15 years on, Santander is truly a British bank

Fifteen years ago today Santander bought Abbey National and we started the journey to build a better bank together, not only in the UK but across the world.

A bank that is Simple, Personal and Fair. A bank that challenges the status quo, has the scale to compete, and a very clear purpose: to help people and business prosper.

I am incredibly proud of what we have achieved.

Many of the foundations that we laid for future success have stood the test of time. And I would like to thank Nathan - who was with us from the start - and all of you for all you have done to deliver for our customers, each and every day. 

Over the last 15 years, we have helped to reshape UK banking – creating a pioneering retail bank, building a corporate bank from scratch and helping millions of people through our Universities and community programmes. 

Our success is thanks to each one of you going the extra mile for our customers. Whenever someone tells me - and they often do - how happy they are with our service, I always say “that is great news, I will tell our teams, and maybe you would tell your friends about us”. That’s because loyalty powers our success - and we cannot earn and build loyalty without your commitment.

The digital revolution is transforming banking, just as it is many other industries.

Over the last fifteen years, Santander has shown that it is ready for the challenges and opportunities it brings. We can look with pride, and forward with confidence. 

Congratulations for all you have done to make Santander in the U.K. a truly “British bank“.