The history of BNP Paribas in 12 questions

Explanation

Although BNCI, the forerunner of BNP, sponsored the Tour de France in the 1950s, history between BNP Paribas and Roland-Garros officially began in 1973. Over the years, this large-scale tournament has gained a growing reputation and global media coverage. BNP and then BNP Paribas continued this partnership faithfully. For 45 years, the bank has been supporting tennis, sharing the values of fair play, responsiveness and performance.

Today, global tennis partner number 1, the Group sponsors the largest events and has created a worldwide community of tennis fans with its dedicated wearetennis.com website.

In 2018, the Group also launched an unprecedented programme to support young French tennis talents in their progression, "Team BNP Paribas Jeunes Talents”, in association with the French tennis federation.

Explanation

The CNEP was set up on 8 March 1848 under the joint action of the State, the City of Paris and a group of booksellers in Paris. The latter, like many entrepreneurs and traders, are indeed weakened by the economic crisis that is paralysing France. The CNEP’s original purpose is to carry out discount operations to boost short-term credit to entrepreneurs and restore confidence.

Explanation

The Bank of Paris and the Netherlands was founded in 1872 by French and German bankers. It is a French-language merchant bank, whose activities focus on two areas: managing financial transactions in the markets and financing businesses. Its specificity: it does not have its own banking network but relies on correspondents around the world, and it also forms alliances with other houses. It has specialised in financing exports of capital goods worldwide since the 1950s and major industrial projects.

Explanation

In 1860, in the context of the Free Trade Treaty, the CNEP moved to Calcutta and Shanghai even before establishing a network of agencies in France. Its role was to support the French trade networks abroad (importers of raw materials, particularly cotton). That is also why it began in Australia in Melbourne and Sydney in 1881 (wool industry). Its international dimension continued to expand: Hong Kong (1862), San Francisco (1877), and Chicago (1893). In France, he opened his first branch in Nantes in 1867, followed by Lyon (1868) and Marseille (1869). BNP Paribas continues this international tradition and is present in 73 countries.

Explanation

BNL is one of the main players in Italy’s development. It was founded in Rome in 1913, initially to support the cooperative movement in the country. At that time, the predominantly rural Italian economy had to industrialize. Its public dimension means that it is the only large Italian bank born in Rome, while Milan is the country’s financial centre.

BNL, a bank serving the Italian national economy, also distinguished itself by establishing in 1935 an autonomous department specialising in film credit. The section provides medium and long-term credits for film production, distribution and trade in Italy and abroad. Nearly 5,000 films were supported between 1935 and 2015.

Explanation

The origins of BGŻ go back to 1919, when a state agricultural bank was created. This public institution essentially grants loans to farmers to enable them to buy land and acquire means of production. But it also finances irrigation, the purchase of fertilisers… Livestock farming and processing also benefit from serious modernisation. In 2014, BNP Paribas bought out BGŻ. Then in 2015, the Group merged its activities in Poland with those of BGŻ BNP Paribas. This group continues to be a leader in agri-business and the food sector and is also well placed in consumer credit and corporate banking.

Explanation

Today, credit has gradually developed in France since the 1920s. Consumer credit, launched in the 1950s, marks a turning point in society. Cetelem, a subsidiary of BNP Paribas set up in 1953, is one of its historical players.

Explanation

The bank is one of the few professions to have built such a comprehensive technical education system and to have been concerned with managing the skills development of its employees. It awards diplomas recognised by the State. The Centre d’enseignement technique de banque was set up in 1932, but in 1972 it became a training centre for the banking profession following the Law of 16 July 1971.

Explanation

In 957 the CNEP controlled the largest computer developed in Europe, the Bull Gamma 60. It thus moves directly from mechanography (a set of mechanical and electro-mechanical techniques for calculating and publishing information) to a large, ultra-modern system developed with novel components. As soon as it became operational in March 1961 (training and integration periods were necessary), the computer was operated continuously.