European innovation excellence in the spotlight at the Qorus Reinvention Awards in Vienna

VIENNA; March 20, 2024 – Qorus, a global association for retail financial institutions
announced the winners of its first-ever Qorus Reinvention Awards – Europe during a live
ceremony in Vienna.
These regional awards shine the spotlight on the best ideas and practices transforming the

financial services industry in Europe – for the better. They are a spin-off of Qorus’s long-
running Banking Innovation Awards and Innovation in Insurance Awards, which collectively

attracted more than 800 entries in their 2023 editions. For the first-time, applicants to both
these programs can qualify for acknowledgment on a regional stage too.
“We know there is a proliferation of noteworthy innovation happening on the ground in
Europe, and we want to acknowledge and get closer to this cutting-edge work,” says John
Berry, CEO at Qorus. “Launching regional awards programs in 2023 was a natural
progression for us after 10-years of running our global awards programs.”
Lubomir Olach, Head of International Development at Qorus concurs, “The groundswell of
support by financial services players in the region has been extremely encouraging, and we
want to use these awards to inspire others in their transformation journeys.”
The winners of the Qorus Reinvention Awards – Europe 2024 are:
• Intesa Sanpaolo (Italy) – was named European Innovator of the Year. The bank’s
relentless commitment to innovation across its organisation has fuelled the company’s
strong growth and impressive technology capabilities. Recent innovations include
‘Switcho’ energy management service on its mobile banking app; ‘Ellis’ digital assistant
that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to chat with customers and ‘AI for Corporate Targeting
Automation’ that identifies the best products for corporate customers. Intesa Sanpaolo
also recently launched Isybank, its digital challenger bank, with an impressive 22,000
downloads of the app in its first month of operation. Runners-up in silver and bronze
place were Caixabank (Spain) and Fidelidade (Portugal), respectively.
• Yapı ve Kredi Bankası (Turkey) – received the Customer Experience award for ‘My
World super app’ that incorporates the My Car+ vehicle management service, My
Home+ home administration facility, My Bank+ integrated banking offering and My Trips+
travel planner. This app has attracted more than 12.3 million digital banking users.
Runners-up in silver and bronze place were KBC Group (Belgium) for ‘Integrated
Housing, Energy and Mobility Ecosystem’ and Caixabank (Spain) for ‘My Aggregated
Plans’, respectively.
• Raiffeisen Bank International (Austria) – received the Distribution award for ‘My
Finance Quests’ that uses the popular Minecraft video game to encourage financial
literacy among teenagers. It has adapted the game to include interactive mini games that

address topics such as bank operations, saving, budgeting and online security. Runners-
up in silver and bronze place were Fibabanka (Turkey) for ‘Alışgidiş (Get and Go)’ and

Grupo Millennium (Portugal) for ‘iziBizi’, respectively.
• Ethias Assurance (Belgium) received the Environmental, Social and Governance
(ESG) award for its ‘Urban Data Mapping Tool’ that helps local authorities in Belgium
make their towns and cities safer. The tool uses information from multiple sources to
identify, locate and categorise accidents that have occurred within a specific area over
many years. Information can then be used by local authorities to optimise infrastructure,
prioritise upgrades and curb accidents. Runners-up in silver and bronze place were
Ageas (Portugal) for ‘Por um Mundo sem Rotulos (For a World without Labels) and

Česká Spořitelna (Czech Republic) for ‘State subsidies in a mobile banking app’,
respectively.
• Banca Widiba (Italy) – received the New Ways of Working award for ‘The Financial
Advisors Team’. This is a new collaboration tool that aims to take care of customer
financial needs through a totally digitalised process on its web portal, Wise. Financial
advisors in its network can now set-up a partnership between financial consultants in the
management of a client portfolio, bringing together their two competences. The tool also
allows junior financial advisors to work alongside a senior advisor, enabling effective
inter-generational skills transfer. Runners-up in silver and bronze place were Ziraat
Bankasi (Turkey) for ‘Ziraat Dünyam Mobile Platform’ and Akbank Group (Turkey) for
‘Expertise, Career and Development Analytics Program’, respectively.
• Allianz Partners (Spain) – received the Operational Efficiency award for ‘MAvalue’, a
mobile app that allows customers to submit claims quickly and easily. The app allows
policyholders to upload photographs or videos of damage to their property and in a few
seconds check that they have cover, obtain a loss assessment and, if their claim is
approved, receive a cash settlement. Runners-up in silver and bronze place were TBC
Bank (Georgia) for ‘TBC Innovation Fund and “Working Backwards” Process’ and
mBank (Poland) for ‘Conversion-Boosting Mechanisms in Paynow’, respectively.
“These awards play a critical role by recognizing and rewarding the best and brightest ideas
so others can learn and grow,” said John Berry, Qorus CEO. “No financial services player
can afford to stand still. I am delighted that this showcase for innovation shows just how the
industry in Europe has rallied to respond to disruption with impressive fervour!” “The Qorus
Innovation in Insurance Awards is now open for entries and the Qorus Banking Innovation
Awards 2024 edition will launch shortly too. I am excited to see the progress and shifts in
investment focus that will undoubtedly come to the fore in these rapidly changing industries,”
he added.
To find out more about Qorus’s awards programs visit https://www.qorusglobal.com/ or
follow the conversation on LinkedIn at #QorusRIA.
About Qorus
A global non-profit organization established in 1971 by banks and insurance companies,
Qorus helps its members to reinvent themselves to thrive – to go further, be faster and work
together. Our global ecosystem brings valuable insights, inspiring events, rich data, and
active global communities all in one place. With over 50 years of experience, Qorus provides
a neutral space for best-practice sharing and collaboration, while offering diverse knowledge
and a global reach – to more than 1200 financial groups in 120+ countries. Headquartered in
Paris, Qorus serves financial institutions on all continents, with offices in Andorra, Bangkok,
Bratislava, Brussels, Dubai, Istanbul, Kuala Lumpur, London, Milan, Seoul, and Tokyo.
Learn more at www.qorusglobal.com