A Message to BNF customers
I want to take this opportunity to speak directly to our customers - to give you a fuller picture of what has been happening at BNF Bank, what we are building, and most importantly, where we are heading together.
More than three years ago, we embarked on a journey to build a better BNF Bank.
We began planning one of the most ambitious transformations ever attempted by a bank of our size in Malta. We set out to rebuild BNF, working with global, partners like Mastercard, and Temenos, to future-proof our services for you, our customers.
This was never about a simple IT upgrade - it was about evolving the entire foundation of our bank: core banking, digital banking, ATMs, and cards - everything.
Before going live, we invested thousands of hours into planning, testing, and preparation. Our go-live dates shifted multiple times because we wanted to go well beyond the recommended testing before moving forward.
This was also a decision backed by governance at every level: our Board of Directors, steering committees, executive oversight, external project managers, and independent migration assistance by external auditors.
Every green light - both internally as well as from our relevant external stakeholders - was earned.
We did all of this because we wanted to ensure that we could support the future we envision for you, and for Malta, as well as continue to meet regulatory requirements.
When we finally went live, despite all the preparation, the reality of such a major and unprecedented transition presented challenges across different areas.
I know that as we experienced technical challenges, some of you have experienced disruptions. Some have had your day-to-day banking affected.
I understand how unsettling that can be — and for that, I want to personally apologise. Banking is about supporting you, our customers, and our aim, is and still remains, to build a system that will continue to meet your needs. In the process of this transition, we temporarily failed to meet those needs, as you have come to expect.
In difficult moments, what matters most is how we respond.
Our people — the heart of BNF — have been incredible. Across our branches, our frontliners, our call centres, our teams have worked around the clock, answering phones, sitting down with customers face-to-face, resolving issues, and restoring confidence one conversation at a time.
Relationships — real relationships — are what have carried us through.
That is why, we have dedicated unprecedented resources to supporting this transition. We expanded our call centre capacity, mobilised specialist support teams, increased our staffing in key areas, and extended opening hours wherever possible. Meanwhile, our technical teams are working day and night to ensure smoother services for all our customers.
The data migration, including accounts and balances, was executed successfully, fully reconciled, and our core banking system remains robust and stable. Furthermore, the Bank remains in a robust financial position.
Meanwhile, BNF has continued to welcome new customers every day.
We are not standing still. We are evolving — building a bank that is safer, stronger, and more capable of supporting you. I’m genuinely excited about what this next phase will bring.
Lastly, I want to thank you all for your patience, your trust, and your resilience.
Together, we are building something better.
David Power, CEO, BNF Bank
