In the first panel, Old Banks and New Banks face off

The event “Armundia TalkInn 2019 – The Digital Transformation in the Italian Banking and Insurance Industry” was successfully held at Terrazza Martini in Milan. The event, conceived and promoted by Armundia Group, was hosted by journalists Monica Bertini and Dario Donato.

It was an engaging and inspiring gathering. The scientific insights that emerged from the discussions were of great interest, with strong participation and active attention from the audience. The panelists, all highly prominent figures, enriched the cultural conversation with their valuable contributions, sharing a lively afternoon full of ideas and perspectives.

“Armundia was founded 12 years ago with clear goals: to bring innovation to the banking and insurance world. From the start, we believed that banking and insurance would converge—and that has indeed happened. We also aimed to innovate IT tools in these sectors by streamlining infrastructures. Today, technology can truly optimise processes and serve as a tool for growth,” said Gianluca Berghella, President and CEO of Armundia Group, during his opening remarks.
“Why TalkInn? Because we believe true awareness comes from dialogue and community. It always starts with people and human connection—then grows into innovation.”

OLD BANKS AND NEW BANKS

The first roundtable, “Old Banks and New Banks: Evolving Models of Customer Interaction”, featured contributions from Carlo Alberto Carnevale Maffè (SDA Bocconi), Flavio Valeri (Chief Country Officer, Deutsche Bank Italy), and Claudia Vassena (Head of Buddybank, the new app-based bank from Unicredit).

Flavio Valeri commented on the profound transformation facing the banking sector:
“Where is the banking model headed? We are clearly in a phase of transition. Major financial institutions are investing around 10% of their revenues in Information Technology—proof of a serious commitment to innovation. European banks that want to stay competitive are decisively investing in technology. However, change is never simple: for transformation to be truly effective, banks must have a clear understanding of the services they want to offer and the clients they aim to serve.”

Claudia Vassena then focused on the relationship between younger generations and banking services:

“Our group is multichannel and capable of meeting diverse needs through integrated solutions. We’ve observed that younger customers rarely visit physical branches—they have different expectations and look for seamless, personalised digital experiences. That’s why we’ve chosen to invest in app development to better reach these younger targets. Looking ahead, we’re also working on open banking to expand our investment offerings for more experienced, mature clients.”

Professor Carlo Alberto Carnevale Maffè emphasised that the essence of banking lies in the relationship between banks and people.


In this view, the true object of value is no longer money, but data, which today reflects the quality of the customer relationship. According to him, it is crucial to shift focus toward information exchange, enhancing the quality of interaction and dialogue.
 Thanks to Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, future banks will move beyond simply providing financial products—they will instead focus on personalised service and nurturing meaningful client relationships.