Westpac Banking Corporation history, company profile (overview) and corporate video Westpac Banking Corporation is a multinational banking and financial services company, headquartered at Westpac Place in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. HISTORY Westpac was established in 1817 as the Bank of New South Wales under a charter of incorporation provided by Governor Lachlan Macquarie. In 1970, the company was listed on the Australian Securities Exchange. In 1982, the Bank of New South Wales changed its name to Westpac Banking Corporation following the acquisition of the Commercial Bank of Australia. From 1993 to 1999, Westpac instigated several…
Author: Darius
Darius
I've spent over a decade researching and documenting the stories behind the world's most influential companies. What started as a personal fascination with how businesses evolve from small startups to global giants turned into CompaniesHistory.com—a platform dedicated to making corporate history accessible to everyone.
Founded: 1913 in Milan, Italy 2024 Revenue: €5.4 billion (17% year-over-year growth) Employees: 15,216 (as of December 2024) Market Cap: $14.7 billion (January 2026) Directly Operated Stores: 609 worldwide Prada SpA is an Italian luxury fashion house headquartered in Milan. The company designs, manufactures, and distributes leather goods, footwear, ready-to-wear apparel, accessories, and fragrances. Prada Group owns four brands: Prada, Miu Miu, Church’s, and Car Shoe. In December 2025, the company completed its acquisition of Versace from Capri Holdings for $1.375 billion. The Prada brand accounts for over 70% of group revenue. The company operates 26 owned factories and sells…
Praxair, Inc. history, company profile (overview) and corporate video Praxair, Inc. was an industrial gas company headquartered in Danbury, Connecticut, United States. HISTORY Praxair was originally founded as Linde Air Products Company by Carl von Linde in 1907. It was the first company in North America to commercialize cryogenically separated oxygen. In 1917, the company introduced the first distribution system for liquid gas. In the 1940s, it developed on-site gas supply. In the 1960s, the company introduced non-cryogenic means of air separation. In 1995, the company was renamed as Praxair. In 2018, Praxair merged with Linde AG…
Key Stats Market capitalization approximately $195 billion as of November 2024 Annual revenue reached $38.96 billion in fiscal year 2024 Employs approximately 49,000 people globally across operations Third largest semiconductor manufacturer worldwide with 5.4 percent market share Holds 28 percent of global smartphone processor market share Qualcomm stands as a multinational semiconductor and telecommunications equipment corporation headquartered in San Diego, California. The company operates through multiple business sectors including One Technology Roadmap, Mobile, Internet of Things, Automotive, and Technology Licensing segments. The corporation develops and manufactures a comprehensive portfolio of wireless technology products. These include processors, modems, radio frequency systems,…
Rakuten Group, Inc. history, company profile (overview) and corporate video Rakuten Group, Inc. is a technology conglomerate headquartered in Setagaya, Tokyo, Japan. It operates through the following business sectors: Commerce & Marketing, Communications & Energy, Investment & Incubation, and FinTech. HISTORY 1997-1999: Foundation of Rakuten and Launch of Internet shopping mall “Rakuten Ichiba” In an era where everyone seemed to be telling us that people will never buy things on the Internet, “Rakuten Ichiba” launched with only 6 employees and 13 merchants. 1997 Feb MDM, Inc., the precursor to Rakuten, Inc., is foundedMay “Rakuten Ichiba,” the Internet shopping mall, begins service 1998 Jul…
RHB Banking Group history, company profile (overview) and corporate video RHB Banking Group is a multinational financial services group headquartered in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The Group’s regional presence spans 10 countries in the ASEAN region, including Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, Brunei, Cambodia, Hong Kong (with a representative office in China), Vietnam, Myanmar, and Lao PDR. RHB Capital Berhad is the holding company for the RHB Banking Group of companies. GROUP’S SUBSIDIARIES The Group’s main subsidiaries are: RHB Bank BerhadRHB Investment Bank BerhadRHB Islamic Bank BerhadRHB Insurance BerhadRHB Asset Management Sdn Bhd HISTORY RHB Banking Group…
CHF 101B+ Market Cap (2025) €21.4B Revenue FY2025 38,900+ Employees 20+ Luxury Brands 1988 Founded Compagnie Financiere Richemont SA ranks as one of the largest luxury goods companies globally. The Swiss holding company maintains its headquarters in Bellevue, Switzerland. Richemont operates through three main business segments: Jewellery Maisons, Specialist Watchmakers, and Other Businesses. The company owns prestigious brands including Cartier, Van Cleef and Arpels, Vacheron Constantin, and Montblanc. Richemont produces and distributes jewelry, watches, leather goods, writing instruments, and fashion accessories worldwide. The jewelry segment generates over 70 percent of total revenue. As of 2025, Richemont holds the position of…
SACYR S.A. – history, company profile (overview) and corporate video SACYR S.A. is an infrastructure operator and developer company headquartered in Madrid, Spain. HISTORY SACYR was founded in 1986 as Sociedad Anónima Caminos y Regadíos. In 1991, Sociedad Anónima Caminos y Regadíos was renamed as Sacyr. In 1996, the company received its first concession, the Chilean El Elquí highway. In 2002, the company acquired a stake in Vallehermoso, a leading Spanish housing business founded in 1921. In 2003, Sacyr merged with Vallehermoso to form Sacyr Vallehermoso. In 2006, the company acquired a stake in Repsol. In…
SAIC, Inc. profile and corporate video SAIC, Inc. (SAIC) is a holding company. SAIC operates in four segments: Defense Solutions; Health, Energy and Civil Solutions; Intelligence and Cybersecurity Solutions, and Corporate and Other. Its principal operating company is Science Applications International Corporation (Science Applications). It is a provider of scientific, engineering, systems integration and technical services and solutions in the areas of defense, health, energy, infrastructure, intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and cybersecurity to agencies of the United States Department of Defense (DoD), the intelligence community, the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and other United States Government civil agencies, state and…
Genworth Financial, Inc. history, company profile (overview) and corporate video Genworth Financial, Inc. is a financial services company headquartered in Virginia, United States. It offers long-term care insurance, life insurance, annuity retirement solutions, and others. HISTORY Genworth Financial was founded in 1871 as The Life Insurance Company of Virginia. In 1986, the company was acquired by Combined Insurance (Aon plc). In 1996, the company was sold to GE Capital, the financial services division of General Electric. In 2003, Genworth Financial, Inc. was incorporated and was formed out of several GE Capital insurance companies. In 2004,…