At the dawn of the new century, the Société Générale Group focuses on achieving growth via the three key routes of international retail banking, asset management and specialist financial services. The Group also achieves strong growth through the excellent performances delivered by its two historically-important business sectors of French retail banking and finance and investment banking. Between 1997 and 2007, its NBI (Net Banking Income) grows from €8.302 billion to €21.9 billion, whilst its workforce increases from 55,000 to 150,000 over the same period.

Société Générale continues to develop its retail banking operations with the creation of the Banque de Détail Hors France Métropolitaine (BHFM). The very beginning of the 21st century is marked by the acquisition of several banks in central and south-eastern Europe, and others around the Mediterranean rim.
Able to rely on its balance of business sectors within its universal banking model, Société Générale enters the turbulence of the first serious financial crisis of the 21st century having fallen victim to a spectacular fraud of €4.9 billion as a result of the hidden market positions taken by rogue trader Jérôme Kerviel.