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Intesa Sanpaolo honoured as major Oxford University benefactor

Published

The Intesa Sanpaolo Group have been honoured with their name inscribed on the 300-year-old Clarendon Arch, as a major benefactor of the University of Oxford.

The Intesa Sanpaolo Group, one of the top banking groups in Europe, received the honour at the unveiling of its name this week, followed by a solemn ceremony in the historic Convocation House. The celebration took place under the Hawksmoor-designed Clarendon Arch where the University’s greatest benefactors names are engraved onto slate tablets. This is a highly significant place for the University, at the entrance to the Bodleian Library complex and next to the iconic Sheldonian Theatre – at the heart of the 900-year-old institution.

Names inscribed on the arch include some of the University’s most prominent benefactors, including King Henry VIII, Queen Elizabeth I and Sir Thomas Bodley, founder of the Bodleian library. Benefactors added within the last generation include Dame Stephanie Shirley, Mr George Soros, HM Queen Elizabeth II and the Wolfson Foundation.

We feel at home in the Oxford community, so we are particularly proud to have Intesa Sanpaolo’s name inscribed in the prestigious Clarendon Arch. And it just so happens that, as we were unveiling the inscription, our share price reached a 16-year high, making Intesa Sanpaolo the most valuable bank in Europe that day.

Stefano Lucchini

Chief Institutional Affairs and External Communications Officer

The University and Intesa Sanpaolo have a strategic partnership dating back to 2017. Its outstanding generosity has, to date, funded:

Mauro Micillo, Chief of IMI Corporate & investment Banking Division, commented: 'At the heart of our collaboration with Oxford is the shared pursuit of responsible capitalism and global best practices. As a bank, we are deeply committed to driving sustainable growth and innovation in ways that benefit not just our shareholders, but society as a whole. One of the most exciting aspects of this partnership is our shared focus on fostering inclusion and diversity, particularly through the support of scholarships for women from around the world.'

Intesa Sanpaolo’s commitment to scholarship and learning over the last ten years has been transformative for our research groups, the MBA scholarships programme, and more widely in support of culture and heritage across the University of Oxford.

Professor Soumitra Dutta

Dean of Saïd Business School

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Professor Dutta continued: 'We celebrated today the generosity and vision behind this important partnership and are delighted to see Intesa Sanpaolo’s name honoured on the Clarendon Arch at the heart of the University. We look forward to many more years working together with Intesa Sanpaolo and its leadership team.’

Intesa Sanpaolo, with over €422 billion in loans and €1.35 trillion in customer financial assets at the end of June 2024, is the largest banking group in Italy, and a top three European bank by market capitalisation, with a significant international presence. It is a European leader in wealth management, with a strong focus on digital and fintech. The Group will provide €115 billion of Impact lending by 2025 to support communities and the green transition, together with a €1.5 billion program (2023-2027) to help people in need. The Bank's network of museums, the Gallerie d'Italia, hosts its owned artistic heritage and cultural projects of recognised value. 




 

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Mauro Micillo, Professor Jonathan Reynolds and Stefano Lucchini