Community Support
REYL Intesa Sanpaolo attaches the utmost importance to conducting its affairs as a responsible member of society. Recognising its privileged position, it promotes values of generosity and care and is committed to giving back to the community in thoughtful and meaningful ways.
Research for Life Foundation
The quest for innovation that characterises REYL Intesa Sanpaolo is also present in its philanthropic endeavours, such as the creation in 2014 of the Research for Life foundation. As a Swiss non-profit organisation, Research for Life is dedicated to supporting and funding ground-breaking medical projects in the fields of adult and paediatric oncology.
Exceptionally promising research programmes
Research for Life identifies and supports promising research teams who are seeking to make breakthrough progress in the understanding and treatment of emblematic forms of cancer, particularly through the use of innovative technologies.
Disciplined project selection process
Research for Life focuses on projects characterised by their intensity and their ambition, as well as the academic and clinical achievements of their researchers. Projects conducted by the teams of Prof. Michielin, Group Leader of the Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, oncologist at CHUV in Lausanne and renowned world specialist in the field on immunotherapy, are perfect illustrations of the kinds of highly stimulating works that Research for Life wishes to support.
Efficient and transparent operations based on volunteering
With the exception of modest annual audit and filing charges, Research for Life does not incur any operating costs. All work is carried out on a volunteer basis, with REYL Intesa Sanpaolo providing logistical support services. This allows Research for Life to focus on what matters most: getting funds fast to the projects that it supports.
Research for Life is a Swiss non-profit foundation registered in the Canton of Geneva.
Link to the Research for Life website
MSFeCARE
REYL Intesa Sanpaolo is proud to be one of the first financial partners of MSFeCARE—an innovative initiative with a global impact, run by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF - Doctors Without Borders) in Geneva.
MSF is an international humanitarian organisation that was founded in Paris in 1971. MSF provides medical assistance in over 70 countries to people affected by conflict, epidemics and natural disasters, irrespective of race, religion, creed or political convictions.
In response to the major issues of infant mortality and drug-resistant bacteria, which are often found in remote areas, MSF launched MSFeCARE, an electronic decision support system that uses a tablet-based application to enhance paediatric care in clinics. It enables healthcare professionals to follow complex medical protocols interactively, guiding the consultation process and improving the overall quality of care and the prescription of antibiotics.
Swiss Paralympic
In January 2019, continuing its tradition of collaborating with elite sportsmen and women, REYL Intesa Sanpaolo became an official partner of Swiss Paralympic, the umbrella organisation for Swiss handicapped athletes.
REYL Intesa Sanpaolo supported the Swiss athletes who were selected by Swiss Paralympic to take part in the 2024 Summer Games in Paris. For these elite competitors, achieving their Paralympian dream demands tireless physical and mental commitment, in an increasingly competitive environment. Through this sponsorship agreement, the Group hopes to ensure the athletes are able to focus all their attention on achieving their goals.
- Sofia Gonzalez (athletics) and Robin Cuche (alpine skiing), two promising young Paralympic athletes, are receiving financial support and assistance from the Group for their national and international competitions. Both are completely in-line with the Group's values—passion, self-improvement, humility and determination. Sofia Gonzalez was born in 2001 with a congenital limb malformation on her right leg. At the age of three, her leg was amputated above the knee. Before focusing on the 100-metre sprint and the long jump, she played tennis, danced, skied, and rode horseback. In the context of the Summer Games, Sofia took part in the 100m and long jump finals at the 2021 Paralympic Games in Tokyo.
Robin Cuche was born prematurely in 1998. This, combined with a lack of blood flow to the brain, caused him to develop hemiplegia on his right side. He competes in all of the various skiing disciplines, with his best showings in the downhill and super-G. Robin Cuche won the Crystal Globe in the Downhill World Cup for the 2023 ski season.
At the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris, Switzerland broke its medal record by returning home with 21 medals around the neck.
IUCN
Since 2020, REYL Intesa Sanpaolo supports the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the largest international environmental non-governmental organisation, which provides the tools and projects to enable societies, economies, and nature to thrive together. The Bank supports its "Save our Species" programme, a global biodiversity initiative that ensures the protection and survival of endangered species with local communities who depend on or coexist with them.
Since its launch in 2010, the programme has grown and supported more than 110 civil society organisations in more than 89 countries, launching 358 projects to help protect 492 threatened species.
Villars Institute
In 2024, REYL Intesa Sanpaolo and Villars Institute agreed to join forces on initiatives that accelerate the transition to a nature-positive, net-zero economy through intergenerational learning and collaboration.
The partnership focuses on expanding the reach of the Villars Institute’s Fellowship Program by empowering youth engagement in secondary schools and building a global community of future change-makers. It promotes innovative learning programs and activities, including entrepreneurial projects and mentoring, and consider interdisciplinary solutions in the push towards a net-zero, nature positive future.
The Villars Institute, located in the Swiss Alps, was established in 2022 as a nonprofit foundation to accelerate the transition to a net-zero, nature positive economy by advancing Systems Leadership through interdisciplinary, intergenerational, and entrepreneurial collaboration. It is also a curator of educational, cultural, and artistic activities that promote biodiversity, planetary health, and sustainable development.
Link to Villars Institute website
Arches des Abeilles
Since 2021, REYL Intesa Sanpaolo is proud to support "Arche des Abeilles", a Swiss foundation for the protection of bees and the development and sustainability of local colonies. Founded by Stéphanie Vuadens, it aims to protect wildlife, strengthen local biodiversity, and raise awareness among the younger generation.
Sophie Lavaud
Sophie has been supported by REYL Intesa Sanpaolo since 2017. Although records are less important to her than enjoying the journey, the mountaineer has become the first Swiss, Canadian and French woman to have successfully climbed 14 peaks of over 8,000 meters.
Sophie supports project “Mahila”, which means “woman” in Nepalese. This programme helps women affected by discrimination and the negative consequences of male migration in the rural communities of the Rasuwa district.
About Sophie Lavaud:
Sophie Lavaud is a Swiss, Canadian and French citizen. After a career as a manager in the hotel, luxury, and event industries in Geneva, Sophie Lavaud made a remarkable entry into the world of mountaineering in 2012. She had successful climbs just ten days apart at Central Shishapangma (8'012 meters) and Cho Oyu (8'201 meters).
Her climb of Everest in 2014 and first attempt to climb K2 in 2016 were the subject of films directed by French filmmaker and guide François Damilano ("On va marcher sur l'Everest" and "K2, une journée particulière"). In 2023, she made history by achieving her goal of climbing all 14 peaks topping 8,000 meters.
In 2024, she released her movie "Sophie Lavaud - Le dernier sommet" and her book "Les quatorze 8000 de Sophie Lavaud".
Today, she has set herself the mission of climbing the highest peaks on every continent.
Intermezzo - Orchestre de la Suisse Romande
REYL Intesa Sanpaolo supports Intermezzo, which has a mission to help discover and promote the highly talented Orchestre de la Suisse Romande to a younger audience (25 to 45 years’ old) of music lovers. With this partnership, REYL Intesa Sanpaolo contributes to local culture and community, enabling more of the public to access classical music in an original way.
Link to the Intermezzo – OSR website
Grand Théâtre de Genève
REYL Intesa Sanpaolo acts as a project partner to Grand Théâtre de Genève, specifically financing its plans to film and broadcast its best productions.
Link to the Grand Théâtre de Genève website
Verbier Festival
REYL Intesa Sanpaolo is the main partner of the Verbier Festival, an international classical music event. For 17 days, almost 300 events and concerts attract fans from all over the globe to applaud the world's most talented musicians.
Link to the Verbier Festival website
Every Day Social Responsibility
Our actions :
- Recovery of all PCs and gifts to local non-profit organisations
- Recycling of all toners and batteries by local social reinsertion associations
- Cleaning works by PRO Foundation
- Printing of REYL Intesa Sanpaolo's annual report on certified FSC paper
- Electric bicycles for employees’ urban transport between REYL Intesa Sanpaolo’s Geneva sites
- Energy-saving LED light bulbs
- Sponsored Red Cross money box at Geneva’s international airport