Mr. Seang Serey, Chief Executive Officer of SATHAPANA Limited, has shared with us the new refreshing look of SATHAPANA and commitment to serving Myanmar better through innovative financial products and services to customers throughout the country; while contribution to economic development, and environment and social sustainability.
1. What is the history of SATHAPANA Limited?
SATHAPANA Limited was founded in 2015 by MARUHAN Investment Asia Pte, Ltd. and obtained permanent license from Financial Regulatory Department in July 2016 to operate Microfinance business in Myanmar with authorized capital 15 Million United States Dollar. The company is currently offering financial services including loan and saving to Myanmar people living in rural and urban areas. After two and a half years of our operations, we managed to be the second largest Microfinance Institution in Myanmar in term of loan portfolio with 150,000 clients, 17 branches in 7 Regions.
2. What makes SATHAPANA Limited to change new LOGO, the meaning of new LOGO?
The world is changing pretty rapidly – be it technology landscape, consumer landscape, payments landscape or the marketing landscape. Today, it is all about connected-consumers, and financial is at the heart of enabling practically everything they do in all spheres of their lives. At SATHAPANA Limited, this is also driving our product innovations like loan and saving mobilization by SATHAPANA. We, therefore, feel that it is time for us to evolve our brand identity to reflect our new product and service diversification – on the pillars of simplicity, connectivity, solidity, growth, reliability, transparency, modernity and innovation.
3. What do you want people to know about the rebrand? What message does it convey?
First and foremost, we want people to know that our company is evolving. Evolving alongside them. The trust, convenience and security they have come to know when using our services remains, and at the same time we are innovating and advancing for the future. The subtle LOGO change represents mount Fuji, a widely recognized symbol of Japan, where our shareholder is, and as a source of solidity, and harmony. The Hexagon rim of crest represents the honeycomb structure of a beehive, nature of ideal storage of valuable assets. Its strength is re-enforced when multiple hexagons are placed next to one another, dispatching the company’s ability to serve its customers through its branch network. The crest also represents vault or a safety deposit box and five shades of blue, which are the reflections of the blue sky, the sign of modernity and progress.
The goal is to convey simplicity, connectivity, transparency and modernity, while preserving our heritage. We want to create a distinctive look and feel across every touch point, a new brand identity that unmistakably is recognized as SATHAPANA, no matter where you are in the world.
4. What are your remarkable achievement for this year?
We are proud to announce our 3-remarkable achievements for this year. First, after two and a half years of operation we could manage to be second largest Microfinance Institutions in Myanmar in term of loan portfolio. Secondly, it is the first and the most successful year of SATHAPANA Limited to make profit with sustainable growth through our financial products and services offering to 150,000 customers in 17 branches of 7 regions. and lastly as you may have seen today that we have announced to change our new Logo to show our evolution and innovation.
5. What is your market segmentation?
Our market segments are entrepreneurial “poor” and “medium poor” people in rural and urban areas. meaning to say entrepreneurial “poor” are targeted for group loans that finance the expansion and diversification of income generating activities. Entrepreneurial “medium poor” are targeted for individual loans that finance the expansion and diversification of their micro enterprises. SATHAPANA Limited applies an entrepreneurship-graduation concept where it selects entrepreneurial ‘poor’ women/men as new clients for group loans then become eligible for individual loans once they succeed in transforming their income-generating activities into micro enterprises with a good track record and profitability. SPN is committed to retaining all of its ‘good’ clients and increasing the number of entrepreneurial ‘poor’ in a rapid and sustainable manner.
6. As you mentioned, SATHAPANA is the second largest Microfinance Institutions in Myanmar in terms of loan portfolio, what is your commitment towards being transparent, safe and trustful institution for customers?
Our shareholders, management and staff are very committed as we want to be the leading Financial Institution in entrepreneurship building of the poor in urban and rural areas not only in Myanmar but also ASIAN community. To be the top Financial Institution in the country, we need to establish a solid transparent organization, fairness, and good corporate governance. Though it is long term commitment for us, we will not hesitate to make necessary investments to achieve a bigger positive impact to Myanmar’s economic and people. To support this commitment, we have planned to open 15 new offices by expanding our operation outreach to 2 new regions. This will bring total number of our branches office to 32 by fiscal year 2018-2019 where it will make customers more convenient and quicker access to our financial services.
7. What do you think about the financial industry in Myanmar?
As Myanmar is the emerging market where the country is enjoying rapid economic growth of 7-8% annually. Financial sector is playing a vital role in supporting the growth of this economy, but still weak in capital, financial literacy and technique. Hence, we need to work hard in providing high quality of financial products and services so that Myanmar people can have greater access to our financial services with a reasonable cost to make their lives better. In addition, we will provide not only financial services to the people but also financial and technical solution through our competent and professional colleagues. We strongly believe, through more than 20 years of success story in Cambodia, that we will be able to share our knowledge and experiences to make another success story in this country.
