PJ Dave Group is a familyowned cut-flower business that grows and exports cut roses to customers around the world.

Initially beginning with the growing of vegetables, we expanded to growing roses in 1998 and we have enhanced our name and respect through continued excellence in the global market.

As a leading brand for more than a decade, our companies are located in idyllic landscapes across Kenya.

Our product range includes growing over 32 varieties of both medium and T hybrid roses and reaching out to markets throughout the world whilst also selling our range of unique, vibrant and highly popular flowers through auctions in the Netherlands.

We continue to experiment, innovate and regularly update our range of flowers so that we remain in competitive demand with our global markets.

Our growth has been achieved through heavy investment in high-end technologies, combined with a trained, skilled and experienced workforce of thousands of workers spread out over 135 hectares of greenhouses.

Affiliations The Group is officially listed with the Kenya Flower Council as a silver member and MPS – ABC, thus maintaining our standards in the floriculture industry.

Outlook PJ Dave Group is one of Kenya’s leading growers and packers of high-quality roses with a specific focus to serve our loyal customers who recognise us as one of the foremost brands to do business with. Our customer-care is personalised, swift and thorough, which is what sets us apart from both local and international contemporaries in the industry.

T +254 787 635 491 / +254 736 870 989 E marketing@pjdave.com

www.pjdave.com Yogesh Pattni, Chief Executive Officer of Victoria Commercial Bank

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grows and exports THE PJ DAVE GROUP

cut Roses

TO CUSTOMERS AROUND THE WORLD.

Our range of unique, vibrant and highly popular flowers come in various head size and lengths (from 4.5 cm head to 6.5 cms) – with globally recognised names such as; Ace Pink, Alison, Athena, Bellevue, Bellerose, Burgundy, Candlelight, Deep Purple, Dekora, Good Times, Julischka, LaBelle, Madam Red, Mariyo, Memory, Moonwalk, Nightingale, Pink Flame, Pink Rhodos, Proud, Red Ribbon, Revival, Rhodos, Roseberry, Senorita, Salambo, Tamara, Tropical Amazon, Utopia, Vanilla Sky and Wedding Bell.

PJ DAVE GROUP, PO Box 18436-00500, Nairobi, Kenya Mobile: +254 787 635 491/+254 736 870 989 Email: marketing@pjdave.com Skype: PJDaveMarketing www.pjdave.com

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MALPLAST INDUSRTIES LTD

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alplast Industries Limited is a leading manufacturer of rigid plastic packaging (PET & HDPE) used in a variety of industries, and our products range from 60ml to 20 litres in volume.

One of our key value additions is in our bespoke products starting from customised moulding to printing, to suit our customers’ specific needs.

Having grown to one of the key plastic packaging companies in East and Central Africa, Malplast Industries enjoys a large percentage share of the market in the production of P.E.T and HDPE Bottles packaging in both alcoholic and non-alcoholic packaging across sub-Saharan Africa.

T +254 20 20 16 993/4

www.malplast.co.ke Victoria Commercial Bank tailors its service offering in accordance with client requirements

“We currently have three branches and the demographics of our clients remain the same,” Pattni notes. “VCB’s focus within Kenya is still on Nairobi while reaching out into other towns as well, and while we are still considered a small sized bank, we are still one of the top performing institutions with a high level of service and a good asset portfolio.”

Continuous improvement and ongoing investments are of course a staple requirement in any successful business, but in the same way that VCB tailors its services in line with client requirements, it also tailors its expenditures in line with market trends.

Pattni continues: “The industry is going through a transformation in that the regulations and enforcements are becoming much more enhanced.

“This is a good measure for the general public but requires much more structure and controls from institutions.

As an institution we have developed

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ALAN DICK AND COMPANY

VCB’s focus within Kenya is still on Nairobi while reaching out into other towns as well, and while we are still considered a small sized bank, we are still one of the top performing institutions with a high level of service and a good asset portfolio

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lan Dick and Company (East Africa), as an affiliate of the larger Alan Dick Group, are proud to be one of the oldest and largest telecommunications design and build companies in Kenya.

Meeting the needs of service providers throughout the whole East African region (Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda and Sudan), our core business activity is turnkey site builds for regional operators, more than 1,700 Macro BTS sites rolled out across Kenya alone since the mid-2000’s.

We also offer services in the Broadcasting sector, supplying masts and carrying out installation of antennaes and transmitters.

T +254 20 374281 F +254 37 44586 E sales@alandick.co.ke

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For all your packaging solutions

PET Packaging Alcoholic Beverages Non-Alcoholic Beverages Pharmaceuticals Edible Oils Lubricant Oils Cosmetics HDPE Packaging Edible Oils Lubricant Oils Cosmetics Pharmaceuticals Dairy Products Food & Beverages Paints Chemicals

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Malplast Industries Limited Off Maasai Road | Mombasa Road P. O. Box 10849 - 00400, Nairobi. Kenya Phone: (254) 20-20 16 99 3/4 www.malplast.co.ke

OUR SERVICES • Full Turnkey Design and Installation of GSM sites, indoor solutions, radio, transmission and main switching rooms

TELECOMMUNICATIONS INFRASTRUCTURE DESIGN AND BUILD CONTRACTORS

• Steel tower structures both self supporting and guyed for heights from 3meters to 300meters

We are proud to be one of the oldest and largest telecommunications design and build companies in Kenya.

• Equipment shelters, power equipment, generators and fuel tanks, feeders and accessories • Repeater solutions for indoor and outdoor application.

ALAN DICK AND COMPANY EAST AFRICA LIMITED

Tel: (+254) 20 3742821, Fax: (+254) 37 44586 Email : sales@alandick.co.ke

Address: Alan Dick & Company (East Africa) Ltd, Opp. Museum Hill Centre, Muthithi Road. P.O Box 12907 - 00100 GPO

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various policies and measures to ensure that we comply with all aspects of the regulations but at the same time we are able to meet client needs within the confines of the law.

“We also periodically educate our clients on a one-on-one basis about the changes that take place and what they need to do to be within the law. This adds value to them as well.”

Improved performance

Facilitating a positive and progressive experience for clients at the back-end of VCB’s product offering is a series of internal and structural developments taking place behind the scenes; initially epitomised by the technological advancements and investments being carried out, but cemented by the relationships enjoyed at all levels throughout the business.

Primarily, this addresses the personnel side of the Bank’s operations, as Pattni says: “We have expanded our

We have expanded our workforce from three people to more than 60 and each and every member of staff are highly valued, highly motivated and greatly encouraged

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workforce from three people to more than 60 and each and every member of staff are highly valued, highly motivated and greatly encouraged.

“They are trained and often encouraged to work in teams and take up challenges to improve the performance of the Bank, and training workshops take place right from board level to junior staff.”

VCB subsequently enjoys a very low

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level of staff turnover and has become a natural employer of choice among individuals looking to break into the attractive finance industry, as Kenya’s economy continues to flourish.

Inevitably, being reputed for a strong personable culture is vital in a sector that relies so heavily on human interaction between staff and customers, and the same positive relationships are seen through the formulation of strategic business partnerships too.

The likes of Alan Dick Ltd, Malplast Industries, Simba Technologies and PJ Dave Group have all enjoyed extensive and longstanding partnerships with the Bank, while the Kenya Commerce Exchange Services Bureau Ltd has gone a long way in aiding VCB’s development; via its broad range of software solutions and services to facilitate the latter’s connection to SWIFT (the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication).

Providing Banks with; Core Banking Solution Internet/Mobile Business Intelligence Operational Excellence (Workflow) Smart Branch (Unmanned Branch) Customer Relationship Security Threat Protection

Email: info@simbatech.biz Website: www.simbatech.biz

Held in high esteem

Furthering the human element even more concertedly, the Bank’s ethos in regards to corporate social responsibility is equally prevalent; its Victoria Commercial Bank Charitable Trust acting as a standalone entity in addressing areas of malnourishment, homelessness, education and healthcare.

“VCB continues to play its part in assisting lesser fortunate members of society,” Pattni emphasises. “A recent project that members of staff have taken up is to mentor young boys where in the recent past, much emphasis has been given to girls. The Bank’s charitable trust, together with staff members, will be mentoring young boys to show them the right path and how to be responsible citizens.

“We have also contributed towards a cancer hospital which will provide subsidised treatment, and in cases

The Bank continues to be held in high esteem by its client base and shareholders and, in spite of a difficult last quarter in 2015, VCB’s clients maintained their loyalty

where patients cannot pay, treatments right up to operations will be provided free-of-charge. This is in conjunction with many other donors and wellwishers.”

Becoming renowned for responsible development and community involvement can only stand VCB in good stead across the business-related facets of its ongoing evolution, and the goal remains in 2016 to engrain itself further into the mid-tier banking fraternity.

Pattni concludes: “In the years to come, I’d like to see the Bank move into more of a mid-tier sized grouping, but all the while retaining the status of being one of the best managed institutions within the industry.

“The Bank continues to be held in high esteem by its client base and shareholders and, in spite of a difficult last quarter in 2015, VCB’s clients maintained their loyalty. Furthermore, the Bank continues to have one of the best asset books in the industry with a zero non-performing loan book.”

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Victoria Commercial Bank HQ Victoria Towers Kilimanjaro Road Upper Hill Nairobi Kenya T: +254 709 876 100 www.victoriabank.co.ke