Awards for Excellence 2008: Finland

Finland’s largest bank, Nordea, has total assets almost three times larger than second-placed Pohjola Bank and has enjoyed another successful year, with lending increasing from €42.4 billion in 2006 to €47.5 billion in 2007 and deposits increasing from €26.4 billion to €30.4 billion over the same period. Nordea made good use of its strong funding base in Finland that, combined with an increased interest level, gave the bank double-digit income growth.