UniCredit Group introduces new names and logos for the banks in the whole of CEE

The re-branding will take place during 2007

UniCredit Bulbank will be the name of the new bank which will be created from the merger of Bulbank, HVB Bank Biochim and Hebros Bank. The umbrella brand “UniCredit” will be closely linked to the names of the CEE banks, members of UniCredit Group.

This decision about the names of the banks from UniCredit Group is announced simultaneously today throughout the region. The re-branding will take place during 2007.

“Adopting the umbrella brand “UniCredit” in the name of the biggest Bulgarian bank shows the clear commitment and support of UniCredit Group to the Bulgarian market. The appreciation of the influential local brand Bulbank represents the recognition on a Group level of the strong local know-how for the professional and quality servicing of the clients”, said Levon Hampartzoumian, currently Chairman of the Management Board and CEO of Bulbank. He will hold the same positions in the new “UniCredit Bulbank”.

The rebranding process in Bulgaria will start immediately after the merger of Bulbank, HVB Bank Biochim and Hebos Bank, which is due in the second quarter of 2007. The integration of the three banks will create the biggest Bulgarian bank - “UniCredit Bulbank”. Together the three banks have 3.4 billion euro combined assets and over 1.1 million individual and corporate clients.

In countries with strong local brands like Bulgaria, UniCredit Group uses the existent brand equity and applies a combination of umbrella brand and local brand. The name of the merged bank in Romania, formed by “UniCredit Bank” and “HVB Bank Tiriac” and will be “UniCredit Tiriac Bank”. In Croatia the brand name of Zagrebačka banka, the clear market leader in Croatia, will be retained. In Turkey the “Yapi Kredi” brand has recently been redesigned.

In the Czech Republic, in Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Serbia, Slovakia and Ukraine, the banks will be renamed “UniCredit Bank”.

The new names “UniCredit Bank“ or UniCredit combined with a strong local brand establishes a direct link with UniCredit Group, one of the top banks in Europe with 35 million customers. The branding decisions regarding the names of the banks in Poland, Russia, Slovenia and Bosnia-Herzegovina are yet to be made.

UniCredit Group is one of the largest European banks and is represented in 20 core markets. The Group has 7,000 branches serving 35 million customers. Within the Group, BA-CA is responsible for banking activities in Central and Eastern Europe (excluding Poland). With its 3,000 branches in 17 countries, UniCredit Group operates the largest banking network in the region and offers its customers all financial services as a “one-stop-shop” – from account maintenance to leasing and from asset management to investment banking services.