Santander Corporate Banking launched
ALLIANCE & Leicester Commercial Bank, and its stable-mate Abbey UK Corporate Banking are to be rebranded as Santander Corporate Banking.
The new brand was launched today with the former Alliance & Leicester regional corporate banking centre in Manchester becoming the first in the country to be converted.
The other 19 centres, which include Liverpool, Leeds, Hull and Sheffield, will be converted to Santander by the end of the year.
The change follows last month’s announcement that Santander’s three UK businesses, Abbey, Alliance & Leicester and Bradford & Bingley Savings, will adopt the Santander global brand and name in 2010.
Steve Pateman, head of Santander Corporate Banking, said: “Santander has a clear strategy of increasing its presence in the UK corporate market and the rebrand to Santander Corporate Banking is a clear demonstration of our ambition to become the bank of choice for businesses.
“By bringing together the local knowledge of Alliance & Leicester’s regional corporate banking centres, the specialist sector knowledge of Abbey’s corporate banking teams and Santander’s credibility as one of the strongest and best capitalised banks in the world, we can provide customers with a very compelling banking service.
“We are building a business that has relationship banking at its heart. We are committed to building strong relationships based on an understanding of the business and its needs, providing them with solutions and services that fit those needs.”
Mr Pateman said Santander was committed to the regional model, and plans to expand rhe network and hire more relationship managers.
The bank is writing to all existing customers of Abbey UK Corporate Banking and Alliance & Leicester Commercial Bank to make them aware of the changes.
