Company Overview
Ulster Bank was founded in 1836 and became a wholly owned subsidiary of NatWest in 1917. In March 2000, NatWest Group was the subject of a successful take-over bid by The Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) and Ulster Bank Group is now a wholly owned subsidiary of the enlarged RBS group. First Active, a leading mortgage provider, was acquired by Ulster Bank Group in January 2004 in a €887 million transaction.
Ulster Bank and First Active moving to a single brand in the Republic of Ireland creates a highly effective challenger to the larger competitors in the Irish banking market combining the market leading service levels and the banking solutions strengths of both organisations. Across the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. Ulster Bank employees over 7,000 people who serve approximately 1.9 million personal and business customers through 297 branches and business banking offices.
Throughout the changing market conditions of the past year, Ulster Bank has continued to enjoy the strong support of its parent RBS Group itself supported by the UK government Ulster Bank remains focused on the needs of its customers and will continue to provide both business and personal customers with the highest standards of service.
Ulster Bank Retail Markets serves our personal and small business customers, provides Branch Banking and Direct Banking throughout the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, and comprises of two distinct customer facing divisions:
- Retail: The shop window of the bank to the public operating out of 92 outlets in Northern Ireland and 146 outlets in Republic of Ireland. This division is responsible for branch-based marketing, sales and service activities delivering a full range of competitively priced products to the marketplace.
- Direct Banking: This division delivers all card based business, Anytime telephony/internet business, direct product offerings and eCommerce strategy and activities.
Ulster Bank Corporate Markets answers the day to day banking needs of business and corporate customers. It provides treasury and money market services, asset financing, wealth management, ebanking and international services, with a constant focus on providing customer choice and value. Its people are based in Dublin, Belfast and locally throughout Ireland, providing sector-specific expertise and a wide breadth of products and capabilities to its customers. The Corporate Markets division is structured into three business units:
- Business Banking is managed over two geographic and regulatory locations; the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. The division is responsible for providing a variety of services to businesses of all sizes operating at different stages from start-up level through franchises, to fully established growth businesses. The teams have experience across a range of sectors and specialties such as food, media, building materials, leisure, healthcare, project finance and infrastructure. Business Banking, through the Inward Investment team also provide banking services foreign direct investment developments, more than any other bank in Ireland. They also provide growing Irish companies with a dedicated invoice finance product and service.
- Capital Markets work to help customers understand hedging and investment instruments as well as receive the best solution and price for their individual needs. This unit also provides specialist economic advice on treasury developments.
- The Resourcing team ensures the effective and efficient targeting of new customers and the retention of existing customer and raises new deposits and credit balances, through excellent customer service, attractive products and comprehensive relationship management. The team create and deliver product solutions for new and existing business customers in all aspects of transactional banking including; International and domestic cash management; global trade finance; merchant services (acquiring) and commercial cards.The Resourcing team also provide high net worth individuals with innovative, tailored investment solutions and advice through our Wealth Managers. Ulster Bank Wealth draws on the global Wealth capabilities of the RBS group.