BNP Paribas Global Markets, Paris has once again partnered with BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager to participate in Big City Bright Future, an inspiring intern programme for school leavers.
Specifically targeted at talented students from non-financial backgrounds, the programme is an opportunity for interns to gain direct experience of the world of banking and asset management.
As part of BNP Paribas’ overall CSR strategy, Big City Bright Future enables the bank to widen its engagement with young people and address diversity challenges often faced by organisations during the traditional recruitment process. The programme also strengthens the bank’s collaboration with BlackRock around a shared purpose to make a positive social impact in communities where the bank and the asset manager operate.
As one of the main employers in Europe, BNP Paribas has an important part to play in giving equal opportunities to young talents.
Barbara Levéel, Head of Human Resources, Global Markets, BNP Paribas
Barbara Levéel, Head of Human Resources, Global Markets, BNP Paribas said, “As one of the main employers in Europe, BNP Paribas has an important part to play in giving equal opportunities to young talents. We are delighted to work with BlackRock on this programme and to bring our support to build a world with more fairness and opportunities for everyone.”
Beat von Gunten, Deputy Global Head of Institutional Sales, BNP Paribas also added, “Our commitment to build this programme towards our partnership with BlackRock is a great opportunity to demonstrate our strong relationship and gives us the opportunity to enrich the experience of young talents by introducing them to the financial markets.”
Our commitment to build this programme towards our partnership with BlackRock is a great opportunity to demonstrate our strong relationship.
Beat von Gunten, Deputy Global Head of Institutional Sales, BNP Paribas
Supporting inclusion in the finance industry
Since BlackRock launched the initiative in 2015, over 600 young talents have been selected to join the programme across firms in various sectors. BlackRock partnered with non-profit organisations focusing on promoting equitable economic opportunity – including IntoUniversity, Les Entretiens de L’Excellence and VoxPopuli, to bring together students from a wide range of academic backgrounds to join the programme.
The interns develop core business skills, giving them the opportunity to gain a better understanding of day-to-day corporate life, work with teams on assigned projects and interact with senior management.
Initiatives of this kind are even more important now, at a time when the pandemic has accelerated societal inequities. We look forward to welcoming more students over time and support an inclusive recovery.
Pierre Sarrau, Chief Investment Officer, Multi-Asset Strategies, BlackRock
“We are delighted to partner with BNP Paribas in Paris again around the Big City Bright Future initiative,” commented Pierre Sarrau, Chief Investment Officer for Multi-Asset Strategies at BlackRock. “This programme not only offers a fantastic opportunity for students of different backgrounds to learn about the financial world, but it also benefits our companies through fresh insights provided by the trainees. Initiatives of this kind are even more important now, a time when the pandemic has accelerated societal inequities. We look forward to welcoming more students over time and support an inclusive recovery.”
Speaking of her experience as an intern on the programme, Diénaba Sagna, one of the BNP Paribas trainees, said: “For me, the six days were amazing, because the finance world is very wide and sometimes difficult to understand. Thanks to several interventions from both BNP Paribas and BlackRock employees, combined with different exercises, I was able to see the world of finance from a new perspective and to get a better understanding of what finance is.”
Luc Lauwers, one of the BlackRock trainees, said of his internship: “It really brought a lot to me on a personal and professional level. It was a strong insight in the peculiar world of finance, jobs, professions that I didn’t know anything about. It gives an insight on the number of possible things that you can do in the future.”
