QNB recently held its annual strategy conference at the Sharq Village and Spa, which was attended by the Group’s executive management, general managers and CEOs from across its international network. The conference was also attended by the chairman and top officials of Finansbank, which is considered the fifth largest private sector bank in Turkey, in addition to the Group’s executive management and heads of its branches and subsidiary companies. The attendees discussed a number of points listed on this year’s strategy conference agenda, including asset and wealth management, global market updates and trends, and the Group’s global expansion strategy. The conference also included the discussion of a number of important topics, such as QNB’s vision to become a Middle East and Africa (MEA) icon by 2017 and focusing on the best practices necessary for the enhancement of the Group’s strategy, both locally and internationally. The annual strategy conference is considered an opportunity to present, discuss, and review the progress achieved throughout the year, as well as the Group’s business plans. These meetings also aim to support the continued progress achieved by QNB Group and to focus on the achievement of its goals, especially since the strategy is considered one of the bank’s main strengths, due to which QNB’s operations witnessed tangible expansion during the last few years through a number of successful acquisitions that enabled the Group to enter promising new markets. QNB Group’s presence through its subsidiaries and associate companies extends to some 27 countries across three continents providing a comprehensive range of advanced products and services. The total number of employees is more than 15,300 operating through more than 640 locations, with an ATM network of more than 1,400 machines.