Amongst the top awards announced, BNP Paribas was named the most impressive bank for FIG, best bank for corporate debt capital markets – both multi-currency – and most impressive house for capital structuring. Nick Darrant was named most impressive emerging markets syndicate banker. A number of clients who attended the event with BNP Paribas, such as Snam, Volkswagen and the UK DMO, also received accolades.

BNP Paribas won the following awards:

• Overall best bank for corporate debt capital market
• Overall most impressive FIG house
• Most impressive house for capital structuring
• Best bank for corporate debt capital markets in euros
• Most improved supranational and agency bond house (joint winner)
• Most impressive MTNs dealer for financial institution borrowers
• Best bank for corporate liability management
• Best bank at supporting corporate bonds in the secondary market
• Most impressive bank for corporate hybrid capital
• Best bank for corporate debt capital markets in Swiss Francs
• Most impressive emerging markets syndicate banker: Nick Darrant

BNP Paribas was shortlisted for a number of awards in MTNs, high yield, corporate, FIG and SSA.

BNP Paribas has launched a first of its kind Individual Philanthropy Index which measures and reflects the commitment of individual philanthropists from Europe, Asia and the Middle East.  The index takes into account three main criteria: the amounts given, innovation and the effort devoted by philanthropists to promote their causes. It is based on a survey of more than 300 High Net Worth Individuals (at least $5 million in assets under management) in those three regions and was conducted by Forbes Insights between January and March 2013.

The BNP Paribas Individual Philanthropy Index is accompanied by a Forbes Insights report, which provides analysis and background, as well as personal stories of some of the world’s greatest philanthropists.

Key Findings:

Motivations for giving vary vastly by region, and they are embedded in regional cultures and histories, according to the BNP Paribas Individual Philanthropy Index.
- In Europe, it’s equally family legacy, altruistic desire and a sense of duty (17% each).
- In Asia, it’s the desire to give back to society (25%).
- In the Middle East, religious faith is the top motivation (63%).

Most philanthropists are very involved while being very discreet.
- 77% of survey respondents said that they either insist on remaining anonymous or do not actively publicize their charity
- A third of all survey respondents say that they give 15% or more of their annual income to charity. 17% intend to leave 30% or more of their fortune to charity.
- The more philanthropists have, the more they give.

Philanthropists under the age of 30 are:
- Much more likely to be motivated by personal experience in choosing area of focus (20%)
- Much less likely to be motivated by religion (17.5%)
- More generous (17.5% give at least 25% of annual income to charity)
- Likely to more actively promote philanthropy (45%)
- More likely to promote causes on social media (82.5%)

About BNP Paribas Wealth Management
(www.wealthmanagement.bnpparibas.com)

BNP Paribas Wealth Management is the world’s 7th largest private bank, present in some 30 countries. Over 6,000 professionals, based in every major financial centre, provide a private investor clientele with solutions for optimising and managing their assets. The bank has €277 billion worth of assets under management (as at end March 2013).
Our philanthropic approach
• A tailor-made offering
In addition to our Individual Philanthropy Offering launched in 2007, personal Philanthropy Advisory services and the Fondation de l’Orangerie for Individual Philanthropy, Wealth Management has a role in informing regarding philanthropy itself.
We encourage the sharing of experience and the promotion of philanthropy.
• Raising awareness
We provide a tribute for remarkable initiatives in this domain by creating the BNP Paribas Prize for Individual Philanthropy in 2008, awarded annually.
Through a Strategic Partnership with Chair in Philanthropy, ESSEC Business School, we contribute to the theoretical and applied research to philanthropy and social investment by respecting the standards of academic excellence.
We are also committed to better understanding the giving act, the profiles and the motivations of wealthy philanthropists around the world. We support Research studies on Wealth and Philanthropy since 2009 when we first launched a serial study based on face-to-face interviews with the wealthiest philanthropists in Europe.
Full report is available at www.wealthmanagement.bnpparibas.com

The BNP Paribas Individual Philanthropy Index is accompanied by a Forbes Insights report, which provides analysis and background, as well as personal stories of some of the world’s greatest philanthropists.

Key Findings:

Motivations for giving vary vastly by region, and they are embedded in regional cultures and histories, according to the BNP Paribas Individual Philanthropy Index.
- In Europe, it’s equally family legacy, altruistic desire and a sense of duty (17% each).
- In Asia, it’s the desire to give back to society (25%).
- In the Middle East, religious faith is the top motivation (63%).

Most philanthropists are very involved while being very discreet.
- 77% of survey respondents said that they either insist on remaining anonymous or do not actively publicize their charity
- A third of all survey respondents say that they give 15% or more of their annual income to charity. 17% intend to leave 30% or more of their fortune to charity.
- The more philanthropists have, the more they give.

Philanthropists under the age of 30 are:
- Much more likely to be motivated by personal experience in choosing area of focus (20%)
- Much less likely to be motivated by religion (17.5%)
- More generous (17.5% give at least 25% of annual income to charity)
- Likely to more actively promote philanthropy (45%)
- More likely to promote causes on social media (82.5%)

About BNP Paribas Wealth Management
(www.wealthmanagement.bnpparibas.com)

BNP Paribas Wealth Management is the world’s 7th largest private bank, present in some 30 countries. Over 6,000 professionals, based in every major financial centre, provide a private investor clientele with solutions for optimising and managing their assets. The bank has €277 billion worth of assets under management (as at end March 2013).
Our philanthropic approach
• A tailor-made offering
In addition to our Individual Philanthropy Offering launched in 2007, personal Philanthropy Advisory services and the Fondation de l’Orangerie for Individual Philanthropy, Wealth Management has a role in informing regarding philanthropy itself.
We encourage the sharing of experience and the promotion of philanthropy.
• Raising awareness
We provide a tribute for remarkable initiatives in this domain by creating the BNP Paribas Prize for Individual Philanthropy in 2008, awarded annually.
Through a Strategic Partnership with Chair in Philanthropy, ESSEC Business School, we contribute to the theoretical and applied research to philanthropy and social investment by respecting the standards of academic excellence.
We are also committed to better understanding the giving act, the profiles and the motivations of wealthy philanthropists around the world. We support Research studies on Wealth and Philanthropy since 2009 when we first launched a serial study based on face-to-face interviews with the wealthiest philanthropists in Europe.
Full report available at www.wealthmanagement.bnpparibas.com

About Forbes Insights
Forbes Insights is the strategic research and Thought Leadership practice of Forbes Media, publisher of Forbes magazine and Forbes.com, whose combined media properties reach nearly 50 million business decision makers worldwide on a monthly basis. Taking advantage of a proprietary database of senior-level executives in the Forbes community, Forbes Insights conducts research on a host of topics of interest to C-level executives, senior marketing professionals, small business owners and those who aspire to positions of leadership, as well as providing deep insights into issues and trends surrounding wealth creation and wealth management.
BNP Paribas press contacts:
Anne-Sophie Trémouille – e-mail : anne-sophie.tremouille@bnpparibas.com ; tel: +33 (0)1 58 16 84 99

Ashling Cashmore – email: ashling.cashmore@uk.bnpparibas.com ; tel: +20 7595 6647

CENTRIC has been developed to give corporate clients complete control of all their treasury business operations from a single platform. Utilising market-leading technology, CENTRIC combines intuitive widget functionality with a range of front-to-back transaction banking and flow product applications including cash management, trade finance, FX hedging, research products and services.

The addition of the platform further expands BNP Paribas’ existing suite of electronic products and services available to clients; it goes beyond increased efficiency by providing corporate clients with choice in managing their risk, optimising liquidity and ensuring they remain in complete control of their underlying treasury business operations.

Eric Raynaud, Chief Executive Officer, Asia-Pacific at BNP Paribas, said “The launch of CENTRIC represents another significant step forward in the provision of products and services to our corporate clients and underpins our commitment to the Asia-Pacific region in support of our strategic growth plans. The corporate market is a key pillar of our business and, through the provision of CENTRIC, we can continue to support the diverse, evolving needs of our local and multi-national client base.”

Tim is responsible for all non-Relationship Management aspects of managing the IRM function: establishing client priorities, execution of global strategic client projects, ensuring that the bank can best serve its clients in the changing regulatory environment, supporting senior relationship managers across client requests and internal business development.

Tim has twenty years’ experience in financial services and joins from Credit Suisse, where he headed up Business and Client Development for EMEA, responsible for overseeing the coverage management of Credit Suisse’s strategic accounts in Europe. Prior to this, Tim spent two years setting up and managing Credit Suisse’s “One Bank Collaboration Programme”, including the internal infrastructure for the firm’s global cross-selling initiative. In addition, he has held several COO positions, including Global COO for Operations at Deutsche Bank and European COO for Operations at Credit Suisse. Tim began his career in management consultancy at Accenture, where he spent nine years working with a range of clients in the banking and insurance sectors.

Talbot Stark commented:

“Investor clients are of strategic importance to the bank. Tim’s focus on operational matters will enable relationship managers to focus more on clients’ objectives, as the bank
looks to deepen and expand market share in this key client segment.”

€1.6BN IN NET INCOME ATTRIBUTABLE TO EQUITY HOLDERS IN A CHALLENGING ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT

In a lacklustre economic environment in Europe, the Group’s revenues totalled 10,055 million euros, up 1.7% compared to the first quarter 2012. It included this quarter the positive impact of two exceptional items for a net total of 149 million euros: -215 million euros in own credit adjustment and +364 million euros as a result of the first-time adoption of Debit Value Adjustment (DVA) under IFRS 13. The revenues of the operating divisions dropped 5.9%, although Retail Banking(1) (+0.2% (2)) and Investment Solutions (+3.4%(2)) held up well, while this quarter was a transition for CIB after the end of the adaptation plan (-20.2% (2)).

Operating expenses, which came to 6,514 million euros, improved 4.8%, showing very good cost control. They included this quarter a one-off 155 million euros transformation cost associated with Simple & Efficient. Retail Banking’s(1) operating expenses edged down 1.9%(2), Investment Solutions’ inched up 1.5%(2), while CIB’s declined 15.2%(2).

Gross operating income rose 16.4% during the period to 3,541 million euros. It was down, however, 5.3% for the operating divisions.

The Group’s cost of risk, at 978 million euros or 60 basis points of outstanding customer loans, rose only 3.5% compared to the first quarter 2012 and still remained low, illustrating the good control of risks.

Non-operating items totalled 52 million euros this quarter. They were 1,844 million euros in the first quarter of 2012 due to 1,790 million euros in one-off income booked after the Group sold its 28.7% stake in Klépierre SA.

The Group thus posted 2,615 million euros in pre-tax income, down 33.6% compared to the same quarter a year earlier. The pre-tax income of the operating divisions was down only 8.1%.

BNP Paribas thus reported 1,584 million euros in net income (attributable to equity holders), 44.8% lower compared to the first quarter 2012. Exceptional items had no impact this quarter on net income (-6 million euros). Their impact in the first quarter 2012, after factoring in taxes and minority interests, was +829 million euros.

The Group’s solvency was very high with a Basel 2.5 common equity Tier 1 (CRD3) ratio at 11.7% and a fully loaded Basel 3 common equity Tier 1 ratio(3) at 10.0%, confirming BNP Paribas as one of the world’s best capitalised global banks.

Net book value per share(4) was 61.7 euros, with a compounded annual growth rate of 6.5% since 31 December 2008, demonstrating BNP Paribas’ capacity to continue to grow the net book value per share throughout the cycle.

Lastly, Simple & Efficient, the ambitious programme to simplify the Group’s way of functioning and improve operating efficiency, got off to a quick start. One hundred and fifty five million euros in transformation costs were booked this quarter and many projects are in the process of being launched, such as early retirement plans already initiated at BNPP Fortis and BNL, plans to streamline the total number of software programmes and to industrialise computer programme development and plans to go paperless (using electronic documents and archiving).

The Group is set to launch BNP Paribas’ European digital bank, a pure mobile and online banking player, as part of its 2014-2016 business development plan.

Read the press release “BNP Paribas Group: Results as at 31 March 2013″

View the slides of the presentation

View the Quarterly Series

(1) Including 100% of Private Banking in the domestic networks, excluding PEL/CEL effects
(2) At constant scope and exchange rates
(3) Common equity tier 1 ratio taking into account all the CRD4 rules with no transitory provision that will enter into force only on 1st January 2019, and as expected by BNP Paribas
(4) Not reevaluated

Press Contacts:

Antoine Sire
Tel: + 33 1 40 14 21 06
antoine.sire@bnpparibas.com

Carine Lauru
Tel: + 33 1 42 98 13 36
carine.lauru@bnpparibas.com

Isabelle Wolff
Tel : +33(0)1 57 43 89 26
isabelle.wolff@bnpparibas.com

In 2013, a new key project within this large-scale programme kicks off with Arval Smart Experience. The programme’s pilot phase will be launched in France this spring.

“Arval Smart Experience is a turning point in our customer relationship,” says Arnaud Villeger, Marketing Director at Arval France. The programme “puts the focus on differentiating tools and services that enable us to give our customers daily support. To this end, we are making organisational changes in order to centre on the customer, we are developing digital innovations, we are directing our actions towards decision-makers in companies, and we are renewing our commitment in terms of CSR.”

Read the full press release.

To begin this new stage, BNP Paribas Cardif announces the appointment of five new members to its Executive Committee:

- Jacques Faveyrol, Chief Actuary
- Xavier Guilmineau, Head of Asia
- Laurence Hontarrède, Head of Client and Marketing Strategy
- Sophie Joyat, Head of Human Resources
- Francisco Valenzuela, Head of Latin America

BNP Paribas Cardif has a global presence in 36 countries and generates over half of its gross written premiums in international markets (56%).The company recognizes the growing importance of its international profile, notably the positive growth opportunities available in Latin America and Asia.

Listening to customers and an unyielding focus on the quality and pricing of its services are fundamental values for the company. The marketing and actuarial functions have thus been integrated into the Executive Committee.

With the arrival of Sophie Joyat and Laurence Hontarrède, 25% of the members of the Executive Committee are women. This makes it one of the governance bodies with the highest proportion of women in the insurance industry.

See the press release (67 ko).

A unique approach
In setting up this charitable fund, presided by Group Chairman Baudouin Prot
and permanently open for donations from all BNP Paribas staff worldwide, BNP Paribas is taking a pioneering approach to corporate humanitarian and charitable aid.

BNP Paribas will match every donation made by any Group employee with an equal sum. The funds thus collected will be passed on to three partner NGOs: leading international humanitarian organisation CARE; the French Red Cross; and Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors without Borders).

Emergency aid experts on the Board
Launched late last year, the donation fund’s Board includes two highly qualified experts in the field of emergency aid, who are able to contribute in-depth knowledge of the issues and thus help to decide which projects should receive financial support.

- Sylvie Lemmet, a graduate of the Ecole Nationale d’Administration (ENA), with further qualifications from Harvard University and leading French business school HEC, is Director of the Technology, Industry & Economics Division (DTIE) of the United Nations Environment Programme. She has been responsible for large-scale projects in sustainable development, a Senior Auditor at the French Cour des Comptes, and has also been Financial Director and member of the Executive Board of Médecins Sans Frontières

Professor Marc Sabbe is a full Professor in Emergency and Disaster Medicine at the University of Leuven, Belgium and an attending emergency physician at the University Hospitals of Leuven. In the 1990s he founded the European Society for Emergency Medicine, of which he is now the Honorary Secretary.

A promising start
The fund has now been open for donations for a few weeks. It is designed to collect donations from employees in 17 countries where BNP Paribas is present. The average donation has so far amounted to over €90, illustrating the generous commitment of Group staff to assisting a number of projects in the field of mother-and-child health to which the fund has pledged support:

- A Médecins Sans Frontières maternity-child centre in Colombia

- A CARE initiative to combat malnutrition in Niger

- The work carried out by the Red Cross to help people access care services in the Central African Republic

About BNP Paribas Corporate Social Responsibility policy
At BNP Paribas, being a responsible bank means first and foremost helping to finance the real economy by helping all our clients – individual customers, corporates and institutional clients – to make a success of their plans and projects. However, in addition to this economic responsibility, the Group’s approach to CSR manifests itself in three other areas:

- Employer responsibility, by ensuring fair and loyal treatment for the Group’s 190,000 employees and by engaging in meaningful dialogue with the workforce representatives.

- Civic responsibility, by helping to combat social marginalisation and promoting education and culture. The Group is closely involved in initiatives for the general good of society beyond the purely banking sphere, including providing help to disadvantaged urban neighbourhoods, micro-lending, and supporting social economy and charitable projects. Our social commitment is also demonstrated through the philanthropic work carried out by the BNP Paribas Foundation to promote social solidarity, education, culture and healthcare research.

- Environmental.responsibility: BNP Paribas monitors the environmental impact both of its banking activities, through specific policies relating to sensitive sectors, and its own day-to-day functioning. Through the BNP Paribas Foundation, the Group also supports environmental care projects.

This is the third year in a row that BNP Paribas Leasing Solutions UK has received this award. Voted for by partners and customers, this award takes into account all areas of the service offered and is indicative of high levels of customer satisfaction.

In addition, BNP Paribas Leasing Solutions UK was ‘commended’ in the ‘Best Leasing & Finance Provider’ category.

Moneyfacts Group is the UK’s leading provider of personal finance data. The Business Moneyfacts Awards are the largest business finance awards in the UK.