OREANDA-NEWS. May 28, 2010. The London based magazine EMEA Finance that tracks European, Middle East and African banking markets, ranked DnB NORD Bankas as the Best Bank in Lithuania in 2009 citing its operating efficiency and the ability to exploit emerging business opportunities that helped the bank to maintain a growing income trend in the adverse economic environment last year, reported the press-centre of DnB NORD Bankas.

The magazine noted that although hopes that emerging Europe could escape the worst of the crisis were dashed during the course of last year, the best of the region’s banks nonetheless demonstrated that with a keen eye on risk management, a focus on liquidity and capital adequacy, and the drive to meet customers’ changing needs in the downturn, success can still be achieved.

„Even in difficult times it is important to maintain positive attitude to the customers. We have to understand their needs, advise in the most objective way and offer the best possible solutions even in cases they might be painful. We should not forget the customers – they are the ones whom we should concentrate all our efforts on. And the recognition clearly shows that highly motivated and professional colleagues of our bank has this understanding in their hearts“ says the Chairman and of the Management Board and the CEO of DnB NORD Bankas Werner Schilli.

Commenting on DnB NORD Bankas the magazine said that despite Lithuania‘s sharp GDP decline, the bank was one of the few banks in the local industry to report an increased income growth that at the same time was coupled with 10 percent drop in operating costs.

„The bank dealt with downturn by pursuing innovation and using its risk management processes to exploit emerging business opportunities such as debt and the Baltic currency derivatives markets. Supported by particularly strong commission income from intermediation in trading with securities, derivatives and foreign currency, its income rose 15.9 pct year on year,“ the magazine said in a comment.

Another important highlight was the bank’s active participation on the local debt securities market with DnB NORD Bankas being prime underwriter of debt securities issued by the Lithuanian government and also with international banks co-leading of international placements of Lithuanian sovereign bonds.

AB DnB NORD Bankas is a member of DnB NORD banking group which was established by the Norway’s largest bank DnB NOR and North Germany’s largest bank NORD/LB.