OP Financial Group

OP Financial Group
Private
Industry Financial Services
Headquarters Helsinki, Finland
Area served
Finland
Key people
Reijo Karhinen (managing director)
Products Banking, Insurance
Revenue Increase US$ 3.23 billion (2013)
Increase US$ 893.8 million (2013)
Number of employees
12,587 (2013 average)
Subsidiaries OP Bank Group Central Co-operative, Pohjola Bank, Helsingin OP Pankki, OP-Kotipankki
Website www.op.fi
New OP-Pohjola Group headquarters
Former OP-Pohjola Group headquarters

OP Financial Group is one of the largest financial companies in Finland. It consists of 180 cooperative banks and their central organization. The financial group has over 1.4 million customer-owners. The group offers retail and commercial banking services all over Finland as well as insurance services.[1]

In 2014 the group acquired the rest of Pohjola Bank shares and consolidated its services under OP-brand. Therefore, OP-Pohjola shortened its name OP.[2]

OP’s new headquarters is located in Vallila, Helsinki and opened in 2015.

History

The company’s predecessor was founded in 1891 when the fire insurance company Palovakuutus-Osakeyhtiö Pohjola commenced its operations. Pohjola Bank was listed in Helsinki Stock Exchange in 1922 being the one of the first companies to be listed in Helsinki.

The first local cooperative credit societies was founded in 1902 after it received a large loan from the Finnish state. The central organization for cooperatives was founded in 1928 as ideological organization between local branches. Since the business environment has changed and banking regulation has tightened, the central organization has increased its influence on local banks significantly.

In 2005 the central organization of OP Financial Group becomes a major shareholder of Pohjola Bank which make the group the largest financial service group in Finland. Rest of the shares were acquired in 2014.[3] .

Healthcare

In 2014 OP announced plan to expand to the health and wellbeing market. It already operates one hospital in Helsinki-region but is poised to open new ones in near future under the Pohjola brand which is no longer in use in banking.[4]

References


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