Mercantil Financial Services, Inc.

On March 23, it was founded as Banco Neerlando Venezolano by a group of 98 Venezuelans, within an economy driven by the agricultural activities of coffee, cocoa, and cotton.

It began operations on April 3 of the same year.

It changed its corporate name to Banco Mercantil y Agrícola.

Banco Mercantil y Agrícola issued its own legal tender banknotes in denominations of ten (10), twenty (20), and one hundred (100) bolivars.

The bank decided to promote agricultural activity by providing agricultural loans through the national banking sector.

The bank began its geographic expansion in Venezuela by acquiring an office in the city of Valencia (Carabobo state). This was the institution's first branch in the interior of the country.

Banco Mercantil y Agrícola listed its shares on the Caracas Stock Exchange. It began diversifying its services by offering automobile loans and positioned itself as a pioneer in the electronic data processing system in the Venezuelan financial system.

It decided to partner with Chase Manhattan Bank, N.A. of the United States, which acquired 49% of Banco Mercantil y Agrícola's shares.

Due to a change in Venezuelan legislation, Chase Manhattan Bank sold part of its shares while retaining a 20% stake, so 80% of Banco Mercantil y Agrícola's capital became Venezuelan.

Formation of the Commercial and Agricultural Investment Consortium to provide its clients the opportunity to participate in financial businesses different from traditional commercial banking.

Banco Mercantil y Agrícola signs the first Social Benefits Trust Agreement with the oil industry, making it a pioneer in this activity in Venezuela.

International expansion: Opening of representative offices in London, New York, and Frankfurt.

The Commercial and Agricultural Investment Consortium creates Banco Mercantil Venezolano in Curaçao.

Employees of Banco Mercantil y Agrícola found the Trade Union and sign the first Collective Agreement.

The Commercial and Agricultural Investment Consortium creates Banco del Centro in Panama.

Chase Manhattan Bank sells all its shares; Banco Mercantil y Agrícola becomes a fully Venezuelan shareholder-dependent institution.

Continues international expansion by establishing a branch in Panama and opening representative offices in Bogotá and Lima in Latin America.

The bank changes its name to Banco Mercantil. It continues international expansion by creating a branch in Curaçao and representative offices in São Paulo and Quito. It expands its service portfolio and begins offering innovative financing programs that include personal loans, consumer loans, and a range of credit facilities. It signs an agreement to operate exclusively in Venezuela the Diners Club card franchise in Venezuela.

It positions itself as a leader and pioneer in electronic services in the Venezuelan financial system with its ABRA 24 ATMs. It creates the Banco Mercantil Foundation with the aim of developing community solidarity support. The Commercial and Agricultural Investment Consortium acquires Credimático, which operated MasterCard and Visa credit card franchises. It also acquires Commercebank, N.A. in Florida.

Banco Mercantil reaches a network of 106 branches and leadership in services, ranking among the top three private banks with the greatest national and international presence.

The bank launches the Visa Mercantil credit card, adding it to MasterCard and Diners, positioning itself as a leader in this business area and becoming the only bank with the franchise of 3 of the 4 credit cards that operated in the Venezuelan market. It inaugurates a representative office in Mexico City and acquires Banco de los Trabajadores de Colombia, later renamed Banco Mercantil de Colombia.

Consorcio Inversionista Mercantil y Agrícola and Banco Mercantil launch their program of American Depositary Receipts (ADRs) in the United States for class B shares. Banco Mercantil changes its status from Commercial Bank to Universal Bank through the absorption merger of Banco de Inversión Mercantil, Banco Hipotecario Mercantil, Arrendadora Mercantil, and Fondo Mercantil.

Creation of the holding company Mercantil Servicios Financieros (MERCANTIL) which acquires 98.25% of the shares of Banco Mercantil and Consorcio Inversionista Mercantil y Agrícola, becoming its main subsidiary, as well as the companies Commercebank, N.A., in the United States; Banco Mercantil Venezolano in Curaçao; Banco del Centro in Panama; BMC Bank & Trust Limited in the Cayman Islands; BMS Finanz AG in Switzerland; Merinvest Sociedad de Corretaje; Mercantil Seguros and Mercantil Inversiones y Valores in Venezuela. J.P. Morgan Global Capital Limited acquires common B shares of the Bank and Consorcio Inversionista Mercantil y Agrícola, which then represented approximately 9.9% of MERCANTIL's common shares. MERCANTIL registers its shares with the National Securities Commission and the Caracas Stock Exchange. Banco Mercantil launches its website and its Mercantil en Línea service, becoming the pioneer of internet banking in Venezuela.

The portfolio company Mercantil Financial Services was established in 1997 by integrating Banco Mercantil and the Mercantil and Agricultural Investment Consortium (CIMA).

MERCANTIL, through its subsidiary Banco Mercantil, acquires Interbank Banco Universal.

The Swiss Banking Commission authorizes the conversion of BMS Finanz AG, established in 1988, into Banco Mercantil (Schweiz) AG Commercial Bank.

The assets of Banco Mercantil de Colombia are sold.

MERCANTIL acquires 4.85% of Bancolombia's shares.

MERCANTIL creates the TODO1 platform in partnership with Bancolombia, Conavi, Banco de Pichincha, McKinsey, and J.P. Morgan, offering financial services via the Internet and also non-financial products and services to its clients.

MERCANTIL, through its subsidiary Seguros Mercantil, acquires Seguros Orinoco, positioning itself as the third largest insurance company in Venezuela.

Commercebank, N.A. establishes its subsidiary Commercebank Investment Services to provide securities brokerage services and investment advisory.

MERCANTIL modifies its organizational structure, specifically in the Executive Committees of MERCANTIL, Banco Mercantil and Commercebank, N.A., and in the Board of Directors of Commercebank Holding, establishing globally corporate management. Additionally, the Global Risk Unit was created.

Commercebank, N.A. establishes its subsidiary Commercebank Trust Services to provide fiduciary services.

Seguros Mercantil launched the international coverage policy for medical services, called Mercantil Global Benefits.

MERCANTIL sells the shareholding it held in Bancolombia, which corresponded to approximately 4.4% of that Colombian financial institution's equity capital.

Commercebank opened its first office with all banking services in Houston.

MERCANTIL, through its U.S. subsidiary Commercebank N.A., acquires Florida Savings Bank, an institution that has operated in South Florida since 1999 and had assets of US$132 million at the end of 2005.

MERCANTIL includes type “A” shares in its program of American Depositary Receipts (ADRs).

MERCANTIL aligns the corporate identities of all its subsidiaries by using the Mercantil brand, both in Venezuela and abroad.

Banco del Centro in Panama received a general license from Panamanian authorities, allowing it to participate in the local market.

MERCANTIL launched a strategy to standardize the Mercantil brand across all companies that make up the organization to ensure a global image and a differentiated brand platform.

Mercantil Banco Universal creates Mercantil Aliado, a network of service points to offer banking services and innovative products to the Masses to promote banking in the country.

Mercantil Banco Universal introduces chip technology for its debit cards and ATM network into the financial market, becoming a pioneer in Venezuela with international certification in this technology that offers greater security to customers in their transactions.

In celebration of the 85th anniversary of Mercantil Banco Universal, the Mercantil Space was inaugurated, a place dedicated to art and culture with the purpose of strengthening ties with the Venezuelan community.

Mercantil Banco Universal completes the chip technology rollout for all its credit and debit cards, as well as for its ATM and point-of-sale networks, becoming the first institution in the Venezuelan financial system to finish implementing this valuable security tool for its customers.

Mercantil Banco Universal launches the “Mercantil Quick Lane” self-service area installation program to deepen its transaction routing and self-management strategy.

Introduces the Mercantil Mobile service that enables customers to access online banking from smartphones.

Mercantil Commercebank, N.A. expands its presence in Houston, Texas, with the opening of a new office.

Mercantil Bank (Switzerland) reoriented its activities toward exclusive Private Banking services.

Mercantil Capital Markets (Panama), a subsidiary of Mercantil Merinvest C.A., begins operations offering its clients the best investment and financing alternatives through innovative products and services.

Mercantil launches its social media presence with its first Twitter account @MercantilBanco, creating a new direct communication channel with its customers. Subsequently, four official accounts were opened for its subsidiaries: @MercantilSeg, @MMerinvest, @MercantilCB (in English), and @MercantilCBesp (in Spanish). Additionally, an official Mercantil Banco account was established on YouTube.

MERCANTIL, continuing its international expansion strategy, broadened its insurance services to the Panamanian market through the launch of Mercantil Seguros Panama, offering insurance products and services both domestically and internationally.

Mercantil Banco Universal introduces the Mercantil Mobile Empresas service, which, together with the Mercantil Mobile Personas service, provides both its corporate and individual clients with mobile technology conveniences, allowing access to its services anytime and anywhere. In the case of Mercantil Mobile Empresas, the main added value is that clients can request Quick Business Credit to obtain funds securely and immediately, making it the first bank to offer its business segment clients credits through a mobile application.

Mercantil Seguros Panamá began a process to extend the protection of its Mercantil Global Benefits health policy not only to residents of Panama, Venezuela, Latin American and Caribbean countries, but also to those living in Spain, Italy, and Portugal.

MERCANTIL continued the strategy initiated in 2007 to standardize the Mercantil brand across all companies that make up the organization to ensure a global image and a differentiated brand platform. In this regard, in January, name changes were implemented for Mercantil companies in the U.S.: Mercantil Commercebank became Mercantil Bank, N.A., and its subsidiaries Mercantil Commercebank Investment Services Inc. and Mercantil Commercebank Trust Company became Mercantil Investment Services Inc. and Mercantil Trust Company, N.A.