Company Profile
Grupo Santander works in five European countries, namely, Italy, Germany, England, Portugal and Spain. On the American continent the Group holds the leading position in franchising financial services. It works in Brazil, Mexico, Chile, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Argentina, Colombia, Bolivia, Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay.

The company’s main line of business is based on retail banking, though it also works in Global Wholesale banking and in Asset management and Private Banking. Retail Banking contributes some 84% of the company’s results.

Grupo Santander and Sustainability / CSR
In the implementation of its Corporate Social Responsibility Plan, the Group has undertaken numerous activities. Some noteworthy examples include its Social Responsibility Report 2003, published in Spanish and English, as well as in Portuguese and Brazilian. Moreover, the annual report of Grupo Santander includes an equivalence table between the contents of the annual report and the GRI indicators. There is also a seperate 2003 Sustainability Report, which has been audited externally.

Grupo Santander’s main bet, however, is on universities. The project “Universia” alone takes up about 80% of the Corporate Social Responsibility budget, which was worth over 70 million Euros in 2003, representing 2.7% of net profits. Other investments in CSR include environmental issues, social welfare causes and voluntary work.

Grupo Santander and Sustainability / CSR on the web
http://www.gruposantander.com/pagina/indice/0,,438_1_2,00.html (Corporate Social Responsibility – Spanish)
http://www.gruposantander.com/pagina/indice/0,,438_3_2,00.html (Corporate Social Responsibility – English)
http://www.gruposantander.com/pagina/indice/0,,416_1_2,00.html (Corporate Governance – Spanish)
http://www.gruposantander.com/pagina/indice/0,,416_3_2,00.html (Corporate Governance – English)