170th anniversary of CDP: The inauguration ceremony
18 November 2019. Celebrations to mark the 170th year of Cassa Depositi e Prestiti were launched with an event in the former State Mint and Polygraphic Institute building, attended by President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella and leading members of the state.
To open the event, young students from the chorus school of our institutional partners, the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, sung the national anthem.
This was followed by speeches from CDP Chairman, Giovanni Gorno Tempini and Chief Executive Officer, Fabrizio Palermo, outlining Cassa Depositi e Prestiti's historical and future role in supporting the country's development.
"For 170 years, Cassa Depositi e Prestiti has played a leading role in supporting infrastructure and the real economy as a long-term investor and the embodiment of public and private partnership" Chairman, Giovanni Gorno Tempini added, with a “fundamental contribution to the construction of transport, energy and telecommunications networks, but also to the centres of community life, such as schools, hospitals and other institutions which aim to improve the quality of services and citizens' lives".
CEO Fabrizio Palermo then turned to “Cassa Depositi e Prestiti's new approach to build a more solid relationship with the country, based on networking and CDP's unique understanding of Italy's finance and industry”, to respond to more complex national, European and global challenges. "For this reason CDP is constantly evolving, widening its horizons and growing its skill set to serve the country. The 2019 - 2021 Business Plan is a change of pace, a push which leverages innovation, inclusion and sustainability for Italy's development".
Francesco Profumo, Chairman of the Association of Banking Foundations, minority CDP shareholders, said he was certain that "CDP will continue to contribute in the future, as it has always done, to the promotion of sustainable development" and that "the Banking Foundations will be at your side".
After expressing his appreciation for "the excellent work done by the management", Minister of Economy and Finance, Roberto Gualtieri, added: "CDP is an institution with a long history, closely linked to the MEF. We are confident that through its work, it will continue to ensure the transition towards more inclusive, resilient and sustainable development".
The event was closed by Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte who spoke of Cassa Depositi e Prestiti as "the finest example of Italy investing in itself", with a history "closely entwined with the economic, social and political development of the country". The launch of the 170 year celebrations is "an opportunity to renew the trust that Italy has always placed in Cassa Depositi e Prestiti".
The ceremony was the first of several institutional initiatives to be held during the year with the patronage of RAI, to strengthen Cassa Depositi e Prestiti's role in supporting Italy's growth.
