From the CEO

Corporate responsibility plays a fundamental role in enabling us to grow and develop in a sustainable manner and as a successful business.

With all the recent uncertainty surrounding the global economy, many companies will have started to question the true worth of their CR programmes. Some may even look upon them as being a drain on resources and a distraction from the day-to-day pressures of running their businesses.

This is not the approach to CR management we take at Provident Financial. When asked, as I often am, about how we manage our CR programme, I say it's part of our DNA. It's a fundamental part of our business strategy and plays a key role in our long-term success. It enables us to demonstrate to our stakeholders that we are a responsible, well-managed provider of credit that operates in a sustainable manner.

To underline this commitment to high standards in CR management, in 2008 we formalised and articulated the core values that have, for many years now, underpinned what we do and how we do it. The values of being fair, responsible, accessible, straightforward and progressive provide our stakeholders with a basis for understanding what our company stands for and how we will operate. They also provide a base against which our performance and behaviours can be assessed.

By conducting our business in a sustainable and socially responsible manner, we will be able to maintain our position as the UK and Ireland’s leading lender in the non-standard credit market – a market we have served for 130 years. It will also ensure that we continue to deliver high levels of customer satisfaction, reduce the impact that our activities have on the environment, act responsibly in all our relationships and play a positive role in the communities we serve.

This will ultimately help us to grow the long-term value of our company.

Peter Crook
Chief Executive