AS HANSAPANK          STOCK EXCHANGE RELEASE               12.04.05



Hansabank Group CEO Indrek Neivelt resigns - Erkki Raasuke will be the new acting

CEO



Indrek Neivelt announced today that he is resigning from his position as CEO and

chairman of the Hansabank Board. He will leave the bank as of 22 April 2005.

Erkki Raasuke, vice chairman of the Board and head of the Group's Estonian

business unit will be appointed as the new acting CEO and chairman of the board.



As a result of Swedbank's buy-out of the minority shareholders the role of

Hansabank Group in the new organisation will be reviewed in the near term. Erkki

Raasuke will be the acting CEO of Hansabank Group during this period.



"We are very pleased that Mr. Raasuke has accepted this important position as

acting chairman. As a member of the management Mr. Raasuke has indeed been a

leading contributor to Hansabank's success story during the years," says Mr.

Anders Ek, chairman of the Supervisory Council.



"We appreciate Mr. Neivelt's outstanding contribution to Hansabank during the

past years. Together with his management he has developed the Hansabank Group

into a strong pan-Baltic financial group and a clear leader in its domestic

market. We accept his decision to step down from his position and wish him the

best of luck in the future," says Mr. Ek.



"One stage in our Group's history - as a listed company has come to end. This

period has been very interesting and motivating," says Mr. Indrek Neivelt. "I

have been in Hansabank since the very beginning and the last 6 years as the CEO

of the Group. Hansabank Group has developed very rapidly over the years and we

have a strong market position in each of the three Baltic countries. I am happy

to see that our Group is working as a common team and is stronger than ever. I am

grateful to all my colleagues as it has been a pleasure working with you in

Hansabank."



"As a long-term and close colleague of Indrek Neivelt and vice-chairman of the

Board I find it natural to assume the responsibility of acting CEO during this

transitional period," says Mr. Erkki Raasuke. "Hansabank is now in a new position

and I am looking forward to working with my colleagues both in Hansabank and

Swedbank. The recent changes do not influence our daily operations - our

managers' priorities are with our Group's employees and clients and we continue

to serve our customers with the same high quality as previously."







Hansabank (www.hansagroup.com) is the largest financial group in the Baltic

countries. Hansabank has 6,000 employees and close to 4 million customers,

including 1.3 million e-banking customers. Established in 1991, the Group today

has total assets close to 8.5 billion euros and controls 1/3 of the Baltic

banking market. In 2002 the Group expanded its operations to Russia, where it

concentrates on serving the Group's Baltic, Scandinavian and Russian corporate

customers.





Additional information:



Anders Ek, Chairman of the Council, Hansabank

+46 8 5859 2666

Indrek Neivelt, Hansabank

+372 613 1372

Erkki Raasuke, Hansabank

+372 613 1372

Henrik Kolga, Head of Corporate Communications, Swedbank

+46 7 0811 1315



Mart Tõevere

Head of Corporate Communications and IR

Tel. +372 6131 569