The Board of Directors of Intesa Sanpaolo, chaired by Gian Maria Gros-Pietro, has decided to create a new Government Area dedicated to security, called “Chief Security Officer” who will answer directly to the CEO Carlo Messina. The new structure has been entrusted to General Antonio De Vita who had been hired by Messina to join his staff as a senior advisor for security and cyber since September.
The appointment of General De Vita as Chief Security Officer takes place in a particularly delicate moment for the bank, following the scandal linked to the spying on customers' bank accounts and credit cards, an event that led to the dismissal of bank employee Vincenzo Coviello last August. Messina considered it essential act promptly to restore customer trust and ensure greater information security.
In an act of responsibility, Intesa Sanpaolo has also made a public apology to its customers, committing to ensure that similar episodes are not repeated. Intesa Sanpaolo will have to answer to the Bari Prosecutor's Office, the Bank of Italy and the Privacy Guarantor regarding the behavior of the unfaithful banker and the times of notification to the authorities. The bank defends itself, declaring himself an injured party and specifying that he acted in accordance with the required timeframes from a complex and accurate process to reconstruct what happened.
With the entry of De Vita and the new structure, the bank aims to strengthen your security structure and minimize the risk of future breaches.
The objectives of the new Intesa governance area
The “Chief Security Officer” Government Area, entrusted to General Antonio De Vita, will be responsible for ensure physical and IT security, in addition to the operational continuity of the institute. main objectives include:
- Centralization of security: create a single point of reference for the management of security models and solutions.
- Budget Governance: ensure adequate control over the economic resources dedicated to security.
- Identifying priorities: establish the most critical areas of intervention to improve safety.
- Adherence to international standards: consolidate the commitment to the best global safety standards and models.
The words of Carlo Messina
Charles Messina, managing director and CEO of Intesa Sanpaolo, commented on the importance of this new initiative: “General De Vita brings his experience, expertise and authority to Intesa Sanpaolo to strengthen an area of fundamental importance for the Bank. Thanks to its entry into the Group and with the establishment of the new Area we will be able to guarantee focus, investments and resources on of your digital ecosystem. , in all its complex aspects, with particular reference to the technological ones.”
General De Vita's CV
Antonio De Vita has covered high-responsibility roles in the Italian Armed Forces, culminating in the post of General of the Army Corps, where he supervised the Carabinieri of southern Italy. Before this, he held the ranks of Brigadier General and Division General, coordinating operations in the regional commands of Lombardy and Lazio, where he also managed personnel and logistics areas. He had important assignments in Turin, Naples and Rome, dealing with public safety and order within the Carabinieri.
De Vita has faced several challenges, such as the Covid emergency management in Lombardy and the coordination of the safety during the 2006 Turin Winter Olympics. He also carried out General Staff duties as Deputy Chief of Staff and Head of the 1st Department of the General Command, dealing with legislative issues and coordination of economic resources.
His career began with roles on the field, from Captain to Lieutenant Colonel, with command roles in Sardinia and Piedmont, where he also directed investigative operations as Commander of the Special Operations Group (ROS) for Sardinia and of the Investigative Unit in Naples.
In terms of education, De Vita holds a Master's degree in Strategic Sciences from the University of Turin and a Master's degree in Internal and External Security Sciences from the University of Tor Vergata in Rome.
