Unicredit moves to merge with Teachers Mutual Bank Talk to us Phone us Email us Breadcrumbs UniBank About Us Member news & media 2015 Unicredit moves to merge with Teachers Mutual Bank 22 January 2015 22 January 2015 Unicredit moves to merge with Teachers Mutual Bank WA identity to remain a key focus. WA based credit society Unicredit has initiated moves to merge with Teachers Mutual Bank, one of Australia’s biggest mutual banks. Unicredit has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Teachers Mutual Bank to work together on developing a mutually acceptable merger proposal, which requires the approval of Unicredit’s members. The proposal is expected to be put to members in the first half of this year after due diligence and regulatory approval from APRA. Teachers Mutual Bank, which has more than 162,000 members and assets of $4.5 billion, was founded in 1966. It provides banking services to the education sector and their families across Australia, and its WA office has been established since 2008. Unicredit Chairman Professor Bill Ford said that the decision to seek a merger opportunity with a bigger financial institution had resulted from a strategic review of operations conducted last year. “Our review recognised the challenges associated with being a small financial institution in the current environment and focussed on ensuring a continuing successful and sustainable future for our members,” Professor Ford said “From our perspective we saw Teachers Mutual Bank as a perfect fit, with its strong primary and secondary education focus complementing our tertiary and post-secondary focus. “We believe this will bring important benefits for our members and provide a strong financial base for the future.” Professor Ford said there was a strong commitment to retaining Unicredit’s distinctive role as a financial services provider to the WA university and broader tertiary education sector. This would be reflected in a new name required as a result of merging into a mutual bank. Teachers Mutual Bank CEO Steve James said the merger with Unicredit was a good opportunity that would broaden the organisation’s customer base, with the membership of the combined entity set to embrace all sectors of education. “Although the two brands will continue to operate separately there are certain synergies and efficiencies which will ultimately bring more benefits to members,” Mr James said. “Members of the combined financial institution will have the advantage of being part of a mutual bank that has an education sector focus unparalleled by any other bank in Australia.” Media enquiries please contact: Ray Jordan Cannings Purple Phone 0417 991 172 [email protected]
