Groupe BPCE, the 2nd-largest banking group in France, includes two independent and complementary cooperative commercial banking networks: the network of 15 Banque Populaire banks and the network of 17 Caisses d’Epargne. It also works through Crédit Foncier in the area of real estate financing. It is a major player in Investment Solutions & Insurance, Corporate & Investment Banking and Specialized Financial Services with Natixis. Groupe BPCE, with its 108,000 employees, serves a total of 31.2 million customers and enjoys a strong local presence in France with 8,000 branches and 9 million cooperative shareholders.