On the occasion of the ceremony which awarded the Leonardo da Vinci Award for Business a Charles Messina laid down by the niaf – National Italian-American Foundation, the managing director and CEO of Intesa Sanpaolo, speaking via link, commented: “As we approach the celebration of the 250th anniversary of the United States, it is important to remember that the relationship between Italy and America is based on shared values, cultural connections and an enduring economic partnership. The National Italian-American Foundation gives voice to the millions of Americans of Italian descent, who have helped make the United States a great country and is committed to maintaining strong ties between Italy and America.”
Messina and relations with the USA
“The unique relationship between the two countries benefits both, as well as Europe and the world: Intesa Sanpaolo is a leading player in this relationship,” Messina continues. “The ties between our group and the United States date back over a hundred years, when the first American office opened in New York. It all began with the success of Italian immigrant communities, such as Little Italy in New York, which attracted Italian banks to America. Since then, Intesa Sanpaolo has played a key role in strengthening bilateral relations. Our group managed the funds of the Marshall Plan for Italy after World War II. Today, our New York branch is a bridge for the promotion of trade and investment between the United States and Italy, supporting the real economy on both sides of the Atlantic. Many of our investors are based in the United States, with BlackRock as our number one shareholder. We are the bank with the largest market capitalization in Europe. We manage one trillion three hundred billion euros in financial assets and we have twenty million customers in Italy and abroad”.
Messina, what did he say?
"I am convinced that there is a unique spirit that unites Italians around the world and that defines our actions: a generosity rooted in vision, always accompanied by a deep sense of humanity and the ability to create lasting relationships - adds Messina -. These values guide Intesa Sanpaolo's commitment to our stakeholders and the communities we serve, allow us to play a key role in the economic, civic and social life of our 'shared country' and make us the first Social Impact Bank in the world. We are inspired by the thinking of Raffaele Mattioli, an Italian banker who led Banca Commerciale Italiana, later part of Intesa Sanpaolo: 'Not only out of generosity, but also out of foresight, we have always placed the interests of the national economy above the immediate and transitory interests of the company.' These words reflect our work today at Intesa Sanpaolo”.
“I thank the President Allegrini for the Leonardo da Vinci Award for Business, which I receive with gratitude and pride also on behalf of the one hundred thousand people who work for Intesa Sanpaolo. I believe that this award is a tribute to the growth of our group, to which I have dedicated a large part of my life, a recognition of our support for the values of Italian excellence in business”, concludes Messina.
