2025 marks CIBP’s 75th Anniversary! That’s over seven and a half decades of international learning forum and business networking opportunities among cooperative and popular banks.

Early in 1949, Pierre Montfajon, President of Crédit Populaire (France), had a European vision of the role that Banques Populaires could play. He established the International Confederation of Crédit Populaire and took on the role of Vice-President.

Pierre Montfajon

Jacques Basyn, President of Caisse Nationale de Crédit Professionnel (Belgium), and 1st CIBP President, marking CIBP’s history in St-Malo in 1950

CIBP’s Founding Members:

  • Belgium: Jacques Basyn, Former Minister, President of Caisse Nationale de Crédit Professionnel
  • France: Paul Jacquier, Former Minister, President of Credit Populaire
  • The Netherlands: Johan van Eck, General Director of Nederlandsche Middenstandsbank Amsterdam
  • Luxembourg: Ernest Goergen, President/Director of the Caisse d’Epargne

Now, 75 years after the ratification of the creation of CIBP in Saint-Malo in 1950, CIBP’s current President, Philippe Henri, President Banque Populaire Mediterranée, will be welcoming CIBP Members and Guests for a celebration in Marseille in June 2025.

This is a sign of just how long CIBP Members have been cooperating to empower the cooperative business model in the world.

“CIBP is part of the new world. The Confederation is proud to be composed by 4 Members in Europe, 3 in Latin America and 1 in North Africa, with strong ties to the cooperative spirit. The perfect balance on 3 continents is still the aim. Celebrating 75 years is a testament to the spirit of the founders, with the basic idea of ​​the cooperative model – doing together what we cannot do alone. There is still so much to look forward to, such as rewarding the best practice exchanges with concrete business developments between cooperative and popular financial institutions. The leaders of tomorrow gain continuous learning opportunities on the cooperative values. They promote impactful human and social achievements“.

Valeria Rutgers, CIBP Secretary General

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