Brazil’s financial sector is one of the world’s most innovative, competitive and inclusive. Its vast transformation — spurred by the rapid adoption of technology — has turned Brazil into a testing ground that uncovers future trends in other markets.

Santander aims to be its customers’ bank of choice through the best technology and a physical presence at branches.

In a country traditionally characterized by inequality and slow banking service uptake, Brazil’s financial system is spearheading an unprecedented transformation that has given it one of the world’s most innovative, competitive and inclusive financial sectors.

In addition to technology, a broadly connected population, regulatory amendments that have opened up the financial sector, and a commitment to digitalization as a driver of economic development provide the unique blend that is behind this leap. In a short time, Brazil has gone from having millions of people outside the financial system to hitting almost total bank usage — according to a May 2025 survey by idwall, over 94% of adults have access to a bank account and other basic financial services. It’s a silent-but-mighty revolution.

In today’s competitive landscape, where customers in Brazil have an average of between five and six current accounts and three active credit cards, Santander wants to be their number one. To achieve this, we’re focusing all our efforts — from branches to digital and remote channels — on providing convenience, trust and value at every point of contact. Yes, we’re a digital bank. But we’re also a bank with branches, people and a genuine presence.

And it’s this combination that sets us apart in an ecosystem that’s evolving at a rate of knots. Technology has been key to transformation, as the launch of the new Santander app — developed jointly by local and global teams — shows. Moreover, our brick-and-mortar branches and remote channels remain crucial to serve customers when and where they most need help. Bringing together our channels, talent and solutions enables Santander to be more agile, important and humane; three factors that make us stand out from the crowd.

We’re already seeing the fruits of this transformation. Our Net Promoter Score (NPS, the benchmark customer satisfaction indicator) has grown consistently in the past 12-18 months in both retail and corporate banking. 

The outcome of this process is more than improvements in efficiency and coverage. It also represents a change in model. Brazil has become Latin America’s top testing ground and a global case study on how to design a more competitive financial system geared up for the 21st century.

And this isn’t just a flash in the pan. Institutional consensus, robust technology and an increasingly digitalized population are behind this transformation. Regulatory developments like Open Finance and innovations such as Pix have boosted Brazil’s digital shift and inspire us to continue making strides.

That's why other Grupo Santander subsidiaries are taking note and even replicating many of the things we’ve created in Brazil.

Ensuring stable and predictable results is a top priority in a naturally volatile region like Latin America. We want to deliver consistent returns for the Group. To do that, we’re working on diversifying our income streams, finding a balance between credit, assets and fees, and continuously enhancing our operational efficiency.

We monitor our KPIs daily: fees, efficiency, asset/liability mix, revenue forecasts, and ROI. Our aim is for a more solid, sustainable performance over extraordinary results.

Our strategy is clear: focus on businesses that create more value and bring higher returns. We’re prioritizing wealth, SMEs and auto and consumer finance (which we’re the leader in) through technology and first-class service. We’re also growing in the corporate segment and in wholesale banking, which provide diversified risk structures and high fee income potential.

We can sum all of this up in one belief: the customer must be at the heart of every decision. Through active listening, relevance and agility, we’re building a more profitable, balanced and dependable bank that is closer than ever to its customers.