Business
Saham Bank unveils its new ambitions
Six months after the completion of the acquisition by the Saham group of the Moroccan Société Générale de Banques (SGMB) and its subsidiaries, SGMB officially becomes Saham Bank. A change of identity that comes with a profound transformation of the bank’s processes, without denying its century-old heritage.
Société Générale Morocco changes its identity and becomes Saham Bank, marking the opening of a new chapter in the history of the bank and its subsidiaries. The announcement was made this Wednesday morning by Ahmed Yacoubi, Chairman of the Management Board of the bank, during a press conference held in Casablanca.
This decisive new stage comes after an initial phase of transformation and strategic autonomy, following the takeover of the bank by the Saham group in December 2024.
According to the bank’s top management, the banking institution does not break with its history: it extends and amplifies it by placing the ambition of its clients and teams at the heart of its mission. Its brand signature: “Saham Bank – Accelerator of your ambitions,” is the concrete expression of this. The Management Board has, moreover, remained unchanged, which testifies to the will of the new majority shareholder, Moulay Hafid Elalamy, to guarantee continuity in operational execution.
“A new financial group has been born, the result of the union of two heritages: a historic bank, with rigorous and recognized expertise, and a pioneering Moroccan group, a catalyst for growth and performance,” emphasized Ahmed Yacoubi. In other words, the new bank will continue to capitalize on the achievements of a century-old institution, while relying on the entrepreneurial dynamism of the Saham group, to be more agile, more flexible, and closer to its clients.
Beyond the change of identity, the bank moves to a new operational mode, with three watchwords: simplification, digital acceleration, relational excellence. This vision is already translated into concrete actions that will continue over the coming months, with the promise of a positive impact on clients. Among the first levers activated are the redesign of customer journeys for greater clarity and fluidity, the deployment of new product commitments focused on transparency; as well as a rethought managerial culture, oriented towards collective performance, initiative, and local anchoring. “All important journeys have been reexamined in order to bring more fluidity and value to our clients,” says Mehdi Benbachir, CEO and member of the Management Board in charge of Operations.
A customer-centered redesign that notably promises to considerably shorten the processing times of certain operations, whether for individuals or companies. “Before, it sometimes took several weeks to open a business account. Today, it’s 30 minutes, with immediate access to digital services,” highlights François Marchal, CEO and member of the Management Board in charge of Corporate and Investment Banking.
Ultimately, Saham Bank aspires to become a more agile, more digitalized, more conquering bank. But, the top management insists, without relinquishing the rigor in risk management that characterized Société Générale Morocco, notably through its prudent provisioning policy which gives it one of the best solvency ratios on the market. “Our provisioning policy remains conservative,” management assures on this point.
