July 21, 2015

Efma and Accenture Open Application Period for Third Annual Global Retail Banking Innovation Awards

Program seeks latest innovations in distribution and marketing by retail banks globally

PARIS and NEW YORK and HONG KONG; July 21, 2015 – Efma, an association of 3,300 retail financial services companies in more than 130 countries, and Accenture (NYSE: ACN) have opened the application period for their third annual Global Retail Banking Innovation Awards program, which identifies and rewards the most-innovative projects and ideas in bank distribution and marketing. Applicants can enter at www.efma.com/InnovationsSubmit from now until Sept. 7.

The program solicits case studies of groundbreaking customer innovations by retail banks globally within eight categories: Customer Experience; Physical Distribution; Digital Distribution; Sustainable Business; Best New Product or Service; Digital Marketing; Big Data & Analytics; and Best Innovation in Payments, which is a new category this year.

Efma – Accenture Global Retail Banking Innovation Awards

“Since the Efma – Accenture joint initiative began in 2013, we have collected more than 1,000 case studies of innovations among financial institutions,” said Patrick Desmarès, Secretary General of Efma. “We hope financial institutions from all over the globe will be part of this exciting innovation journey, with the award ceremony in Amsterdam this October as the final destination.”

Submissions will be reviewed and judged by the Efma Innovation Awards Committee, which consists of Efma’s most-senior executives. The committee will identify a short list of nominees for each category, and Efma members will vote for the winners in each category.

Winners will be recognized at an award-ceremony in Amsterdam on Oct. 28, which will include presentations on the winning case studies in front of senior industry executives. Additional awards will be granted to recognize the “Most Disruptive Innovation” and the “Global Bank Innovator.”

“To avoid disintermediation and generate value in the digital world, banks need to proceed aggressively with innovations that will enable customer retention and new revenue streams,” said Piercarlo Gera, global managing director of Accenture Distribution and Marketing Services. “We see growing interest among customers for banks offering a range of both banking and non-banking services, such as car purchase assistance and merchant discount programs. It’s the kind of innovative banking model we expect to see more of in the future, with banks at the center of an ecosystem of partners to provide services of great diversity and value, making them a “one-stop-shop” for customers’ everyday life needs.”

More information about the ceremony and registration is available at www.efma.com/InnovationsAwards15. Information about last year’s program award winners is available at: 2014 Global Financial Service award winners

2014 Awards Ceremony in Barcelona, Spain

About Efma
As a global not-for-profit organization, Efma brings together more than 3,300 retail financial services companies from over 130 countries. With a membership base consisting of almost a third of all large retail banks worldwide, Efma has proven to be a valuable resource for the global industry, offering members exclusive access to a multitude of resources, databases, studies, articles, news feeds and publications. Efma also provides numerous networking opportunities through working groups, online communities and international meetings. For more information: www.efma.com or info@efma.com.

About Accenture
Accenture is a global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company, with more than 336,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries. Combining unparalleled experience, comprehensive capabilities across all industries and business functions, and extensive research on the world’s most successful companies, Accenture collaborates with clients to help them become high-performance businesses and governments. The company generated net revenues of US$30.0 billion for the fiscal year ended Aug. 31, 2014. Its home page is www.accenture.com.

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Contacts:

Francois Luu
Accenture
+ 33 660 538 428
francois.luu@accenture.com

Damon Leavell
Accenture
+1 917 452 4083
damon.leavell@accenture.com

Karine Coutinho
Efma
+ 33 1 47 42 69 82
karine@efma.com