Our Approach
Our priorities As we move forward, our Group is working to:
• build a leaner organization - a bank that is simpler, more efficient
Large financial institutions are increasingly being asked to take and easier to understand
responsibility for a range of socioeconomic impacts. At the same • further enhance our culture of sustainability, internally
time, interest has been growing among investors and the business (by maintaining a high level of risk awareness) and externally
media in corporate accountability and strategies for long-term value (by contributing to a more viable socioeconomic environment)
creation. These developments have shaped the evolution of UniCredit’s • improve our cooperation with stakeholders by increasing our
approach to corporate sustainability over the past decade. And so engagement with them (our stakeholder compass)
while we remain focused on building a strong corporate identity
based on shared values, we have prioritized the improvement of
our governance mechanisms and reporting activities. Our overriding
goal is to fully integrate sustainability into our daily activities and to 2012 KEY RECOGNITIONS
communicate effectively with our stakeholders. • Oscar di Bilancio 2012 winner in the “Banks and
Financial Companies” category
Our sustainability staff of roughly 40 colleagues at the Group
• Dow Jones Sustainability Index, UniCredit’s best
and local levels3 works to support top management in defining
UniCredit’s relevant strategy and policies. These are designed performance
to minimize environmental and social risks associated with • UniCredit among the FTSE4Good Leaders
our business activities. Group Sustainability team reports on • Top Employers Europe 2012 in seven territories
our sustainability performances and works to raise colleagues’ • Best Cash Management and Best Trade Finance Bank in
awareness of how we can make a difference on a daily basis. Central and Eastern Europe
To ensure the effective execution of its activities, the Group • Best Sub-Custodian Bank in almost all territories
Sustainability team - within Group Identity & Communications
- reports directly to the CEO. This direct line of communication
strengthens our capacity to develop and fine-tune initiatives to
contribute significantly to the long-term viability of our business.
Building a leaner organization
SUSTAINABILITY GOVERNANCE4
UniCredit is working to be a simpler bank, focused on local needs,
CEO while maintaining the strength of an international group.
With this objective in mind, we are becoming a leaner organization
that is closer to our customers. We are redesigning our commercial
Planning,
Group Risk Group Identity & Legal & networks according to the needs of our clients. And we are tailoring
Finance & Others
Administration Management Communications Compliance our products and services in a way that leverages our global skills
for multinational customers as well as our regional expertise for
local customers. This enables us to be:
• faster at making decisions – we are aligning our credit
Group
Sustainability committees more closely with the needs of the countries in which
they operate, while streamlining our processes
Recently we invested in new software to collect, monitor and • easier to understand externally – we are instituting clearer
analyze data on our bank’s performance. More than 300 users separation between our global and local processes
from 16 countries (and roughly 50 legal entities) contribute to feed • more innovative – we are investing in new products and services,
the system, which incorporates a hierarchy of responsibilities to and using our new branch format to support a holistic approach
generate more reliable information. This software offers insight to commercial banking
into 20 key reporting areas, by covering 200 GRI and other indexes
indicators, and has significantly improved our ability to interpret At the country-level, our colleagues will have greater accountability
our performance results. and will manage our commercial banking operations directly.
Meanwhile, our parent company’s role in supervising operations
UniCredit’s main recognitions in 2012 speak to the efficacy of these will be reinforced. These adjustments will maintain our European
activities. In addition to the over 80 awards we received Groupwide5, mindset and our ability to share best practices while adapting
our improved performance in the FTSE4Good and the Dow Jones them to local conditions. These efforts illustrate our commitment
Sustainability indexes reflects the markets’ positive view of our results. to maintaining the trust and confidence of our customers6.
3. This includes a dedicated team at the parent company level, and in Germany and Austria, 5. Refer to the Supplement for more information.
as well as points of reference in Central and Eastern European countries. 6. Refer to the Serving Individuals and Families and Supporting Companies chapters
4. Refer to the Supplement for more information. for more information.
14 2012 Sustainability Report · UniCredit