Jean-Laurent Bonnafé and Luigi Abete have won the France-Italy 2008 Prize awarded by the Italian Chamber of Commerce for France (CCIF). The prize celebrates the successful merger of BNL with the BNP Paribas group as the best example of trans-border integration. BNP Paribas will now be able to benefit from two domestic markets in Europe and the new group will have the capacity to support both French and Italian companies in the development of their transalpine relations. Moreover, the Group is present in more than 85 countries with a vigorous business in the Mediterranean basin where the companies of both countries are particularly active.
The prize will be presented by Alessandro Reitelli, President of the CCIF, and Emma Marcegaglia, President of Cofindustria, in the presence of Ludovico Ortona, the Italian Ambassador to France.
For 12 years now, the CCIF has been awarding the France-Italy Prize to honour the people who best represent the links between the two countries.
The purpose of the Italian Chamber of Commerce for France is to encourage, protect and develop commercial, industrial and financial relations between France and Italy. It ensures a highly active presence for itself in Italian and French commercial environments, and has a particularly important role to play in helping small and medium-sized companies that are approaching a foreign market for the first time.
About BNP Paribas
BNP Paribas is a European leader in the provision of banking and financial services globally, and one of the world's four strongest banks, according to Standard & Poor's. The group is present in more than 85 countries and employs over 168,000 people, 129,500 of them in Europe. It holds key positions in its three core businesses: Corporate and Investment Banking, Asset Management and Services, and Retail Banking. While the group is present across Europe through all its businesses, France and Italy are its two domestic retail banking markets. BNP Paribas also has a significant presence in the United States and strong positions in Asia and the emerging countries.
About BNL
Founded in 1913, BNL is one of Italy's principal banking groups and is among the best known trade names in Italy. It now forms part of the BNP Paribas Group which is the European leader in banking and financial services and is classed among the world's four leading banks according to Standard & Poor's. The group is present in more than 85 countries and today employs 168,000 people, 129,500 of them in Europe. It holds key positions in its three core businesses: Corporate and Investment Banking, Asset Management and Services, and Retail Banking. BNL has about 900 points of sale in Italy and offers a broad range of products and services, from the most traditional to the most innovatory, in order to fulfil the multiple requirements of its customers (private customers and households, companies and public administration entities).