Intesa Sanpaolo the group ranks significantly higher than the sector average in the Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index

PRESS RELEASE

INTESA SANPAOLO: THE GROUP RANKS SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER THAN THE SECTOR AVERAGE IN THE BLOOMBERG GENDER-EQUALITY INDEX

For the fourth year running, the Group is included among 380 companies out of 11,500 assessed
Intesa Sanpaolo score 82%: average in the global financial sector is 68%, average in Italian companies 67%
Commitment to Diversity & Inclusion is recognised.

Turin/Milan, 27 January 2021 – Intesa Sanpaolo has been included for the fourth year running in the Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index (GEI) 2021, one of the leading international indexes of Diversity & Inclusion, achieving a score of 82.1%, significantly higher than the average for the global financial sector – 68.2% – and that of Italian companies which is 66.77%.The index, which cuts across all business sectors and was launched by Bloomberg in 2018, assesses the commitment and actions on gender equality of the main listed companies globally. 380 companies were included in the index out of more than the 11,500 assessed.

The five parameters used by the Bloomberg index to assess companies are: female leadership and talent pipeline, equal pay and gender pay parity, an inclusive culture, sexual harassment policies and pro-women brand.

The confirmation of inclusion in the Bloomberg index comes alongside the announcement a few days ago that the company is, for the fifth year running, among the 100 most sustainable listed companies in the world - the third bank in Europe - according to the Corporate Knights ranking. This Canadian magazine, which specialises in sustainability, assessed over 8,000 companies for its ranking, in terms of environmental, social and governance issues.

Press information

Intesa Sanpaolo

Media and Associations Relations

stampa@intesasanpaolo.com

https://group.intesasanpaolo.com/en/newsroom/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.

DIVERSITY & INCLUSION IN INTESA SANPAOLO

In terms of equal opportunities and inclusion, Intesa Sanpaolo has introduced concrete and effective tools: the "Principles of Diversity & Inclusion" code lays down the inclusion policy regarding all forms of diversity and is based on respect for all individuals, meritocracy and equal opportunities, identifying concrete measures and behaviours to adopt; a specific KPI (management target) to reward managers who are actively aware of the issue of gender equity, as well as programmes designed to accelerate career growth for women and specific training courses to promote inclusion. The integrated welfare system has developed over the years with a wide range of solutions, including the time bank, company nurseries, more maternity/paternity leave, smart working, flexible start and finish times, and part-time opportunities, that practically address the issues of time management and the ability of employees to strike the balance between their personal and working needs within the company. With the introduction in 2018 of an ad hoc structure reporting directly to the Chief Operating Officer, Intesa Sanpaolo’s D&I approach was infused with new drive and method.

In addition to a well-established collaboration with the Marisa Bellisario Foundation and Valore D, Intesa Sanpaolo stands out for the numerous initiatives that promote gender equality, so much so that it was included on the Refinitiv Gender-Equality Index, an international ranking of the top 100 listed companies worldwide (among over 9,000) in terms of inclusiveness and attention to diversity in the workplace. It was also ranked by Equileap Research among the top 5 of the FTSE MIB 40 (second place) in the 2020 Gender Equality in Spain, Italy and Greece ranking. Intesa Sanpaolo also received the Diversity & Inclusion Award 2019, which rewards companies that promote policies to help vulnerable or disadvantaged groups enter the job market.

Some of the main Diversity Management initiatives by Intesa Sanpaolo include:

Adoption of the Women’s Empowerment Principles – WEPs promoted by the UN

KPI dedicated to promoting female talent, included in the performance assessment of over 1,200 managers
Survey on the topic of inclusion, conducted throughout Italy, and subsequent initiatives of targeted listening in many structures
A unit dedicated to the definition of the Diversity & Inclusion Strategy
Training for top management regarding the issue of unconscious bias
A programme for long-term absentees, to establish a closer relationship during their absence
Recruitment of people with Down’s Syndrome for internships
Specific projects to support empowerment and female talent
Active participation by more than 65 Role Models in the Inspiring Girls initiative (in partnership with Valore D)
‘YEP - Young Women Empowerment Program’ with the Fondazione Ortygia Business School for mentoring by managers from the Bank of more than 40 female university students from southern Italy
Scholarships for female students enrolled in a STEM university

Last updated 29 January 2021 at 09:51