The Chairman of CECA and the “la Caixa” Foundation, Isidro Fainé, has been appointed Chairman of the new Social and Philanthropic Council of the European Savings and Retail Banking Group (ESBG) and the World Savings and Retail Banking Institute (WSBI), of which Fainé is Vice-Chairman and Chairman, respectively. The German Helmut Schleweis, chairman of the German Savings Banks Association, has been appointed honorary chairman of the Social and Philanthropic Council. The appointments are to be ratified by the WSBI Council, which will take place in the coming weeks.
WSBI, which will celebrate its centenary in 2024, is the world’s largest retail banking association. Founded in Milan in 1924, it currently has 96 members from 71 countries and includes almost 6,400 financial institutions and retail banks, with a total of 2.1 million employees and $13.25 trillion in assets.
The new Social and Philanthropic Council was established at the WSBI Board of Directors meeting in Marrakech last October. The creation of the Social and Philanthropic Council represents a step forward for WSBI and its members in their strategy towards a more engaged and socially conscious approach to the global financial landscape.
The main functions of the new Council will be to lead and promote the social work carried out by WSBI members, giving visibility to the entity’s actions in the social field, reinforcing its role, and at the same time fostering the exchange of experiences and knowledge, and promoting cooperation between members to develop joint initiatives. The members of the WSBI as a whole devote 2.8 billion dollars a year to social work and corporate social responsibility around the world.
Foundations linked to the banks and savings banks that are members of the WSBI may form part of this Board. This is the case of the “la Caixa” Foundation, which will study ways of collaborating with the WSBI through the Social and Philanthropic Council. In this way, the “la Caixa” Foundation will foster new relationships with other foundations and international organisations, which will join its extensive network of collaborators.
About CECA
CECA is the association of saving and retail banks that defends the interests of retail and saving banks and promotes their mission through their financial and social work.
About WSBI
WSBI, was born in 1924, representing the interests of 6.400 worldwide saving and retail banks. The WSBI members have 13.25 trillion dollars in assets, providing employment to 2,1 million people with a total of 1400 million of clients in 71 countries. They offer their banking services to all type of institutions, big companies, SMEs and families with a network of 221.577 offices.
Media Contacts :
WSBI (The World Savings and Retail Banking Institute)
Nihan Çevirgen
nihan.cevirgen@wsbi-esbg.org / Tel. +32 2 211 1190
CECA Communications Department
Mónica Malo
comunica@ceca.es/ Tel. +34 699 534 065
Fundación “la Caixa” Communications Department
Marc Gómez
marc.gomez@fundacionlacaixa.org / Tel. +34 659 57 63 80
Leticia Gonzálvez
lgonzalvez@fundacionlacaixa.org / Tel. +34 649 254 091
Media Coverage
