Credit: Djamel Ramdani & Nbsp
Interview with: Isabelle Ferrand, Managing Director, National Confederation of Crédit Mutuel
During a year of continuous economic uncertainty and global challenges, Crédit Mutuel emerged with solid financial results and a clear strategic orientation, which testifies to the strength of its banking and diversified insurance model. By emphasizing the creation of long -term value, operational efficiency and a mutualist philosophy, Crédit Mutuel continues to distinguish itself.
In this interview, Crédit Mutuel thought about the engines of its performance in 2024, its priorities for 2025 and its growing role in supporting the energy transition and the fight against climate risks. The conversation also strengthens the group’s in -depth commitment to its founding values of solidarity, responsibility and service to the common good.
What is your analysis of Crédit Mutuel performance in 2024?
The Crédit Mutuel group, the third banking group in France, demonstrates the strength of its banking and diversified insurance model with a net income of more than 4.5 billion euros in 2024. The operational efficiency of the Crédit Mutuel group continued to generate its net income, which reached 19.3 billion euros, confirming the vigor of its commercial growth. Net profit, up 50% in the past 10 years, testifies to the relevance of the Crédit Mutuel group’s business model. Based on the principles of freedom, responsibility, solidarity and subsidiarity, it allows us to make long -term strategic choices and to ensure long -term profitability to meet the needs of our members and our customers. The mutualist group continues to demonstrate that diversification, innovation and commitment to the common good, in particular by sharing value, are key factors to sail in this period of political and economic turbulence with resilience. Supported by the engagement of its 87,000 employees and nearly 20,000 elected representatives, serving its 37.8 million retail customers, professionals and companies and members in France and in Europe, the Crédit Mutuel group has once again demonstrated its effectiveness, with a cost / income ratio which has improved from 1.5 points to 57.7%considerably. The financial solidity of the Crédit Mutuel group was fully confirmed with a CET1 ratio of 19.4%.
What are the engines of this financial performance?
This result is based on three key pillars: a strong commercial dynamic, a main financial force and a continuous improvement in operational efficiency. We remain the leader in France in this area, with the best cost-to-revenue report.
What are the group’s current priorities?
We will endeavor to strengthen our resilience and plead for the cooperative and mutual banking model at European and international levels. We firmly believe that the cooperative model is a real asset in today’s world, and the values it embodies resonates strongly with the aspirations of young generations.
What is the Crédit Mutuel group doing to meet the environmental challenge?
Given the problems of global warming, the loss of biodiversity and the damage caused by exposure to climatic dangers, the Crédit Mutuel group has intensified its eco-responsible initiatives and offerings to support its customers in their ecological and energy transition projects. In addition to strong strategic ambitions, in 2024, the Crédit Mutuel group continued to integrate climate and environmental risks in its overall risk management and has developed a methodology to assess the geographic exposure of its customers to climate risks. This methodology is an invaluable tool for assessing environmental and climatic risks by the sector, as well as to provide a framework for internal climate risks stress tests. Thanks to these commitments, the Crédit Mutuel group undertakes to reduce its negative impacts, in particular on the climate and the environment, for the benefit of all its stakeholders, and in particular its members and customers. Pushed by a shared determination, all the group’s networks take increased measures to help transform our economy into environmental terms and create a trajectory in accordance with the Paris Agreement.
What would be ideal for a bank like Crédit Mutuel?
It would be – and in fact, it is a question – to remain deeply mutual, useful and favorable, at the service of customers, members and society as a whole. Mutualism remains our founding principle and at the heart of our movement. Our goal is to be both favorable and effective – becoming more and more effective to be even more favorable.