Banque Libano-Française S.A.L.

Banque Libano-Française (BLF) is a Lebanese bank holding number 10 on Banque du Liban List of Banks. It has a total of 56 branches and more than 156 ATMs, the second largest network of ATMs in Lebanon in 2015.

The Bank covers the following services: commercial banking, investment banking, retail banking, private banking, treasury and capital markets and correspondent banking.

BLF is also an active member of the Association of Banks in Lebanon.

History

• Banque Libano-Française (BLF) was created in 1930 as a branch of the French bank, Compagnie Algérienne.
• In 1967, BLF became a bank established under the Lebanese Law, with 70% French shareholding.
• In 1970, Banque Indosuez acquired a 5% direct interest in the Bank capital.
• In 1973, Banque Indosuez increased its stake to 20% through a partial acquisition of the shares of Compagnie Française de Crédit et de Banque (former Compagnie Algérienne de Crédit et de Banque), which became known as Parthena Investment.
• In 1992, Banque Indosuez increased its shareholding in Banque Libano-Française to 51%.
• In 1999, BLF acquired 100% of Crédit Agricole Indosuez Liban (CAIL), a financial institution specialized in securities brokerage and portfolio management.
• In 2004, Crédit Agricole Group decided to reduce its exposure in Lebanon, in anticipation of the implementation of Basle II. Therefore, Calyon (former Crédit Agricole Indosuez) reduced its participation in the Bank to 9%.
• In 2006, BLF finalized the acquisition of 78.3% of Banque SBA shares, established in France (Paris) with a financial subsidiary in Geneva known as LF Finance (Switzerland) SA and a branch in Cyprus (Limassol).
• In 2007, Banque Libano-Française opened its subsidiary in Syria, Bank Al Sharq.
• On September 1, 2014, Farid Raphaël, founder of Banque Libano-Française and its Chairman General Manager from 1979, passed away.
• On September 15, 2014, Walid Raphaël was elected by the Board of Directors as Chairman General Manager of the Bank.

Shareholders

• Libano Holding S.A.L.
• BLF Investment Holding L.T.D.
• Financière Raphaël Holding
• Chaoui Holding
• Al-Shams Holding L.T.D.
• Gil Holding L.T.D.
• Others

Board of directors

• Walid Raphaël (Chairman)
• Elie Nahas (Group Chairman), former Honorary Council General of Netherlands in Lebanon
• Zafer Chaoui, Honorary Consul General of Finland in Lebanon since 1996
• Philippe Doré, Director at Arjil, an independent investment bank based in Paris
• Habib Letayf, former Chairman and General Manager of Casino du Liban
• Philippe Lette,
• Dr. Marwan Nsouli,
• Raya Raphaël Nahas, member of the Board of LIFE (Lebanese International Finance Executive)
• Wafic Saïd, former Vice Governor of Banque Du Liban, co-Founder and Trustee of the Said Business School Foundation (Oxford University - business school)

Capital and financial figures

BLF capital is LBP 235 billion (around USD 157 million).

As at December 2015, BLF had 1,186 employees working in its local branches. Its total assets amounted to USD 11,641 million, and its net profit scored USD 106 million, with an increase of 3.92% compared to 2014.

References

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