History

JSC Bank FORUM: history of development in the 21st century

2008

June – loan portfolio of JSCB Forum corporate clients exceeded UAH 8 bln
Fitch Ratings assigned Forum Bank a National Long-term 'AAA(ukr)' rating, stable outlook
May - the Bank employs more than 4,000 staff
April 17 - JSCB Forum signed USD 115 mln syndicated loan agreement
March 28 - representatives of Commerzbank ( Germany ) joined the Supervisory Board of JSCB Forum
Moody's upgraded long-term local currency deposit rating of Forum Bank from «B1» to « Ва 1» (positive outlook) as well as national scale rating from «Aa3.ua» to «Aa1.ua»
March 5 – the signing ceremony for the agreement on Forum Bank acquisition by Commerzbank ( Germany ) took place
Beginning of March - accounts owned by corporate clients with JSCB Forum exceeded UAH 2 bln
Loan portfolio of JSCB Forum exceeded UAH 10 bln. and as of February 26 amounted to UAH 10 138 mln
January 28 - JSCB Forum and EBRD signed USD 25 mln. loan agreement within the framework of the Ukraine Energy Efficiency Program
Beginning of January - deposit accounts owned by individuals with JSCB Forum exceeded UAH 3,5 bln

2007

Bank Forum attracted a $ 36million syndicated loan from the EBRD with a tenor of 3 years
Syndicated loan attracted in 2006 is extended for another year with an increase of the amount from US$ 60 mln to US$ 85 mln
Forum Bank is ranked tenth in the rating of the National Bank of Ukraine based on net assets as at 1 January 2007
Forum Bank is ranked ninth in the rating of the Association of Ukrainian Banks based on net assets as at 1 January 2007
Forum launched a joint programme with the State Mortgage Institution in February 2007 - Mortgage Loans at the Secondary Market

2006

US$ 100 mln Eurobonds issue in October 2006
Bank Forum is chosen by the United States Department of Agriculture for participation in the United States Department of Agriculture Commodity Credit Corporation’s Export Credit Guarantee Programme for the year 2006
Poltava, Chernivtsi, Uzhgorod branches and 36 new departments were opened — twofold growth comparing to the similar period of 2005
Second syndicated loan from 23 banks in 15 countries raised, totaling US$60 million for a year tenor with one year prolongation option
Bank Forum becomes a member of First Securities Trading system of Ukraine
Representative office of Bank Forum in Czech Republic is opened
Bank Forum becomes a Principal Member of International Payment System Visa International
General Contract with State Mortgage Institution on refinancing was concluded
International rating agency Moody’s Investors Service confirmed B2/NP ratings and changed its outlook from stable to positive. Bank Forum becomes first Ukrainian Bank that obtained Moody’s high, long-term A1.ua. national rating
Fitch assigned the Bank a Long-Term IDR rating of B- with a stable outlook, a short-term rating of B, a support rating of 5 and an Individual rating of D/E

2005

International rating agency Moody’s Investors Service confirmed E+ Financial Strength Rating of Bank Forum and B2/NP rating of Banks’ deposits. All ratings have a stable outlook
Launch of an Agro Plus program — lending to agricultural enterpreneurs — under joint programme with EBRD on lending to small and medium-size business. The Agro Plus program covers all main agricultural regions of the country
EBRD increases limit for Bank Forum under international trade facilitation program (TFP) from 7 million US$ to 10 million US$
Bank Forum is chosen among commercial banks of Ukraine by tender of the United States Department of Agriculture for participation in the United States Department of Agriculture Commodity Credit Corporation’s Export Credit Guarantee Programme («GSM-102»), under which the United States Department of Agriculture provides payment guarantees in respect of goods from the United States exported to Ukraine
Direct agreement is signed between EBRD and Bank Forum, under which EBRD provides loans to small and medium-size business in Ukraine through Forum Bank with no requirement on provision of guarantees from the Ministry of Finance of Ukraine
Facility Agreement for attraction of syndicated loan from international banks is signed. As a result of successful syndicate organization the amount of the loan increased 2.5 times comparing to initial one. Arrangers of the syndicate were Raiffeisen Zentralbank and Standard Bank London Limited
Bank Forum is chosen by the tender of the Ministry of Finance of Ukraine as an authorized bank for salary payments to budget employees using Banks’ payment cards
Second direct loan agreement is signed between Bank Forum and EBRD on micro-financing of small and medium size business in Ukraine without provisions of guarantees from the state
Private placement of 10% of Bank’s shares among foreign investors — 12 large institutional funds from USA and Western Europe
JSCB Forum became an official distributor of memorable coins of Ukraine issued by the National Bank of Ukraine so that the Bank obtains from the NBU a guaranteed 10 percent quota of total issue of NBU memorable coins
Unification of ATM network of JSCB Forum with an ATMosfera project, due to which owners of payment cards may use services of all united ATM network on privileged basis
Placement of the Bank Forum type B bonds at internal market with a term of three years and nominal value of 1,000 UAH totaling in UAH 100 mln. Tenor of securities is from 14.12.05 till 10.12.08 (1092 days)
Deposit ATM of new generation was tested and launched that may accept cash and deposit it straight away on the card account
11 branches of the Bank opened in Ivano-Frankivs'k, Mariupol«, Rivne, Vinnytsya, Hmel'nytsk, Donetsk, Kremenchug, Sevastopol», Lutsk, Sumy, Poltava and 45 operational offices in different regions of Ukraine

2004

Moody’s Investors Service assigned JSCB Forum E+ Financial Strength Rating and B2/NP ratings for long- and short-term foreign currency deposits. All ratings have a stable outlook
L'viv, Kherson, Kharkiv, Simferopol« branches and operational offices in Rivne, Kremenchuk, Sevastopol», Obuhiv opened
Start of programmes of express retail lending
Creation of information center — existing and potential clients of the Bank may receive twenty-four-hour consultations of qualified specialists on Bank’s products and services

2003

JSCB Forum entered top twenty biggest banks of Ukraine with net assets over 900 million UAH
Strengthened and improved Banks ratings in the group of largest banks of Ukraine
Zaporizhje and Odessa branches opened as well as Kharkiv and Svjatoshyn operating offices
Launch of retail lending program for auto and real estate purchase

2002

Kryvyy Rig branch and Golosiyvskiy operational office opened
Bank Forum becomes a member of International Payment System Visa International

2001

Creation of ATM network launched
Dnieper operational office and Alchevsk branch opened
German-Ukrainian Fund appointed Bank Forum to be an agent serving credit lines supporting lending to small and medium-size business
Bank was entitled to provide long-term loans from EBRD funding
First contracts on financial and operational leasing signed
Registration of Bank Forum’s trademark
Registration of statutory capital in amount of 60 million UAH
Conclusion of a contract with Pension fund of Ukraine and Labor Ministry on pension programmes service

2000

Three new branches opened in Mykolayiv and Dnipropetrovsk
Introduction of «Western Union» money transfer system
Bank Forum was first among commercial banks to grant a loan collaterized by precious metals
Launch of activities on payment cards market by issuance of first 100 cards
Bank becomes a member of SWIFT system
Registration of Non-governmental Pension Fund Forum and Leasing Company Forum Leasing
National Bank of Ukraine recommended EBRD to include Forum to the list of its Agent Banks serving credit lines lending to small and medium-size business
According to the decree of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, Bank obtained a right to serve credit lines secured by the Government