«The bank supports companies in their sustainable transformation»- Corriere.it

Bnl Bnp Paribas establishes a record in Europe: the first major bank to have two women at the top. In fact, since 19 July, the managing director and manager of Bnp Paribas in Italy Elena Goitini will be joined by Claudia Cattani in the role of president of the institute founded in 1913 and part of the French group since 2006. I am honored to hold this position, of which I feel the importance and responsibility, explains the manager, who intends to become an “ambassador” of the values ​​of the bank and of the community of women and men who represent it. Bnl is an economic-financial institution that has accompanied the history of Italy and today combines the territorial vocation of a local bank for individuals, families and businesses, with the international projection guaranteed by belonging to a pan-European group.

What will be the priorities of your mandate as president of Bnl?
Sustainability in its various forms, above all. Banks have a great responsibility in this area: they must spread awareness among companies that the demands of economic and environmental-social sustainability are not antithetical. Often, in fact, medium-small companies are sensitive to the issue but frightened by the costs of the transition.

How to encourage them?
Banks are key actors of change. Bnl, for example, has disbursed around 2 billion in a Sustainable Linked Loan, one of our sustainable loans, the rate of which is linked to the achievement of specific environmental sustainability objectives and more. An example: the more companies become energy efficient, the more the loan has better conditions for them.

Sustainability also has a social dimension. How do you decline in the bank?
Compatibly with the tools available to a bank, the needs of those with less disposable income must also be considered. in this key that since 2011 Bnl has been the industrial partner of PerMicro, a leading Italian company in microcredit, which has disbursed over 280 million to date. Of course, inclusion must be combined with financial education so that the customer can get to know the solutions best suited to his current and potential characteristics.

The governor of Bank of Italy, Ignazio Visco, recently spoke about it with regard to variable rate mortgages. Were those who stipulated them in the era of zero interest really aware of the risks?
Over 90% of our fixed rate mortgages; the same president of Abi Patuelli said the banks in Italy maintain almost two thirds of fixed-rate mortgages. The fact remains that for some customers the increase in the installment, combined with the dynamics of inflation and income, can become a problem: I read that work is being done to find system solutions to difficult situations, evaluating how to intervene to alleviate the load.

Does belonging to an international group pose risks for BNL in an era of returning nationalisms?
I see benefits, because our global network allows us to offer customers a diversified range of services and to support Italy’s growth plans, an extremely important aspect for an exporting country and for the value of our production. It then gives us the strength and further cultural openness to undertake courageous breakthroughs.

Or?
For example in gender inclusion: in addition to the goal of 40% by 2025 of female presence in the bank’s management and board of directors – deriving from the group and which we are very close to achieving – already today the population of BNL’s young talents is already over 50% women. On the other hand, the international vocation does not affect the strong territorial roots, proven by several initiatives.

Which ones for example?
In addition to our role as an economic-financial operator with local offices and teams, we are present in places where culture is created, as an opportunity for sharing and getting to know each other. I remind you that the artistic heritage of Bnl currently has over 5000 works and we continue to enrich the collection by purchasing new ones to support the work of young artists. We have been the main partner of the Rome Film Fest for 17 years. And in the social? I want to mention the Bnl Foundation, of which I will be vice president, which has intervened since 2006 with over 18 million in favor of more than 780 projects in the field of solidarity, childhood and health. Furthermore, the collaboration between the bank and the Telethon foundation has raised around 330 million in 31 years to finance research on rare genetic diseases. It is one of the major fund raising initiatives in Europe, an inspirational model for other similar campaigns.

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