At Arion Bank we want to set an example as a company which employs sound and responsible business practices. In all the decisions we make, we assess the various interests at stake and the long-term view is just as important as short-term considerations. We assess the possible gains and risks involved in the decisions and loans we make, with many different interests at stake.

Arion Bank employees are well aware that the Bank’s activities have an impact on different groups and on society as a whole. We have established procedures, a code of ethics and policies on different aspects of operations, including disclosure, information security, money laundering and equal opportunities.
Managing risk and taking informed decisions is a crucial component of the Bank's activities and its responsibility towards society. Risk management is therefore a core activity within the Bank. The key to effective risk management is a process of ongoing identification of significant risk, quantification of risk exposure, action to limit risk and constant monitoring of risk.

Excellence in corporate governance

Arion Bank has been recognized as a company which has achieved excellence in corporate governance. This recognition is given on the back of a formal assessment based on guidelines on corporate governance issued by the Icelandic Chamber of Commerce, the Confederation of Icelandic Employers, and Nasdaq Iceland. Arion Bank received this recognition following an in-depth survey of corporate governance at the Bank, including governance by the Board of Directors, sub-committees and management, performed by KPMG ehf. in the autumn of 2015. The recognition applies for three years unless significant changes are made to the Bank’s management or ownership.

Responsible investment

In 2017 the Bank became a signatory to the United Nations Principles on Responsible Investment (UN PRI). This underlines the Bank’s commitment to sustainability and the Bank has pledged to place a greater emphasis on environmental and social issues and good corporate governance when assessing potential investments and making investment decisions.