In recent days, with great success and public participation, the award ceremony of the BancaFinanza 2023 Prize, the historic specialized national magazine that publishes the rankings of the Italian banks, classified according to solidity, profitability and productivity indices. The prestigious acknowledgment went to the top-ranking banking groups and institutions in the nine categories. The event, which was presented by Professor Giuseppe Ghisolfi, banker, writer and director of BancaFinanza and by Eleonora Pedron, former Miss Italy and well-known television face, was organized by the magazine’s publisher together with «Rina Prime Value Services». in collaboration with the Turin notary and law firm «Leading Law» and the Sim «Cuniberti & Partners».
Guest of honor was the president of ABI Antonio Patuelli who was also awarded a plaque “for his undisputed professional and human qualities and for his contribution, as president of ABI, to the economic development of the country and for having promoted the memorandum of understanding between Italian Banking Association, Civil Protection and Consumer Associations for the support of banks to populations affected by natural disasters”.
The mayor of Turin Stefano Lo Russo awarded President Patuelli who, a few minutes earlier, opened the ceremony bringing greetings from the City of Turin to the audience. Among the audience numerous bankers, entrepreneurs, professionals and university professors. In his speech, Lo Russo proudly underlined the historical importance of a significant financial presence in Turin, which has supported the city over the years, both in moments of growth and in those of economic-financial difficulty. “There has always been a dialogical relationship between institutions and the banking world – he explained – also because the City of Turin is a major customer of Italian banks”. “A customer who pays – the mayor specified – the repayments of mortgage installments, which are very onerous”. “Turin – he added – has made many investments in the past decades, which have changed the skin of the city: for example, it has built the subway, the railway link”. This was possible thanks to recourse to the credit lever and therefore to the banking institutions that invested in the development strategy of the City of Turin and disbursed important financial resources, which allowed the Piedmontese capital to transform itself radically. These were fundamental investments, which however still weigh on the coffers of the Palazzo Civico. “This year – Mayor Lo Russo declared – the City will repay 252 million euros of mortgages taken out between 2003 and 2005 and will pay another 700 million euros between capital and interest over the next three years”.
The mayor then thanked the Turin and Piedmontese credit institutions who have always believed in the development of Turin and have also been able to return the wealth deriving from the profits of the activities carried out to the territory. «The territory – he said – has an enormous network of social solidarity, which has made it possible to face, manage and overcome crises, including the latest pandemic, thanks also to the banks that have always been extremely attentive to this type of situation . After Mayor Lo Russo’s speech, the awards ceremony began with the delivery of the «BancaFinanza 2023» prizes.
Professor Gian Luigi Gola awarded the president of Banca Mediolanum SpA, Giovanni Pirovano, an institution that ranked first in the “Major Groups” category.
The architect Piercarlo Rolando awarded Paola Garibotti, North-West regional manager of Banca Unicredit SpA, an institute which resulted in first place among the «Major Banks».
Doctor Rosaria Ravasio, an economics journalist, awarded Gian Maria Gros-Pietro, president of the Intesa Sanpaolo Group, ranked first for solidity in the “Major Groups” category. The Turin notary Andrea Ganelli awarded Dr. Michele Seghizzi, marketing director of the Banca Generali Group, who ranked first in the “Large Groups” category. Professor Stefano Bresciani awarded Dr. Gianni Debernardi, head of the private banking area of San Paolo Private Banking Fideuram, the institution ranked first among the «Large Banks».
Professor Irene Bertucci awarded Alberto Merchiori, managing director of Santander Consumer Bank, first-placed institution in the “Medium Groups” and “Medium Banks” categories. Dr. Luca Delfino awarded Piermarco Alciati, deputy general manager of Banca Psa now Stellantis Financial Services, first-placed institution in the “Small Banks” category. Finally, the engineer Stefano Bongiovanni finally awarded Gian Luigi Bertini and Francesco Guarnieri, respectively vice president and managing director of Guber Banca, first classified among the «minor banks».
