26th World Congress of Savings and Retail Banks

7th - 8th July

26th WSBI World Congress illustrated the global key role of savings & retail banks

WSBI members and other financial stakeholders from all over the globe got together for the first time since 2018 on 7-8 July in Paris. The central topic was sustainability with a usual focus on social responsibility and financial education that the savings and retail banks share as core values.

Feeling and acting socially responsible is inextricably linked to our identity. The fact is we were born that way, it forms part of our DNA, and it is our vocation. All of this translates into our way of doing banking that is fundamentally different from other players in the sector, and furthermore, it is profitable, efficient and fair.”

WSBI President, Isidro Fainé, as he welcomed some 280 participants to the 26th WSBI World Congress on 7 July in Paris.

The two-day event was entitled ‘Regionally rooted, globally responsible’. Sustainability was the key topic at the centre of the discussions and panels, as savings and retails banks seek the most effective ways to move forward on the topic and contribute to address the pressing environmental needs. Notably, it was the topic of two very different keynote speakers: environmentalist and mountaineer, Reinhold Messner; and European Banking Authority’s Chairperson, José Manuel Campa. ESBG President, Dominique Goursolle-Nouhaud, also gave a welcome message.

Sustainability considerations are becoming a key element of the ways banks operate”, said Campa during his intervention entitled ‘The role of banking in transitioning to a sustainable economy’.

Sustainability was also the central topic of the panel ‘Can Green & Innovative drive Recovery?’, a discussion among speakers from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the Roger Federer Foundation, the European Commission, the Centre for Finance, Technology & Entrepreneurship, and a video intervention by the Secretary of State for Digitisation and Artificial Intelligence of the Government of Spain, Carmen Artigas.

The panel ‘Sustainability Developments in Policy and Regulation – Favourable for Locally Focused Banks?’ also covered the topic with a fruitful discussion among speakers form the Bank of Uganda, CaixaBank, Swedbank and Saudi Arabia’s Social Development Bank. An ‘on the couch’ chat among speakers from UNESCO and ASN Bank moderated by Groupe BPCE gave an interesting account about ‘Banking and environmental challenges’ with the definition of biodiversity and the methodology to measure environmental impact at its core.

European Commissioner for financial services, financial stability and Capital Markets Union delivered the video keynote speech ‘Priorities in financial services regulation’.

The key topics of social responsibility and financial inclusion and education were covered from a variety of angles during the 26th WSBI World Congress on the panels: Global pandemic recovery plans, The importance of financial literacy, social responsibility – Turning mission into act, and ‘Bridging the knowledge gap for job creation: the role of financial inclusion, education and skillset building for a strong MSME sector’.

‘Introductory remarks: the role of ACRI in supporting education and skillset building for a more inclusive society. A boost for a strong MSME sector in Italy’ was the speech kindly delivered by Guiseppe Ghisolfi, Chairman of the International Relations Committee at ACRI Italy, an authority on financial inclusion among our WSBI-ESBG members.

Another pressing topic for the banking industry, which has been speeding up changes in the sector in the last few years is digitalisation. This was the topic of two extremely interesting panels. ‘Between bricks and clicks: the role of the banking branch in the digital era’, presented a variety of realities, from bank branches as the main channel in Tajikistan to a full ecosystem of solutions for the customer based on 25 years of mobile banking development in Zambia. The panel ‘Future-proof banking: How do savings and retail banks support customers in the times of digitalisation and innovation?’ presented the outlook from the perspectives of WSBI-ESBG members Laurent Mignon, CEO of Groupe BPCE; Helmut Schleweis, President of the German Savings Banks Association (DSGV for its initials in German); and Sabasaba Moshingi, CEO at Tanzania Postal Bank.

A gala dinner, with the Eiffel Tower as the protagonist of a breath-taking view, was kindly hosted by WSBI-ESBG member Groupe BPCE and the CEO of BPCE, Laurent Mignon warmly welcomed the participants in his speech delivered at the beginning of the gala dinner.

SPEAKERS

Santiago Carbo

Funcas
Director, Financial Research

Saskia Bruysten

Yunus Social Business
Chief Executive Officer

Franz – Karl Prueller

Erste Foundation
Senior Board Advisor

Roland Tassler

ERSTE Bank Group
EU retail, payment transactions, sustainability, tax, SMEs

Elena Trafimovich

WSBI
Senior Advisor - International & Institutional Relations, Eastern Europe, Central Asia, Middle East

Jose Manuel Campa

European Banking Authority
Chairman

Janine Haendel

Roger Federer Foundation
Chief Executive Officer

Tran An Nguyen

CFTE
Co-Founder

Carme Artigas

Spain
State Secretary

Francis Malige

EBRD
Managing Director Financial Institutions

Almoro Rubin de Cervin

DG Fisma
Acting Director, General Afairs

Alessia Benevelli

ESBG
Policy Adviser Payments, Data and Innovation

Flore-Anne Messy

OECD
Head of Consumer Finance, Insurance and Pensions Division

Burkhard Balz

Bundesbank
Executive Board Member

Antoine Hobeiche

Union of Arab Banks
Special Consultant

Mary Huen

HK Association Of Banks
Chairwoman

Sibel Kulaksiz

World Bank
Senior Advisor

Mairead McGuinness

Financial Services and Capital Markets Union
EU Commissioner , Financial Stability

Giuseppe Ghisolfi

ACRI Italy
Vice-President

Laurent Roubin

FNCE
Vice President

Rédouane Najm-Edinne

Al Barid Bank Morocco
President

Roeland Monasch - WSBI 26th

Aflatoun International
Chief Executive Officer

Mercy Mutua

Mastercard Foundation
Head Access to Finance

Arfan Ali

Bank Asia Ltd Bangladesh
President & Managing Director

Weselina Angelow

WSBI
Scale2Save Program Director

Meriem Bouamrane

UNESCO
Chief of Biosphere Research and Policy

Roel Nozeman

ASN Bank
Senior Advisor

Ikromi Sirojiddin

SSB AMONATBANK
Cheif Executive Officer

Mukwandi Chibesakunda

ZANACO
Chief Executive Officer

Reinhold Messner

European Parliament
Former Member of the European Parliament

Cristian Castro

CaixaBank
Head of Public Affairs

Michael Atingi

Uganda Central Bank
Ego, Vice Governor

Ibrahim Al Rashid

Social Development Bank (SDB)
Chief Executive Officer

Johanna Orth

Swedbank
Head of Group Regulatory Affairs

Sabasaba Moshingi

TPB Bank
Chief Executive Officer

Laurent Mignon

Groupe BPCE
Chief Executive Officer

Helmut Schleweis

Sparkassen-Finanzgruppe
Chief Executive Officer

Cornelia Meyer

Chairman & CEO of the MRL Corporation
Economist

Dominique Goursolle-Nouhaud

WSBI-ESBG
ESBG President

Shlomo Ben-Ami

Toledo International Centre for Peace
Former Vice-President

Peter Simon

WSBI-ESBG
Managing Director
AGENDA
07/07/2022

09:00

Introduction-Practicalities

Peter Simon

WSBI-ESBG
Managing Director
Speech

09:00

Introduction-Practicalities

Peter Simon

WSBI-ESBG
Managing Director
Speech

09:10

Official Opening

Isidro Fainé

WSBI
President
Speech

09:10

Official Opening

Isidro Fainé

WSBI
President
Speech

09:20

The conflict in Ukraine: Reshaping geopolitics and the threat of Deglobalization

Shlomo Ben-Ami

Toledo International Centre for Peace
Former Vice-President
Speech

09:20

The conflict in Ukraine: Reshaping geopolitics and the threat of Deglobalization

Shlomo Ben-Ami

Toledo International Centre for Peace
Former Vice-President
Speech

09:40

Welcome

Dominique Goursolle-Nouhaud

WSBI-ESBG
ESBG President
Speech

09:40

Welcome

Dominique Goursolle-Nouhaud

WSBI-ESBG
ESBG President
Speech

10:30

Future-Proof Banking: How Do Savings and Retail Banks Support Customers in the Times of Digitalisation and Innovation?

Panel

10:30

Future-Proof Banking: How Do Savings and Retail Banks Support Customers in the Times of Digitalisation and Innovation?

11:30

Sustainability Developments in Policy and Regulation – Favourable for Loccaly-Focused Banks?

Panel

11:30

Sustainability Developments in Policy and Regulation – Favourable for Loccaly-Focused Banks?

14:00

Between Bricks and Clicks: The Role of the Bank Branch in the Digital Era

Panel

14:00

Between Bricks and Clicks: The Role of the Bank Branch in the Digital Era

15:00

On the Couch: Banking & Environmental Challenges

Roel Nozeman

ASN Bank
Senior Advisor

Meriem Bouamrane

UNESCO
Chief of Biosphere Research and Policy

16:00

Social Responsibility – Turning Mission into Action Moderator: Roland Tassler, ERSTE Bank Group

Panel

16:00

Social Responsibility – Turning Mission into Action Moderator: Roland Tassler, ERSTE Bank Group

17:00

Introductory remarks: the role of ACRI in supporting education and skillset building for a strong MSME sector in Italy

Giuseppe Ghisolfi

ACRI Italy
Vice-President
Speech

17:00

Introductory remarks: the role of ACRI in supporting education and skillset building for a strong MSME sector in Italy

Giuseppe Ghisolfi

ACRI Italy
Vice-President
Speech

17:10

Bridging the knowledge gap for job creation: the role of financial inclusion, education and skillset building for a strong MSME sector

Panel

17:10

Bridging the knowledge gap for job creation: the role of financial inclusion, education and skillset building for a strong MSME sector

18:00

Closing of the first day. Savings and retail banks: the road ahead

Peter Simon

WSBI-ESBG
Managing Director
Speech

18:00

Closing of the first day. Savings and retail banks: the road ahead

Peter Simon

WSBI-ESBG
Managing Director
Speech

20:00

Gala Dinner (hosted by BPCE)

20:30

Speech by Laurent Mignon

Laurent Mignon

Groupe BPCE
Chief Executive Officer
France
Speech

20:30

Speech by Laurent Mignon

Laurent Mignon

Groupe BPCE
Chief Executive Officer
France
Speech
08/07/2022

09:00

Savings and Retail Banks: the Road Ahead

Mairead McGuinness

Financial Services and Capital Markets Union
EU Commissioner , Financial Stability
Speech

09:00

Savings and Retail Banks: the Road Ahead

Mairead McGuinness

Financial Services and Capital Markets Union
EU Commissioner , Financial Stability
Speech

09:30

Global Pandemic Recovery Plans

Panel

09:30

Global Pandemic Recovery Plans

10:45

On the Couch: The importance of Financial Literacy

Burkhard Balz

Bundesbank
Executive Board Member

Flore-Anne Messy

OECD
Head of Consumer Finance, Insurance and Pensions Division

11:15

Can Green & Innovation drive Recovery?

Panel

11:15

Can Green & Innovation drive Recovery?

12:30

The Future of Banking – Keynote

Jose Manuel Campa

European Banking Authority
Chairman
Speech

12:30

The Future of Banking – Keynote

Jose Manuel Campa

European Banking Authority
Chairman
Speech

13:15

Closing Speech

Isidro Fainé

WSBI
President
Speech

13:15

Closing Speech

Isidro Fainé

WSBI
President
Speech
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