Shareholders' Meeting: statements by the Chairman and CEO

“I would first like to express my gratitude to the Bank's shareholders: Foundations, institutional investors and all those who wished to renew their trust in me by confirming their choice of my name as Chairman of Intesa Sanpaolo for the next three years.

“During the term just ended, the world was marked by an unexpected pandemic of extreme severity to the health and affections of people and the growth of businesses. Intesa Sanpaolo reacted promptly to the complexity by ensuring the continuity of banking services and its significant support to the country and by successfully carrying out the acquisition and integration of UBI Banca. All this could not have happened without the commitment of the people who work at Intesa Sanpaolo, professionals whom I have come to know and appreciate in the two past terms of office and with whom I am happy to return to work in the next three years.

“Today, the world is in a new emergency situation, triggered by the conflict that Russia wanted to move against Ukraine. Intesa Sanpaolo gave immediate support to the people of this country, as well as to our people at Pravex bank. 

“In the economic arena, we are facing a period of delicate and complex decisions. As a business economist, I am accustomed to thinking optimistically about the future, just as entrepreneurs do, and to thinking that every difficulty must be faced both by preparing the necessary tools and by seizing the opportunities that arise from it. We will pursue the objectives set by the Next Generation EU program, in particular those related to climate change: shortages of raw materials and energy must be the opportunity to permanently reverse the course of excessive consumption of natural resources, using renewable sources and circular reuse of resources. Intesa Sanpaolo's strong focus on sustainability, which finds authoritative recognition in its positioning in the main international ESG indices, will continue: the Group has made a commitment to achieve Net Zero Emissions by 2030, with respect to its own net emissions and by 2050 with respect to financed net emissions, by joining the United Nations Net-Zero Banking Alliance (NZBA) and related initiatives, such as those in asset management and insurance.

“We know that the situation for many companies is difficult, and it comes on top of a period of reduced activity, even severely, due to the pandemic and the energy and raw materials crisis. All of this has serious repercussions for families. To these companies and families Intesa Sanpaolo offers concrete resources in terms of credit - over €400 billion of medium-long term credit in support of the NRRP - and of donations, through the Charity Fund and the other structures of the Bank dedicated to philanthropy.

“We will continue and expand activities to enhance the Bank's historical and artistic heritage. I am proud of the imminent opening in Turin, the city where Intesa Sanpaolo has its registered office, of the new museum of the Gallerie d'Italia; of the transfer of the Naples museum to an imposing location; of the forthcoming expansion of the museums in Milan and Vicenza. We will continue to contribute to the enhancement of the artistic and cultural heritage of Italy and its territories, which is a wealth to be protected and transferred to future generations.

“The Bank's solidity has protected us in times of difficulty and now, further strengthened, is an enabling factor towards the future indicated by the 2022-2025 Business Plan.

“The new Board of Directors was established under the sign of continuity, with people of recognised professionalism and authority: in the last mandate the work with them was fruitful, the exchange always constructive, the results evident. We are confident that this will also be the case in the next three years. To the three Directors who have ceased to be part of the Board, and whom I thank for the valuable contribution that each of them has given, three people of high and specific qualification take over, whom I greet thanking them for their availability. With the intelligent and determined guidance of Carlo Messina, confirmed in his role as CEO, we are preparing to face the times ahead with the same dedication and seriousness.

“For the collective value it generates, Intesa Sanpaolo is a pride of Italy and will be its pillar to face the coming years”.

29 April, 2022

“The strong support of the shareholders and the confirmation by the Board of Directors as Managing Director and CEO for another three-year term is a reason for gratitude and pride: I renew my utmost commitment to lead and serve Intesa Sanpaolo, pursuing all the objectives of the 2022-2025 Business Plan announced in February. The Shareholders' Meeting is a vital time for any company. As a Group committed to being a benchmark in terms of corporate governance, we believe this moment is critical to the Governance "G" of the ESG acronym. I am also very pleased to continue working with the Board led by Gian Maria Gros-Pietro, an excellent Chairman who works tirelessly in the interest of all stakeholders, bringing both his rich professional experience and human leadership.

“Over the past eight years, with the contribution of our people and the support of our stable shareholders, our Group has established itself as a leading group in Europe. From 2014 to 2021, Intesa Sanpaolo distributed €19 billion in cash dividends, and, in the context made extremely complex by the pandemic, in the term just ended it strengthened its positioning with the acquisition and integration of UBI Banca, a transaction conducted with full success.

“The conflict unleashed by Russia in Ukraine affects all of us. As a large European banking group and as the only Italian bank present in Ukraine, we gave immediate support to the Ukrainian populations affected by the serious humanitarian emergency, donating 10 million euro. We have been and are especially close to the people working in our Pravex. I would also like to thank our people in Italy, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania and Moldova for welcoming our Ukrainian colleagues.

“In the complexity of the current scenario, we are resolutely pursuing the strategy outlined in the 2022-2025 Business Plan announced in February: with the new Business Plan we want to design the Bank for the next ten years. We will work hard to continue to succeed and strengthen our European leadership as a Wealth Management, Protection & Advisory company, through dramatically reducing NPLs, strengthening as a digital player, and growing our commission-focused business. In order to cope with fintech companies, we decided to create our own digital bank - Isybank - which we are developing together with world-leading technology innovators. Isybank will allow Intesa Sanpaolo to evolve from incumbent to challenger and make us even more resilient.

“At the heart of this strategy is the creation and distribution of value for the benefit of all our stakeholders and the broader society. In fact, our Business Plan will not only strengthen the Bank: over the next four years, we will contribute more than €520 billion to the real economy.

“At Intesa Sanpaolo, we believe that it is only possible to grow and prosper by making a positive contribution to the communities in which we operate. That is why the new Plan further strengthens our ESG commitment. About €90 billion will be allocated to support the green transition. We are committed to zeroing our net emissions by 2030 and funded net emissions by 2050.

“To promote financial inclusion through our banking business, we will make available €25 billion in new loans for non-profits, individuals unable to access credit through traditional financial channels, urban regeneration and vulnerable groups. We will also provide about €500 million, through investments and donations, to support people in need, promote education and youth employment - increasing the competitiveness and attractiveness of our country - and assist the elderly population. As part of this project, we will create about seven thousand units of social housing dedicated to young people and the elderly, one of the largest social housing programs in Italy.

“In conclusion, I would like to thank all the People of Intesa Sanpaolo; they remain our most important resource. All of our achievements have been possible because of their hard work and now, after being an essential component in the development phase, they are fully committed to the implementation of the new Business Plan”.

29 April, 2022