A different perspective on banking

A different perspective on banking

Regional banking first Clients of the Group benefi t from all the advantages of a human-scale regional bank, backed by the expertise of a nationwide Group. Every client is fi rst and foremost a customer of one of our regional banks, which are structured as genuine SMEs. Picardy Ile-de-France Normandy Tarneaud Provinces du Nord Nord Métropole Kolb Rhône-Alpes Laydernier Nuger Group is currently structured around: 6 regions: Ile-de-France, Nord Métropole, Normandy, Picardy, Provence-Alpes-Côte d Azur and Provinces du Nord 6 banking subsidiaries: Courtois, Kolb, Laydernier, Nuger, Rhône-Alpes, Tarneaud 1 brokerage firm: Gilbert Dupont 1 asset management company: Étoile Gestion Provence-Alpes-Côte d'azur Courtois The various Group entities enjoy a very large measure of autonomy in their business management which makes for quick decision-making and the capacity to respond rapidly to client needs.

Ile-de- France Nord Métropole Normandy 84 branches 1,250 employees 202,420 clients 63 branches 624 employees 176,700 clients 41 branches 398 employees 86,600 clients The Ile-de-France region includes the Ile-de-France and part of the Oise and Loiret departments. There are 84 branches and 12 business centres. In total, more than 1,250 employees serve 175,000 individual customers, more than 21,500 professional customers, 5,100 business customers and 820 institutional clients. In 2005, the region launched an ambitious project to expand its network. Some thirty new branches are to be opened in the next three years, primarily in the inner and outer suburbs of Paris. The Nord Métropole region, the historical birthplace of, has 624 employees and breaks down as follows: 63 branches dedicated to individual and professional customers; 5 corporate business centres; 1 branch devoted to institutional clients; 1 private banking centre; 1 Benelux Desk for business customers. With a customer base of 162,000 individuals, 10,300 professionals, 2,000 businesses, 300 institutions, and 2,400 associations, is a major force in the Lille area. Two new branches were opened in 2005, in Pont-à-Marcq and Wasquehal. Present in the region since 1905, Crédit du Nord s Normandy network currently boasts 41 branches and 3 business centres dedicated to its business and institutional customers. The network spans the 5 departments in the Normandy region, the Sarthe and the Mayenne. Its 398 employees are responsible for 76,000 individual customers, 8,500 professional customers, micro-businesses and members of the liberal professions, and 2,100 business customers.

Picardy Provence-Alpes -Côte d azur Provinces du Courtois Nord 40 branches 434 employees 126,500 clients 43 branches 537 employees 115,000 clients 72 branches 781 employees 246,500 clients s presence in the Picardy region dates back more than 100 years. Its reach stretches from the Baie de Somme to the Thiérache in the Ardennes foothills and, for the fi rst time ever, the bank has started to expand into the Aisne wine-growing region. Within its network of 40 branches, 5 business centres and 1 regional wealth management centre, the 434 employees in the Picardy region serve 117,000 individual customers, 8,000 professionals and 1,500 business clients. s presence in Provence- Alpes-Côte d Azur is rooted in a 140-year history of mergers and takeovers among the region s banking institutions: the Compagnie Algérienne de Crédit et de, Crédit Marseillais, de l Union Parisienne, brokerage fi rm Édouard Delanglade and Arnaud Gaidan. Thanks to its long-established roots, Crédit du Nord Provence-Alpes-Côte d Azur has won over a franchise of almost 115,000 clients, including 15,000 professionals and 2,000 business and institutional customers. The region s 537 employees in 43 branches, 3 business centres, 2 wealth management units and a private banking centre contribute to the bank s dynamism and development. The Provinces du Nord region began life in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais area, the bank s historical birthplace. Stretching from Dunkerque through Arras to Maubeuge, the network currently employs 781 people in 72 branches, serving more than 229,000 individual and 15,600 professional clients, and 10 business centres catering to 1,900 companies. Following the opening of the branch in Coudekerque-Branche in December 2005, another new branch was opened in Boulognesur-Mer old town in May 2006.

Courtois Kolb Laydernier 80 branches 642 employees 127,300 clients 37 branches 284 employees 49,500 clients 37 agences 339 employees 66,960 clients Courtois, France s oldest bank, was set up in Toulouse in 1760. Today, it boasts a network of 80 branches stretching from Bordeaux to Montpellier and from Bayonne to Perpignan. The bank s 642 employees take part of the region s life. Accordingly, they are able to respond quickly and appropriately to the needs of more than 110,000 individual customers. In addition, some 15,000 professionals entrust their business development to Courtois and, with more than 2,300 business customers, the bank also ranks as a benchmark partner for SMEs and local authorities across the south of France. Moreover, the regional associations and institutions of the legal profession value the specialist expertise of Courtois, which manages their assets and structures financial packages on their behalf. Kolb was established in 1890 in Mirecourt (Vosges) by a family who came from Colmar. With a track record of 115 years of service to its customers, it is the Crédit du Nord Group s subsidiary in eastern France. The bank s customers appreciate its local presence and awareness of local issues as well as its strong interpersonal skills, human scale, reactivity and professionalism. Kolb, with 284 employees in forty or so units, has more than 41,500 individual customers and serves some 8,000 professional, business and institutional clients On March 16 1891, Léon Laydernier, an employee of the de France d Annecy, set up the Commerciale d Annecy which, fi ve years later, became the Commerciale d Annecy, Laydernier et Cie. In 1996, Laydernier joined the Group following its privatisation. Today, the bank employs a payroll of 339 across a network of 37 branches and 4 business centres spread throughout the departments of Haute-Savoie, Savoie, Ain and Isère. At the end of 2005, the bank had more than 59,000 individual, 7,000 professional and 960 business customers to its name.

Nuger Rhône-Alpes Tarneaud 20 branches 163 employees 25,700 clients 69 branches 624 employees 109,400 clients 55 branches 587 employees 101,175 clients Established more than 80 years ago, Nuger has constantly developed its links within the region and established harmonious, effi cient working relationships with its customers. It became a subsidiary of Group in 1996. Nuger now has a network of 20 branches spread over 4 departments in Central France: Puy-de-Dôme, Allier, Haute-Loire and Cher. The bank is to open a branch in Nièvre in 2006 and intends to gain a foothold in the Cantal region before the end of 2007. Nuger s 163 employees serve more than 21,000 individual, 4,000 professional and 700 business clients. Rhône-Alpes was established in 1988 following the merger of the Crédit du Nord and Nicolet Lafanechère et de l Isère (BNLI) branch networks in a number of departments. Rhône-Alpes also inherited the customers and facilities of the former de l Union Parisienne (BUP), Massoneri, Compagnie Algérienne and Bechetoille. At the end of 2005, Rhône-Alpes had 624 employees and was present in 9 departments through its 69-strong branch network, including 5 business centres. More than 91,600 individual, 14,800 professional and 3,000 business customers called upon the services of Rhône-Alpes in 2005. Jean-Baptiste Tarneaud set up the Tarneaud in Limoges in 1809. Since then, it has developed by gradually extending its scope of business to cover 15 departments in France s Central, Western and Atlantic Coast regions whilst maintaining its regional stronghold. Currently headed up by Jean-Loup Tarneaud, the bank is continuing to expand by opening new branches every year (5 in 2006) and establishing a network that will soon include 60 branches, with 587 employees in the service of 87,000 individual, 11,800 professional and 2,375 business clients.

Etoile Gestion, Group s asset management company, manages funds in excess of 20 billion euros, and ranks among France s top ten asset managers. Brokerage firm, Gilbert Dupont, specialises in the French mid-cap market and offers three main types of service. Étoile Gestion manages assets on behalf of an extensive customer base comprised of institutional investors, companies, management professionals and individuals who subscribe to its funds through the Group s banks. Étoile Gestion offers a comprehensive, varied range of more than 175 UCITS, providing clients with access to all asset classes (including equities, bonds and money market instruments). The range is designed to address investors differing needs in terms of security, investment horizon and sums invested. Étoile Gestion s products and performance are often rated among the best in their class by international ratings agencies such as Standard & Poor s, Morningstar, Lipper Leader by Reuters and Europerformance. In 2005, the company s equities department which has seen its assets under management double in years, was awarded a prize by Alpha League Europerformance for its achievements in terms of outperformance. Financial analysis and consultancy and processing of stock exchange orders on behalf of an extensive clientele of French and foreign institutional investors. A full range of issuer services from fl oatations to capital increases and market maker contracts. The receipt and transmission of stock exchange orders for the banks in the Group and other financial institutions (more than 3 million orders processed in 2005). The fi rm s human scale allows it to focus on serving its local customer base quickly and effi ciently whatever the type of service required.

A different perspective on banking