Isidro Fainé to Promote Social Commitment of International Banking from the World Institute of Savings Banks and Retail Banks (WSBI)

The president of WSBI, CECA, and the ”la Caixa” Foundation will preside over the new Social and Philanthropic Council of the international entity for the coming years, whose members already dedicate more than $2.8 billion to social action worldwide.

The creation of the Social and Philanthropic Council marks a step forward for WSBI toward a more committed and socially conscious approach by its members in the global financial landscape.

Brussels, December 5, 2023.- The president of CECA and the ”la Caixa” Foundation, Isidro Fainé, has been appointed president of the new Social and Philanthropic Council of the European Savings and Retail Banking Group (ESBG) and the World Institute of Savings Banks and Retail Banks (WSBI), entities of which Fainé is vice president and president, respectively. Meanwhile, the German Helmut Schleweis, president of the Association of German Savings Banks, has been designated honorary president of the Social and Philanthropic Council. The appointments are subject to ratification by the WSBI Council, which will take place in the coming weeks.

WSBI, which will celebrate its centenary in 2024, is the largest retail banking association in the world. The entity was founded in Milan in 1924 and currently encompasses 96 members from 71 countries, including nearly 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 created within the framework of the WSBI Board meeting held in Marrakech last October. The establishment of the Social and Philanthropic Council represents a significant advance for WSBI and its members in their strategy toward a more committed and socially conscious approach in 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, enhancing the visibility of the entity’s actions in the social realm, reinforcing its role, while also fostering the exchange of experiences and knowledge, and promoting cooperation among members to develop joint initiatives. WSBI members collectively dedicate $2.8 billion annually to social work and corporate social responsibility worldwide.

Foundations linked to the banks and savings banks that are part of WSBI may join this Council. This is the case with the ”la Caixa” Foundation, which will explore ways of collaboration with WSBI through the Social and Philanthropic Council. In this way, the ”la Caixa” Foundation will foster new relationships with other foundations and international organizations, which will join its extensive network of collaborators.