Our business model

Santander is one of the Eurozone's largest banks. 
 

Our business model rests on three solid foundations:

Top-3¹ bank
in 9 markets

• Local scale and global scope. Our local scale is based on three geographic regions, where we maintain a position of leadership in our ten core markets. Our global scope is supported by our global businesses, which allow for greater collaboration within the Group to generate higher income and efficiencies.

+72%
loyal customers
from 2014 to 2019

• Customer-centric approach. Our customer-centric focus is based on unique personal relationships that strengthen customer loyalty. Santander has 145 million customers in markets with a total population of more than one billion. Our more than 100,000 employees deal directly with our customers on a daily basis at our nearly 12,000 branches and customer service centres.

2019 Underlying
attributable profit² 
47% Europe
16% North America
37% South America 

^{1. Market share in lending 2. Contribution to underlying attributable profit by region. Not including Santander Global Platform or the corporate centre.}

• Diversification: Our balanced diversification is key to generating stable, predictable growth, as it makes us more resilient to adverse circumstances.

At Santander we are geographically diversified, operating in three regions, with a good balance between developed and emerging markets, and among customer segments (individuals, SMEs and large companies). Our global businesses accounted for 26% of the Group’s underlying profit in 2019 and strengthened our local franchises.

In addition, Santander Global Platform, which offers the best global payments methods and digital banking solutions in its class to SMEs and individuals, supports the digital transformation for the entire Group to become the best financial services open platform. 

The execution of our plan, underpinned by three pillars, will drive profitable growth in a responsible way:

1. By improving operational performance and strengthening ‘One Santander’

With our new organisational structure based on three regions - Europe, North America and South America - we are better utilising our scale, investing in digital tools and technology throughout the world, sharing costs and best practises between our banks and accelerating execution.

<sup>1. Adjusted for excess of capital in the US. Otherwise 9%.
2. Adjusted for excess of capital in the US.</sup>

2. Through ongoing capital allocation optimisation to improve profitability

• Rebalancing to more profitable regions and business.
• Improved pricing, processes and governance.
• Active management and senior team alignment. 

All this translates into a sharp improvement in profitability, leading to higher capital generation capacity.

3. By accelerating digitalisation through Santander Global Platform

Our technological strategy is aligned with our two-pronged approach of digitalising our main banks and global businesses and developing Santander Global Platform, as we focus on better meeting our customers' needs.

Innovation and technological development are the Group's strategic pillars. Our objective is to meet the new challenges arising from the digital transformation, focusing on operational excellence and customer experience.

Accelerating digitalisation and the development of Santander Global Platform. Moving towards One Santander to build simpler, faster and better services.