BNP Paribas and Bank of the West Celebrate International Women’s Day With UN Women’s ‘HeForShe’ Movement at the BNP Paribas Open

• Stadium 1 Back Walls Color Changed to Magenta on International Women’s Day in support of UN Women’s HeForShe solidarity movement for gender equality
• Donation of $100 to UN Women for Every Ace, demonstrating commitment to gender equality

NEW YORK and INDIAN WELLS, Calif., March 08, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- BNP Paribas, one of the leading sponsors of tennis globally, will mark this year’s International Women’s Day by changing the color of the back walls in Stadium 1 to Magenta at the BNP Paribas Open, with a dedicated message in support of UN Women’s HeForShe movement, which seeks to engage men and boys as advocates for gender equality.

South Wall North Wall BNP Paribas Open Bank of the West

Additionally, the Bank will be donating $100 for every “ace” served on that day to the UN Women US National Committee. Tournament attendees are also invited to Bank of the West’s photo activation booth, where it will make an additional $10 donation to UN Women’s work on women and girls’ empowerment for every photo taken by participants who opt in to promote the movement.

Gender equality is at the heart of BNP Paribas’ company engagement strategy. As a major supporter of UN Women’s HeForShe movement, BNP Paribas is committed to increasing gender diversity in traditionally male or female-dominated professions within the banking industry and raising awareness of gender equality globally. The company also serves as title partner for the HeForShe movement’s advocacy and programmatic work, and leverages the HeForShe initiative to reach women entrepreneurs working to develop renewable energies around the world.

“We are proud to be celebrating International Women’s Day by supporting UN Women and their HeForShe solidarity movement at this year’s BNP Paribas Open,” said Jean-Yves Fillion, Chief Executive Officer, BNP Paribas USA and Chairman of CIB Americas. “Gender equality is extremely important to us at BNP Paribas, and we are seeing our continued efforts taking hold - with women leaders accounting for significant percentage of this years’ senior-level promotions. I’m pleased that our pledge to diversity and inclusion, and specifically to our partners at UN Women, has come to life here at the stadium today.”

“As a female CEO – one of a few in global banking – I recognize International Women’s Day as a meaningful moment to acknowledge all that’s been accomplished with regard to advancing gender diversity,” said Nandita Bakhshi President and Chief Executive Officer of Bank of the West and Co-Chief Executive Officer of BNP Paribas USA Inc. “We’re proud to celebrate International Women’s Day alongside some of our women entrepreneur clients who are with us at the stadium today, and to support HeForShe.”

As title sponsor of the tournament since 2009, BNP Paribas’ commitment to the sport of tennis – above its partnerships at all levels of the game – is reflected by a wide range of social, educational and charitable activities across the tennis world, including the annual BNP Paribas Open. BNP Paribas has been engaged in major philanthropy initiatives for 30 years through its Foundation, focusing its activities on three main areas: the Arts, Social Inclusion, and the Environment – giving over 40 million Euros per year.

Contacts:
Matt Van Tuinen, MVT PR, Media Relations, BNP Paribas Open
+1 773 860 5828; [email protected]

Guy Taylor, Head of Media Relations, BNP Paribas, New York
+1 917 767 1593; [email protected]

Joe Rauch, Corporate Communications, Bank of the West
+1 415 432 3696; [email protected]

Visual Mock-ups:

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at

http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/262c88f2-6ce1-4487-88a8-c684536061d2

http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/3770a8f0-04c6-496a-a77c-e1482ab08ad3

Why MAGENTA?
The United Nations worked with the Pantone Color Institute to find a color that expresses the passion and excitement of HeForShe. Bright and bold, magenta is created by uniting both ends of the color spectrum, making it the ideal color to represent the solidarity movement for gender equality. As men begin to identify and join with issues more closely associated with women, stereotypical color usage is beginning to melt away. While over the last 100 years pink shades have traditionally been seen as a sensitive expression of femininity, in the 21st century pink has a contrasting function with strong, hard shades of pink replacing red with a different call to arms.

About HeForShe
Created by UN Women, the United Nations entity for gender equality and the empowerment of women, the HeForShe solidarity movement for gender equality provides a systematic approach and targeted platform where a global audience can engage and become change agents for the achievement of gender equality in our lifetime. HeForShe invites people around the world to stand together as equal partners to craft a shared vision of a gender equal world and implement specific, locally relevant solutions for the good of all of humanity. www.heforshe.org

About the BNP Paribas Open
The BNP Paribas Open is the largest ATP World Tour and WTA combined two-week event in the world, and is held annually at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden. The tournament offers more than $14 million in prize money, and is the only event to provide the Hawkeye line challenge system on all match courts, including qualifying rounds. For more information, visit www.bnpparibasopen.com.

About BNP Paribas
BNP Paribas is a leading bank in Europe with an international reach. It has a presence in 72 countries, with more than 202,000 employees, of which more than 154,000 in Europe. The Group has key positions in its three main activities: Domestic Markets and International Financial Services (whose retail-banking networks and financial services are covered by Retail Banking & Services) and Corporate & Institutional Banking, which serves two client franchises: corporate clients and institutional investors. The Group helps all its clients (individuals, community associations, entrepreneurs, SMEs, corporates and institutional clients) to realise their projects through solutions spanning financing, investment, savings and protection insurance.

In Europe, the Group has four domestic markets (Belgium, France, Italy and Luxembourg) and BNP Paribas Personal Finance is the European leader in consumer lending.

BNP Paribas is rolling out its integrated retail-banking model in Mediterranean countries, in Turkey, in Eastern Europe and a large network in the western part of the United States. In its Corporate & Institutional Banking and International Financial Services activities, BNP Paribas also enjoys top positions in Europe, a strong presence in the Americas as well as a solid and fast-growing business in Asia-Pacific. www.group.bnpparibas

About the BNP Paribas Group in the USA
BNP Paribas has built a strong and diversified presence in the United States to support its client base. The bank employs close to 14,000 people and has had a presence in the USA since the late 1800s. Bank of the West serves over 2 million individuals and small businesses through a network of around 600 branches and business centers. Large corporate and institutional clients are serviced by BNP Paribas’ Corporate & Institutional Banking franchise that has a presence in the main US cities, in addition to a global reach through a network of offices in EMEA and APAC. The bank also offers asset management services through BNP Paribas Asset Management as well as Real Estate and Fleet Services through partnerships. www.usa.bnpparibas

About Bank of the West
The fundamental belief that a bank should have a positive impact on society drives Bank of the West. At a time when people demand more from companies, we are taking action to ensure our activities help protect the planet, improve people’s lives, and strengthen communities. That’s why we are investing where we can have a real impact: supporting energy transition, helping enable female entrepreneurs and financing innovative start-ups. As the bank for a changing world, Bank of the West is committed to sustainable finance along with our parent company BNP Paribas, which is one of the only financial organizations in the world to adopt the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Through Digital Channels and offices across the U.S., Bank of the West provides financial tools and resources to more than 2 million individuals, families and businesses. www.bankofthewest.com

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