SDA Bocconi Finance Club and MCF: Banking Day, navigating the future of finance

SDA Bocconi recently hosted MCF: Banking Day, its first-ever large-scale banking workshop organized by the SDA Bocconi Finance Club, the community of interest of on-campus master's students and alumni which coordinates networking events and finance-related debates, and strongly supported by the Master in Corporate Finance students and academic management. This landmark event brought together leaders from the finance industry to discuss the growing number of challenges faced by the banking sector and provide valuable insights for the many current and future students, alumni and financial professionals in attendance.

Stefano Caselli, Dean of SDA Bocconi, opened the workshop by expressing his enthusiasm for the initiative: “I am delighted for two main reasons: on the one hand, it demonstrates the vibrancy of our community and its ability to organize such an intensive workshop and, on the other, as a former professor of banking, it’s always exciting to tackle the many angles of the banking landscape.”

The workshop itself was structured around four panels, each focusing on different aspects of the banking industry.

The Capital Markets and European Banking Ecosystem panel, moderated by Federico Pippo, Director of MCF, included key figures such as Pietro Bertè, Vice President of ECM at Mediobanca, Francesco Spila, Managing Director - ECM, Mediobanca, Barbara Lunghi, Head of Primary Markets at Borsa Italiana, Angelo Dipasquale, Head of Cross-Asset solutions, Banca Akros and Alfons Martos, Executive Director - Financing, Goldman Sachs.

The panel explored the evolution of equity capital markets, focusing on diversified IPO strategies and how both banks and exchanges are adapting to better accommodate a wide array of corporate sizes and investor needs. The discussions also covered the dynamic nature of the European markets in response to technological advancements, regulatory changes and the backdrop of geopolitical and economic uncertainties, emphasizing the need for ongoing dialogue between policy-makers, financial institutions and market participants to create a more integrated and resilient European financial panorama.

The Investment Banking and M&A panel, co-moderated by Professors Barbara Alemanni and Federico Pippo, featured insights from Marco Perelli-Rocco, Head of M&A at Intesa Sanpaolo IMI CIB Division, Claudia Fornaro, Managing Director at Mediobanca and Andrea Turrini, Head of Italy M&A at JP Morgan.

After an in-depth analysis of the evolving landscape of mergers and acquisitions, the panel highlighted the dynamic shifts in the energy sector and the impact of AI on M&A activities. The dialogue also explored how geopolitical uncertainties and economic fluctuations influence market stability and investment trends, noting a rise in sector consolidation, especially among Italian SMEs that form the backbone of the economy, driven by a need to increase their competitive advantages and achieve scale.

The third panel, chaired by Luigi Belluzzo, Fellow of Private Banking and Wealth Management, examined the complexities of Wealth Management. The discourse, enriched by insights from Andrea Vergani, Managing Director of Pictet, Olga Kutzetsova, Senior Advisor at UBS and Luca Garavello, Senior Advisor at Goldman Sachs, underscored the imminent generational wealth transfer, with millennials poised to inherit 60% of global wealth, equivalent to 60 trillion dollars.

The panel touched upon the standard tools for wealth transfer management while highlighting the need for the industry to evolve and embrace customization in order to remain relevant in a world where AI and technological advancements are making new generations more financially literate. This will necessitate a broader skill set and a deeper understanding of clients' risk profiles, personal preferences and aspirations.

The fourth and final panel on Entrepreneurial and Tech Banking, moderated by Gimede Gigante, Director of ICE - Innovation and Corporate Entrepreneurship, featured Roberto Nicastro, CEO of Banca Aidexa, and Mauro Piccinini, CFO of Prima Assicurazioni. The discussion centered around the expansive landscape of fintech and the challenges this sector faces to simplify and refine the user experience through technology for both B2B and B2C markets.

The panel remarked on the challenge of upgrading the underlying services and ensuring they run smoothly, while at the same time avoiding the risk of focusing too much on technology and not on the quality of the products. In short, it’s essential to adopt a customer-centric approach to drive the technological advancements within the sector.

Members of the SDA Bocconi Finance Club highlighted the immense value of the day’s sessions. Gianluca Banfi - MCF24, commented: “Today’s event was a great occasion for students and top-tier professionals to meet and discuss the main trends in different finance fields and develop valuable connections with our guests”, while Mattia Venturino - MBA49, summed up the key takeaways: “The banking sector is undergoing profound changes, driven by the evolution of key markets such as the energy sector and the adoption of new technologies and AI by banks to enhance client value.”

“I would like to thank all the speakers that joined us today”, said Professor Federico Pippo after an afternoon of insightful discussions. “It was the first time we organized an event fully dedicated to the banking industry, and I would like to thank once again our Finance Club, and students from the MBA and Master in Corporate Finance for their efforts.”

SDA Bocconi School of Management

Photogallery