PRESS RELEASE

 

 SMART INTERNATIONAL TOUR KICKS OFF

 INTESA SANPAOLO AND MONITOR DELOITTE TAKE SMEs ABROAD

 

• A 23-stop tour to relaunch the businesses in international markets

• 7 Territorial workshops involving the Group's Italian and international network and an economic scenario provided by Monitor Deloitte

• The first stop on the tour is tomorrow with Brazil Focus for SMEs hosted by the Milano and Province Regional Governance Centre

Milan, 15 April 2021 - The second Smart International Tour kicks off tomorrow. This Intesa Sanpaolo initiative focuses on assisting SMEs with their international expansion, and is organised in partnership with Monitor Deloitte, the strategy consulting practice of Deloitte Consulting, a world leader in professional business services.

The 2021 programme includes a series of 23 webinars targeting the business customers of Intesa Sanpaolo's Banca dei Territori, headed by Stefano Barrese, and aims to support them in their international growth by leveraging Intesa Sanpaolo Group's worldwide network. Through its international network covering about 40 countries and consisting of branches, representative offices and subsidiary banks, Intesa Sanpaolo will provide small and medium-sized enterprises with all the support they need, working closely with them to facilitate the expansion of their operations into new markets.

The series of events focuses on 7 areas of interest for SMEs seeking to grow in international markets: Brazil, United Kingdom, United States, Germany, Spain, United Arab Emirates and Romania. Such countries will be the focus of a number of sessions that will involve all 12 regional offices of Banca dei Territori, the Group's international network belonging to the IMI Corporate & Investment Banking Division - headed by Mauro Micillo -  including the HUB branches in London, New York and Dubai, the branches in Frankfurt, Madrid and Abu Dhabi, Intesa Sanpaolo Brasil SA and Intesa Sanpaolo Bank Romania, the bank belonging to the International Subsidiary Banks Division -headed by Marco Elio Rottigni- as well as the experts from Monitor Deloitte.

The meetings will include presentations on the economic climate in the various countries to illustrate the prospects for recovery in the context of the pandemic crisis. The webinars focusing on the United Kingdom and Brexit will also involve Grimaldi Studio Legale and the Grimaldi Alliance, which is present in the UK and in over 60 jurisdictions worldwide, with managing partner Francesco Sciaudone and associates Fabio Pizzoccheri and Carlo Cugnasca.

An analysis conducted by Monitor Deloitte on the economic performance of the focus countries shows that, after the recession that shaped 2020, all the countries are expected to recover in 2021, driven by both domestic consumption and trade. For the latter, a significant increase in international trade is expected in 2021 for all countries worldwide: +7.5% in advanced economies and +9.2% in developing economies.

The first leg of the Smart International Tour scheduled for tomorrow will focus on Brazil and will involve SMEs in the area between Milan and Monza Brianza. Participating for Intesa Sanpaolo will be Fabrizio Pascazio, commercial director for companies in the Milano and Province Regional Governance Centre. Monitor Deloitte will make the opening remarks and there will also be a link to the Intesa Sanpaolo Brasil SA headquarters. The services and tools made available by Intesa Sanpaolo to provide companies with practical support for their international relaunch thanks to dedicated specialists will be presented.

Anna Roscio, Executive Director of Enterprise Sales and Marketing at Intesa Sanpaolo: "The Smart International Tour initiative is proof of our successful collaboration with Deloitte considering the growing interest of companies in international markets.  International expansion is a cornerstone of Intesa Sanpaolo's strategy, and we continue to be the ideal partner for SMEs. In the 2020 edition, we have involved many SMEs, and together with them we have identified new business opportunities in Italy and abroad, even during the challenging situation caused by the health emergency".

This initiative for supporting companies in relaunching their businesses in foreign markets also contributes towards implementing one pillar of "Motore Italia", the programme recently launched by Intesa Sanpaolo that makes €50 billion of new credit available to businesses for liquidity and investments in the sustainable and digital transition.

Manuel Pincetti, Monitor Deloitte partner and head of Deloitte's Strategic Transformation & Growth services in Italy: "In light of the current environment, international expansion continues to be one of the main drivers of growth and development, as well as business de-risking, for Italian companies. Our role is to provide them with practical tools to assess the potential of foreign markets, and to plan and take full advantage of opportunities for recovery beyond national borders. It is with this spirit that Monitor Deloitte has enthusiastically accepted Intesa Sanpaolo's invitation to take part in the second edition of the Smart International Tour to make the most of the opportunities and set the stage for making international expansion a reality".

 

 

 

 

 

Press information:

 

Intesa Sanpaolo

Media Relations Banca dei Territori e Media locali

stampa@intesasanpaolo.com

https://group.intesasanpaolo.com/it/sala-stampa/news

 

Deloitte
Michela Migliora

Media Relations Manager | Brand & Communications Team

D: 02 8332 6028 | M: +39 346 5057178

mimigliora@deloitte.it | www.deloitte.it

 

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 and 7.2 million customers abroad with subsidiaries operating in commercial banking in 12 countries in Central Eastern Europe and Middle Eastern and North African areas and an international network of specialists in support of corporate customers across 26 countries. Intesa Sanpaolo is recognized as 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.