Gert Engman appointed CIO of FöreningsSparbanken (Swedbank) - greater focus on e-commerce and new sales channels

Gert Engman appointed CIO of FöreningsSparbanken (Swedbank) - greater focus on e-commerce and new sales channels Gert Engman, Vice President of FöreningsSparbanken (Swedbank), today was appointed Chief Information Officer (CIO) of the Group. As CIO, he will have overall responsibility for the bank's IT operations and e-business, including the continued development of the Group's range of products and services on the Internet. Gert Engman currently has responsibility in the Executive Management for FöreningsSparbanken by Internet and by Telephone. He assumes the CIO post on March 1 and, in addition, will retain operative responsibility for online and telephone operations until April 12, 2000. "It is critical that we make business transactions and customer benefit the focus of our IT operations," says Göran Ahlström, President of Swedbank. "The appointment of Gert Engman, which I made in consultation with my successor, Birgitta Johansson-Hedberg, was motivated by his extensive experience in utilizing new technology for banking operations." "Optimal use of new technology and a well-functioning interplay between our employees and technology is decisive to our continued success," adds Birgitta Johansson-Hedberg, Swedbank's incoming President, in commenting on today's decision. "The appointment of a CIO, who will join my new management group when I take over as president in April, is therefore a priority issue for me. The development of current and new meeting places that smoothly combine man and technology is one of our main tasks in the years ahead." For further information, please contact: Göran Ahlström, President and CEO, phone +46 8 585 928 98 goran.ahlstrom@foreningssparbanken.se Gert Engman, Vice President and CIO, phone +46 8 585 920 68 gert.engman@foreningssparbanken.se Einar Frydén, Information Manager, phone +46 8 585 916 30, +46 70 511 00 33 einar.fryden@foreningssparbanken.se ------------------------------------------------------------ Please visit http://www.bit.se for further information The following files are available for download: http://www.bit.se/bitonline/2000/02/18/20000218BIT00490/bit0001.doc http://www.bit.se/bitonline/2000/02/18/20000218BIT00490/bit0002.pdf