CEO Messina's speech at the Opening Concert of the World Economic Forum in Davos

“I would like to thank the World Economic Forum, and in particular Klaus and Hilde Schwab, who allow us to be sponsors of this concert every year.

“This is very important for us at Intesa Sanpaolo, because in addition to being a strong value creator in the banking sector, we play an important social role. We have decided to pledge €1.5 billion to a high-impact programme to fight poverty and reduce inequality to become the world's number-one impact bank.

“Our investments in this area are second only to those in technology, artificial intelligence and digital banking. Thanks to our activities in the social sector, we are also creating jobs for people who may find themselves in situations of adversity because of the impact of artificial intelligence on their work: of the 100,000 people who work at Intesa Sanpaolo, 1,000 now work in the social sector. I believe that working for corporate social responsibility and for those in need can also be a way for other companies to develop technology without reducing employment levels.

“For us, culture is important; it is an area of investment, we have four museums in Italy, and this explains our proximity to the World Economic Forum, which is doing fantastic work, and we are truly proud to be sponsoring this concert again.”