BNP Paribas is hoping to unlock the entrepreneurial talents of its staffers through a new programme that sees employees from around the world invited to submit ideas that can help the bank succeed in the digital age, with the best pitches then developed in a startup-style environment.
This summer the bank put out a call to staff, asking for project ideas in areas such as digitisation, AI and the collaborative economy. Hundreds of employees took part and more than 80 projects were presented, with six picked for development.
From next month, the employees who came up with the six ideas will be seconded to a development programme, working in startup mode in an "agile co-development space" in Paris called Bivwak!. A core team of 20 experts will support the teams as they work over several months to create a minimum viable product.
While the bank has not provided details on the six projects, CEO Jean-Laurent Bonnafé says "they reflect a new relationship towards money: one that is more secure, more directed towards research on wellbeing, and showing more solidarity".
Deputy COO Jacques d'Estais adds: "What these diverse projects all have in common is the desire to dare, to serve our customers more effectively and to have a positive impact on society."