The Belgian КВС Group, part of which is UBB, has won a total of 9 prizes in the competition, among which first rank in 5 categories

United Bulgarian Bank (UBB) is the big winner at the Fifth Edition of the B2B Awards, among more than 70 projects in over 20 categories. UBB is winner of the big Innovation of the Year prize and of another 5 first-rank awards.

The newly opened innovations lab - Surf Studio of UBB and DZI - was announced Innovative Idea of the Year, while the first multibanking in a mobile app in Bulgaria became Business Idea of the Year.

UBB is definitely the most dynamically developing bank in Bulgaria at present, by being awarded the 1-st place in the Dynamic Development category at the B2B Awards, with only a week earlier grabbing a prize in the same category at the Bank of the Year Awards. The prize for dynamic development is being awarded for achievements of all 7 companies in the financial group KBC in Bulgaria. The first quarter of 2019 was the onset of a record-breaking period for all of them. In March 2019 UBB achieved an absolute record for the last 5 years in terms of loan portfolio growth in the retail banking domain. Moreover, sales of DZI insurance products over the first quarter of the year registered a two-digit growth of 40%. At the same time UBB Asset Management gained a leadership position on the market of managing companies, thus achieving its target a year earlier than planned. After the market success of UBB Asset Management, KBC decided to invest in the establishment of yet another managing company in Bulgaria and in June 2019 the new company – KBC Asset Management - was presented. During the first quarter of 2019 UBB Interlease generated new business with 23% more, as compared to the same period of 2018 and won over its 30-thousandth client. As early as last year UBB and DZI acquired the tallest business building in Sofia downtown – UBB Millennium Center- thus giving their over 1000 employees office space with one of the most impressive views in the capital city.

KBC Group grabbed the first places for yet another two big achievements. In the autumn of 2018 the Group organized a symbolic journey to the Moon and for each traveled kilometer with sporting activities the employees and their friends were earning funds for noble causes – thus, kilometer by kilometer up to an amount of nearly BGN 150 000 and the CSR Project with a Cause award. With those and other initiatives KBC Group united its team around the emblematic name #TeamBlue, with which they all – over 4000 blue team employees – deserved the title Innovative Employer Brand Campaign.

„Every company, no matter how big or small, is successful when changes are being driven from the inside by the employees themselves. These are companies that are not just developing successful business, but also such engaged in changing the environment they operate in. That is why my joy is even double –we are leaders not simply in prestigious categories, such as Dynamic Development, Innovative Idea of the Year and Business Idea of the Year, but also in categories such as CSR Project of the Year and Innovative Employer Brand Campaign. Every success has been struggled through by all more than 4000 employees of КВС Group in Bulgaria, shared Mr. Peter Andronov, Country Manager of KBC Group for Bulgaria and Chief Executive Officer of UBB.

„The nine awards, received yesterday, among which the one for Innovative Idea of the Year (the Surf Studio innovation lab of UBB and DZI) and for Business Idea of the Year (the first multibanking in a mobile app in Bulgaria) make me proud. I thank the whole team involved! A diverse and proactive group of young and experienced colleagues, dispersed into several units within our companies, are working assiduously on our innovations plan. It is a pleasure to see and feel the spirit within the group. The mere fact that our efforts are visible and are also appreciated by experts on the market only strengthens our desire to accelerate our innovative journey, in order to offer the best and cutting-edge solutions to our clients“, commented Christof De Mil, Innovations Leader of КВС Group in Bulgaria.

The reputable jury of the competition gave out their scores, based on criteria, such as sustainable and innovative behaviour, originality of ideas, effectiveness of realization, pioneering products and services and also innovative manner of communicating those.