First Bank (Romania)

{{Infobox company | name = First Bank | logo = First Bank Romania logo.svg | logo_caption = | logo_alt = | former_name = Piraeus Bank Romania (2000-2018)<br>Pater Bank (1995-2000) | type = Societate pe Acțiuni (S.A.) | industry = Financial services | fate = | predecessor = | successor =  | founded = {{Start date and age|1995|05|03}} | founder =  | defunct =  | hq_location_city = Bucharest | hq_location_country = Romania | area_served = Romania | key_people = Henk Paardekooper (CEO) | assets = EUR 1.479 billion (31 December 2024) | products = | owner = {{ubl|Independent|{{smaller|(1995–2000)}}|Piraeus Bank|{{smaller|(2000–2018)}}|J.C. Flowers & Co.|{{smaller|(2018–2024)}}|Intesa Sanpaolo|{{smaller|(2024–present)}}}} | num_employees = | num_employees_year =  | website = {{URL|firstbank.ro}} }} '''First Bank''' was a Romanian bank founded in 1995 as Pater Bank. It was acquired by Italian group Intesa Sanpaolo in May 2024 and merged with Intesa Sanpaolo's Romanian branch (Intesa Sanpaolo Bank Romania) on 31 October 2025.

==History== Five years after it was founded, Pater Bank was sold in 2000 to Piraeus Bank,<ref name = BNR>{{cite web|title=Registrul Institutiilor de Credit – Banci|url=http://www.bnr.ro/files/d/RegistreBNR/InstitCredit/ban1_raport.html|website=bnr.ro|publisher=Banca Nationala a Romaniei|accessdate=28 August 2014}}</ref> and its name was changed to reflect its new owner. Piraeus Bank sold its Romanian subsidiary to J.C. Flowers & Co. on 28 June 2018, who changed the bank's name to First Bank on 12 September 2018.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.piraeusbank.ro/News/426/We_are_proudly_presenting_you_the_future_logo_of_our_bank_.html|title=First Bank|access-date=2018-12-30|archive-date=2018-12-30|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181230233421/http://www.piraeusbank.ro/News/426/We_are_proudly_presenting_you_the_future_logo_of_our_bank_.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>

As of the following month, its shareholding structure became as follows:<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.zf.ro/banci-si-asigurari/berd-confirma-intrarea-in-actionariatul-piraeus-bank-romania-alaturi-de-j-c-flowers-banca-preia-19-din-capital-iar-fondul-american-de-investitii-76-17358345 |title=BERD confirmă intrarea în acţionariatul Piraeus Bank România, alături de J.C. Flowers. Banca preia 19% din capital, iar fondul american de investiţii 76% |work=Ziarul Financiar |date=2018-07-18 |access-date=2018-12-30|language=ro}}</ref> * J.C. Flowers & Co. - 76.1% * EBRD - 19% * Natural persons - 4.9%

In April 2020, First Bank acquired and absorbed the Romanian subsidiary of Bank Leumi.

==Acquisition by Intesa Sanpaolo and subsequent merger==

In May 2024, the Italian banking group Intesa Sanpaolo finalised the acquisition of Romanian lender First Bank, thus expanding its footprint in Romania.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Intesa Sanpaolo Finalizes Acquisition of First Bank|date=31 May 2024 |url=https://group.intesasanpaolo.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2024/05/intesa-sanpaolo-finalizes-acquisition-of-first-bank}}</ref>

On 31 October 2025, Intesa Sanpaolo merged First Bank into its Romanian branch (Intesa Sanpaolo Bank Romania), thus discontinuing the 'First Bank' brand in Romania.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Merger between Intesa Sanpaolo Bank Romania and First Bank nears completion |date=14 October 2025|url=https://www.romania-insider.com/merger-intesa-sanpaolo-first-bank-romania-oct-2025}}</ref>

==See also== {{Portal|Banks}} * List of banks in Romania * J.C. Flowers & Co.

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== *{{Official website|https://firstbank.ro/pub1/en/firstbank/index}}

Category:Banks of Romania Category:2024 mergers and acquisitions