The complexities of the financial world, the possibility of accessing global markets, the many available forms of investment to choose from are making it more and more difficult to conduct “do-it-yourself” management on savings and property. For individuals, professionals and families it has become indispensable to resort to a financial adviser, a Private Banker (PB) who can help find the best investment opportunities for every particular situation. That’s why the PB’s role is fundamentally important, and depends on closely understanding clients’ requirements and determining their financial priorities and individual commitments. That understanding, if it is to serve as a basis for providing quality service, can be attained only by getting to know clients and constantly following their financial situation.

From left to right: Paolo Monti - Responsabile Divisione Retail Banking (l'Unità Funzionale Private Banking fa parte di questa Divisione); Fabrizio Ramazzotti - Responsabile Unità Funzionale Private Banking; Luca Mariani; Alberto Zanivan

These were the motivations of Gruppo Bipielle when it entered this market sector in April 2001. During its hundred-year history, placing customers at the centre of attention has always been Gruppo Bipielle’s policy, one of the reasons why it has always been among the primary national banks. People who choose Gruppo Bipielle will find a highly qualified PB who will convert their wishes and needs into a custom-tailored investment strategy – an economic analyst who, besides managing financial investments, will also take care of professional and family assets and property. Clearly then, the functions of a PB are particularly critical, since a single person must combine technical competence and relational skills. This person must study requirements and expectations and develop them into an ad-hoc investment policy, and, once the risk profile has been determined, call on experts to assemble the right portfolio or on specialized operators in fields where personal experience cannot possibly be sufficient. What the PB does, therefore, is to highlight clients’ necessities, arrange them by nature ad priority, and then co-ordinate specialists. In this kind of business, personalization is essential, and a PB must be skilled in understanding and following clients.

For these reasons Gruppo Bipielle has decided to assign a limited number of clients to each PB, so that he or she may operate with all the necessary care and attention. Private Banking is an all-round consulting service, providing wide-ranging assistance in a host of different fields: Global financial planning Optimisation of liabilities Insurance and pension plans Fiscal plans and estate management Legal advice Corporate and trust consulting Property investment plans Art investment advice Advice on buying and assessing diamonds These services are made possible by Gruppo Bipielle’s prominent position in the Italian banking system and by special agreements with important organizations, such as FIMA, the Italian Federation of Art Dealers. It is no coincidence that an art simile has been chosen to describe Gruppo Bipielle’s activities in Private banking. Mutual trust, professional competence, discretion and style are qualities that can turn a business relation into a “work of art”, just as for Gruppo Bipielle customer satisfaction has always been an invaluable patrimony. Gruppo Bipielle proposes itself to individual customers as a problem-solving bank – a single reference for every financial requirement, and more. Convinced that “Economic tranquillity is not just a relief but an actual change in needs”, Gruppo Bipielle offers an assortment of services to fulfil those needs, in the belief that personalization, constant updating and continuing assistance are fundamental for first-rate property management. Security, personalized services, trust and quality are the basic elements on which Gruppo Bipielle concentrates its efforts to establish lasting relationships with clients, well aware that Private Banking is a tangible and exclusive asset, the best that a bank can give. Translated by interpres sas