Apropos Coop Banking Webinar
From Gen Z to Coop Member:
The Future of Youth in Cooperative Banking
9 July 2025 I 15:00 to 16:30 (CEST) I Online
As societal dynamics shift and digital transformation accelerates, financial institutions face a pressing challenge: how can they reach and involve younger people? This webinar will explore ways in which cooperative banks are not only attracting the newer generations as customers but also engaging them as active members.
Rooted in local communities and member ownership, cooperative banking has long stood out for its proximity to members. But the ways new generations engage are evolving, becoming increasingly decentralised and shaped by new, fluid forms of community-building.
From adopting new outreach channels to empowering young people in governance and leadership, this webinar will delve into ways cooperative banks are innovating to bridge generational expectations and the cooperative identity.
Join us as panellists share strategies to ensure the cooperative model remains vibrant, inclusive and impactful as part of the 2025 International Day of Cooperatives (5 July).
Programme
Welcome/Introduction
Nina Schindler, Chief Executive Officer of the EACB
Damien Poncelas, Public Affairs & Institutional Relations Officer, CNCM
Key Findings and Recommendations of Research Project: "A Matter of Identity? Youth Participation in Cooperatives' Governance for a Sustainable Future"
Co-author Caterina Pesci, Associate Professor at Department of Economics and Management of the University of Trento
Interview/Testimonials: Young Cooperative Bank Members
Alena Faraj, Project Lead at Neonblau (BVR)
Giulia Pittatore, President of the BCC Giovani Soci Network (Federcasse)
Moderated by Robin Fieth, Chief Executive of the BSA
Panel: Youth Engagement in Cooperative Banking - Efforts, Benefits and Lessons Learned
Małgorzata Iwanicz-Drozdowska, Professor at Warsaw School of Economics and CEO of KZBS
Francesco Polo, Managing Director of the Federazione Bcc Nord-Est/Federcasse member bank
Marc Weegen, Department Head of Brand Strategy and Brand Communication at BVR
Moderated by Robin Fieth, Chief Executive of the BSA
Conclusion
Robin Fieth, Chief Executive of the BSA