Mauro Micillo Alumnus 2024 of the Alumni Association of the University of Brescia

The Alumni Association of the University of Brescia presented the Alumnus of the Year 2024 Award to Mauro Micillo, Chief of the IMI Corporate & Investment Banking Division of Intesa Sanpaolo, who graduated with honors from the University of Brescia in Economics and Business in 1994.

Following the reading of the motivation and the award ceremony, M. Micillo gave a lectio magistralis entitled: ‘Perspectives and synergies in the fields of training and Corporate & Investment Banking in the era of AI and Big Tech, to support growth and competitiveness’ in which he emphasized the importance of investing in professional development, especially for the young employees, and in digital skills, as fundamental levers at the basis of the competitiveness of our Country and Europe.

Training plays a key role in ensuring that both the financial and industrial systems are equipped with the talent needed to compete in increasingly challenging global scenarios. It provides the skills of (and for) the future, which enable the use of technology to support key decisions that promote innovation.

Large technology companies, mainly due to their expertise in data management, see huge opportunities in entering the financial services sector; these companies could become potential competitors, but also strategic partners, bringing technological expertise and innovating interaction with clients.

This transformation requires significant retraining: finance professionals have to acquire new skills, such as data science and ethics in the use of technology.

This is the remark of the Chief of Intesa Sanpaolo's IMI Corporate & Investment Banking Division:

‘In the era of AI and Big Tech, it becomes increasingly relevant to develop synergies between the academic and financial worlds, with a focus on the education of young people, in order to provide the levers to tackle change and to direct substantial investments in priority and strategic sectors. Corporate & Investment Banking plays a key role in this process, due to its ability to move private resources (market capital) in favour of the real economy, while enhancing public resources and facilitating the development of virtuous partnerships with institutions. Synergies between universities, technology and the financial sector can create a flywheel effect for a more competitive economy. The commitment of banks and institutions can help strengthen the European growth model and the single market, making Europe more competitive and placing it at the forefront of technology and energy. Granting it the strength and authority needed to have a voice in the world and contribute to the dicussion and cooperation between countries.”