Female leaders are at the forefront of managing ESG and charity functions at Banca Intesa, helping drive positive change within the organisation and the broader community. Thanks to their deep commitment to sustainability and inclusivity, Marija Savić and Sandra Živković have both helped make Banca Intesa a role model for sustainable practices, responsible business operations and charitable initiatives in Serbia’s banking sector
Marija Savić, Manager of Intesa Foundation
Driven by a strong dedication to give back to society by addressing pressing social and environmental challenges, Banca Intesa established the Intesa Foundation philantropic organisation at the beginning of the year, in partnership with parent group Intesa Sanpaolo.
The foundation leverages Banca Intesa’s vast philanthropic experience in a systematic and sustainable way to create positive change in healthcare and education, support women in distress, contribute to the fight against social inequalities and climate change, and to sustain community projects.
In striving to help create a more inclusive and supportive society by ensuring that those in need receive the required support, we have provided nearly 800,000 euros in donations to various healthcare and educational institutions in just seven months of operations, which also earned us an award from the Serbian Philanthropy Forum.
As John D. Rockefeller once said: „Think of giving not as a duty but as a privilege”, we aspire to serve an example for other companies in Serbia to engage in philanthropy and contribute to community wellbeing and sustainable development.
Sandra Živković, Head of ESG Office, Banca Intesa
It is a great privilege and an even greater responsibility to be part of Banca Intesa’s efforts and focused activities undertaken on its transformative path towards sustainability.
As bankers, we are aware of our impact on environmental and social sustainability, which is why we fully accept and embrace our responsibility to participate actively to supporting the green transition.
Yet, translating ESG strategy into a chain of activities and initiatives and ensuring that the bank is progressing and effectively tackling the most important global challenges is not an easy task. Rather, it is a long, complex and challenging journey, guided by the clear goal of helping to combat climate change and support the transition to a low carbon economy with dedicated financial products and services, the full integration of ESG principles into bank processes and business decisions, as well as client engagement and employee education.
We are proud to see how bank employees have gathered around the idea of sustainability, with a strong belief that “every step counts”, acting as true enablers of change while seeing the far-reaching results of their efforts today. We will continue on this path, in accordance with our parent group’s goal of being the leading impact bank and engine for a sustainable future.