Intesa Sanpaolo: Digital Corporate & Transaction Banking Academy kicks off in partnership with Università Cattolica-Cetif

PRESS RELEASE

INTESA SANPAOLO: DIGITAL CORPORATE & TRANSACTION BANKING

ACADEMY KICKS OFF IN PARTNERSHIP WITH UNIVERSITÀ CATTOLICA-CETIF

Two courses on digital transformation and internationalisation

for entrepreneurs and managers

Milan/Turin, 26 January 2021 - Intesa Sanpaolo and Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore-Cetif announce the launch of the Digital Corporate & Transaction Banking Academy, which aims to guide entrepreneurs and managers through the process of digital transformation and internationalisation. Two courses are being offered which result from a partnership agreement between Intesa Sanpaolo, Università Cattolica - CeTIF, CeTIF Advisory and Intesa Sanpaolo Formazione: International Trade & Export Management and Business Models and Digital Strategies for Enterprises which will start on 1 March and 7 April, respectively. The five-week training programme, which will be offered in three separate sessions over the course of 2021, combines the academic expertise of Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore and the practical experience of the managers of Intesa Sanpaolo.

"We are well aware that at such a troublesome time the focus must be on innovation and skills development. New organisational models based on digitalisation and internationalisation generate opportunities and are key to rendering company business models sustainable," notes Elisa Zambito Marsala, Managing Director of Intesa Sanpaolo Formazione, the Group's training company which focuses on SMEs and enterprises. "Through our training courses we aim to meet the needs of SMEs and help them remain competitive both within the organisation thanks to the new opportunities afforded by digitalisation, and externally, with skills adapted to confront international markets. All of this with the qualifying contribution of the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore".

The courses integrate the tangible contribution and experience gained in the field by Intesa Sanpaolo's Global Transaction Banking Department led by Stefano Favale, who commented: "At a time of discontinuity and constantly changing market scenarios, companies are increasingly engaged in processes of digital transformation and international development that require ongoing updating of skills at all levels of the organisation. Investment in this key area will enable companies to better support the business restart in the short term, and to build a competitive advantage in the medium term. The advanced training programmes that are kicking off with the 'Digital Corporate & Transaction Banking Academy' in partnership with CeTIF and Intesa Sanpaolo Formazione are a genuine opportunity for companies to start this process of strategically repositioning skills".

Working alongside Intesa Sanpaolo Formazione is the Università Cattolica Sacro Cuore together with CeTIF

• Centro di Ricerca su Tecnologie Innovazione e Servizi Finanziari (Research Centre on Innovation Technologies and Financial Services) - which contributes academic expertise to the study programmes that will be delivered digitally. The contribution of Intesa Sanpaolo's IMI Corporate and Investment Banking Division, headed by Mauro Micillo, through the Global Transaction Banking Department, is also important.

"The launch of the Digital Corporate & Transaction Banking Academy with Intesa Sanpaolo," comments Prof. Federico Rajola, Director of CeTIF, "provides an ideal opportunity for the Academy to provide a valuable contribution within the business, encouraging the development of Digital Culture and providing a strategic vision of Digital Transformation. This agreement comes about in a particularly challenging environment and the skills gained through the various training courses being organised will provide businesses with the tools they need to innovate and compete more effectively in the market, including globally".

The case studies and company testimonials are the added value of both courses, which, despite being carried out entirely online, are geared to the day-to-day running of a business. Participating managers will also be able to take advantage of an individual assessment to explore specific areas of interest.

The course faculty includes professors from CeTIF, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, and visiting professors with specific experience and knowledge of the world of banking and insurance, as well as professionals from Intesa Sanpaolo's Italian and international teams to provide participants with a practical perspective and insights on the impacts and implications on business. For more information and enrolment details, visit https://www.intesasanpaoloformazione.it/.

The International Trade & Export Management course is intended for senior managers in the Administrative, Sales & Marketing, Logistics & Operations, Compliance & Legal areas of rapidly growing international companies who require technical and financial expertise. Topics range from international trade and digital export, new negotiation tools, export credit and supply chain finance, to the digitalisation of international payment systems and international cash management.

In Business Models and Digital Strategies for Enterprises, the focus shifts to the importance of the digital economy whose development is considered strategic for relaunching the economy even in EU policies: the course is designed for entrepreneurs and senior level managers from all business areas who need to acquire new models for innovating or reshaping their companies.

Interactive lectures and simulations, led by lecturers and managers, provide a full and intuitive understanding of the potential of Industry 4.0.

Press information

Intesa Sanpaolo

Media and Associations Relations [e-mail]://group.intesasanpaolo.com/it/sala-stampa/news

Intesa Sanpaolo

Intesa Sanpaolo is the leading Bank in Italy and one of the soundest and most profitable banks in Europe. It offers commercial, corporate investment banking, asset management, and insurance services. The Intesa Sanpaolo Group has approximately 14.6 million customers in Italy who are assisted through both digital and traditional channels. It also has

7.2 million international customers which it serves through its commercial banking subsidiaries present in 12 countries in Central-Eastern Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, and through an international network dedicated to corporate customers in 26 countries. Intesa Sanpaolo is considered one of the most sustainable banks in the world. For the Group, creating value means being a driver for growth, for the benefit of both society and the economy. As regards the environment, the Group has set up a 6-billion-euro fund for the circular economy. Intesa Sanpaolo supports major economic inclusion and poverty reduction projects, including an impact fund of 1.5 billion euro for loans available to social groups who struggle to access credit. Intesa Sanpaolo has a high level of involvement in cultural initiatives, organised by the Bank or in collaboration with other entities in Italy and further afield. These include permanent and temporary exhibitions showcasing the Bank's impressive artistic heritage at the Gallerie d'Italia, the Group's museums located in Milan, Naples, Vicenza and soon Turin.

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Intesa Sanpaolo Formazione

Intesa Sanpaolo Formazione is the Intesa Sanpaolo Group company which promotes, plans, organises, manages and coordinates educational initiatives, training and professional development, counselling and job assistance, both on a national and international scale. Belonging to the Intesa Sanpaolo Group means that Intesa Sanpaolo Formazione can anticipate market evolution and the needs of citizens, micro-businesses, small/medium businesses and the Corporate world, translating these into training needs, methods and practical content, while integrating the Group's know-how with the expertise of qualified partners to offer specialised content. Intesa Sanpaolo Formazione also offers a service that searches for financing sources to cover the costs of training activity, supplying practical assistance on the use, management, administration and reports of Interprofessional Funds.