Expands ‘Team BNP Paribas Young Talents’ Program to More Than 130 Players Across Six Countries

The Bank Celebrates 50 Years Championing Tennis and its Social Impact for Future Generations

New York, NY / Indian Wells, CA, March 11, 2023 – BNP Paribas, Europe’s leading financial institution and a global sponsor of tennis, and Académie Aliassime today announces the launch of ‘Team BNP Paribas Young Talents Aliassime’ (Team BNPP Aliassime). The program helps the most promising and deserving young Canadian talents reach the next level with financial assistance to access international tennis competitions and intensive training under the direct supervision of Sam Aliassime, father of Félix Auger-Aliassime (ATP World No. 9). Team BNPP Aliassime is introduced at the BNP Paribas Open as the Bank celebrates 50 years of commitment to tennis and its power to mobilize for the good of society and its youth.

Team BNPP Aliassime is the latest in the ‘Team BNP Paribas Young Talents’ roster which began in 2018 with Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in France. Since then, the Bank has partnered with Yannick Noah, John and Patrick McEnroe (Team BNPP Mac 1), Justine Henin and others to form teams across France, the United States, Italy, Poland and Belgium. The global program provides human and financial support to 130 talented young athletes, often from disadvantaged backgrounds, on their path to professional careers. Players are granted the opportunity to train under the direct supervision of tennis professionals and legends.

The launch of Team BNPP Aliassime takes place at the BNP Paribas Open, the largest combined ATP and WTA Tour two-week event in the world. This expansion of the BNP Paribas Young Talents Team roster in the Americas will be celebrated with an exhibition match including Team BNPP Aliassime and Team BNPP Mac 1 youth players and their mentors:

• Félix Auger-Aliassime, ATP Tour player (ATP World No. 9)
• Sam Aliassime, Founder and Director of Académie Aliassime
• John McEnroe, Founder and Director of JMTA
• Patrick McEnroe, Co-Director of JMTA and President of JMTP
• Jean Yves Fillion, CEO of BNP Paribas USA
• Sonja Volpe, CEO of BNP Paribas in Canada

Team BNPP Aliassime includes 12 boys and girls between the ages of 11 and 14 from home countries including Cameroon, Canada, France and Madagascar. The players are recruited from among the most talented students currently enrolled in Académie Aliassime in Quebec City, Canada, with annual try-outs. Participants are selected based on both tennis and athletic criteria (results and future potential) and more general and ethical criteria, including attitude, team-involvement and academic results. 

BNP Paribas also supports Félix Auger-Aliassime (ATP World No. 9) in his commitment to a cause that is close to his heart – building a better future for youth in the West-African nation of Togo, his father’s home country. #FAAPoints4Change will finance the EduChange initiative which is coordinated by CARE, the non-governmental organization, to improve the conditions of young people in the Kara region of Togo. The project focuses on the protection of children’s rights, access to education and sport. Félix Auger-Aliassime has pledged to donate $5 for each point he wins and BNP Paribas will match with $15 per point.

Sam Aliassime, Founder and Director of Académie Aliassime, said: “We chose to join the BNP Paribas Young Talent Team roster because of the bank’s focus on inclusivity and social responsibility. Together with BNP Paribas, Académie Aliassime can now give young tennis players the opportunity to compete on the world stage and have the right support in place to handle the rigor and demands of collegiate and professional tennis.”

Sonja Volpe, CEO of BNP Paribas in Canada, said: “BNP Paribas is proud to collaborate with Académie Aliassime to help promote accessibility, inclusivity, and empowerment to young tennis players. We recognize the importance of investing in individual skills development as we are ourselves deeply committed to supporting the future growth of talents. We are thrilled to partner with an organization that encourages inclusive leadership through sport.”

Jean-Yves Fillion, CEO of BNP Paribas USA, said: “BNP Paribas is now the world’s leading tennis partner with a long history of supporting the sport going back to 1973. In the Americas, we are proud to be working with Sam and Felix to help up-and-coming boys and girls reach their full potential and join the ranks of world-class tennis players. We remain committed to the sport and our social responsibility to change young lives by removing the racial, social and economic barriers to success through tennis initiatives like Team BNPP Aliassime.”

‘Team BNP Paribas Young Talents’ players are supported in their on- and off-court training as they progress to new and greater heights. They are also provided financial assistance to allow intensive, year-round training and access to international competitions. In addition, they benefit from personal assistance in preparing for the demands of collegiate and professional tennis including image management, educational success, literacy, life-skills and more.

BNP Paribas supports over 130 deserving young tennis players through its ‘Team BNP Paribas Young Talents‘ programs across Canada (with Sam Aliassime and Académie Aliassime), the United States (with John and Patrick McEnroe and the JMTA), France (with Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and the French Tennis Federation), Italy, Poland and Belgium.

Toronto, Canada, January 26, 2022 – The BNP Paribas Foundation, the philanthropic arm of BNP Paribas, Europe’s leading financial institution, is pleased to announce today the donation of $30 000 CAD/year to the DAREarts “All the Arts” program. This support is part of the BNP Paribas Foundation’s international program, Dream Up, which offers to disadvantaged children and teenagers around the world the opportunity to practice a wide range of artistic disciplines.

Following successful collaboration in 2020 between BNP Paribas in Canada and DAREarts, this partnership will support 145 children between the age of 9 and 13 living in underrepresented and marginalized communities of the Greater Toronto Area, the Vancouver region and the Halifax area. The DAREarts program offers children the opportunity to see themselves differently through exploring and creating with the arts.

Sonja Volpe, CEO of BNP Paribas in Canada, said, “BNP Paribas is committed to supporting communities around the world, and this initiative is the next step in our partnership with DAREarts. We are proud to help foster stronger communities throughout Canada by helping children develop leadership skills and self-confidence.”

Children and teenagers participating in the “All the Arts” program have experienced social isolation or bullying, struggled to make connections with their peers, required more support than their school can provide, or do not have access to out-of-school learning and enrichment opportunities. By using arts-based learning methods, Canadian children who benefit from the “All the Arts” program develop key leadership skills including self-confidence, self-expression, problem solving, communication and critical thinking skills through the practice of the arts. These tools are crucial in developing confident, open minded, stimulated, empathetic and healthy youth.

Jennifer Wilson, President and CEO of DAREarts, said, “This new support for our program from the BNP Paribas Foundation is a testament to the quality of our partnership and the bank’s commitment to giving as many children as possible the means to develop their skills and abilities. With this financial support from the foundation, we will be able to expand our ‘All the Arts’ program and help more children in more communities develop these valuable skills.”

BNP Paribas has a long track record of commitment to its global community. The support granted to the DAREarts organization is one of many in Canada as BNP Paribas aims to help the communities it serves. As an international leader in sustainable finance, BNP Paribas’ engagement in Canadian communities is an extension of its sustainability targets ensuring that the bank’s activity has a positive impact on the world.

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About DAREarts
DAREarts is a Canadian charity that empowers young people in underserved communities through arts-based education programs. That includes partnering with First Nations to work alongside their youth, artists and elders to together address life challenges including isolation, hopelessness, mental wellness and suicide. In its 25 years, DAREarts has reached over 200,000 young Canadians.

Learn more: https://www.darearts.com

About the BNP Paribas Foundation
Under the aegis of the Fondation de France, the BNP Paribas Foundation has been playing a key role in corporate philanthropy since its creation in 1984. The Foundation coordinates and contributes to BNP Paribas’s philanthropy strategy in all parts of the world where the Group has establishment.

The BNP Paribas Foundation’s actions aim at promoting innovative projects dedicated to culture, social inclusion and the environment. For each partner, the Foundation is committed to providing optimal support with a long-term vision. Dialogue, loyal support and a relationship based on trust are the hallmarks of its pledge as a patron.

Learn more: https://group.bnpparibas/en/group/bnp-paribas-foundation

About BNP Paribas in Canada
For over 60 years, BNP Paribas in Canada has been helping Canadian businesses and institutions grow by offering them a full range of specialized financial services and investment products. With over 1,250 employees in offices in Montreal and Toronto, BNP Paribas in Canada combines a clear understanding of the Canadian landscape with global expertise.

Learn more: https://www.bnpparibas.ca/en/

About BNP Paribas
BNP Paribas is the European Union’s leading bank and key player in international banking. It operates in 68 countries and has more than 193,000 employees, including nearly 148,000 in Europe. The Group has key positions in its three main fields of activity: Retail Banking for the Group’s retail-banking networks and several specialized businesses including BNP Paribas Personal Finance and Arval, Investment & Protection Services for savings, investment and protection solutions, and Corporate & Institutional Banking, focused on corporate and institutional clients. Based on its strong diversified and integrated model, the Group helps all its clients (individuals, community associations, entrepreneurs, SMEs, corporates and institutional clients) to realize their projects through solutions spanning financing, investment, savings and protection insurance. In Europe, BNP Paribas has four domestic markets: Belgium, France, Italy and Luxembourg. The Group is rolling out its integrated retail-banking model across several Mediterranean countries, Turkey, Eastern Europe as well as via a large network in the western part of the United States. As a key player in international banking, the Group has leading platforms and business lines in Europe, a strong presence in the Americas as well as a solid and fast-growing business in Asia-Pacific.

BNP Paribas has implemented a Corporate Social Responsibility approach in all its activities, enabling it to contribute to the construction of a sustainable future, while ensuring the Group’s performance and stability.

Learn more: https://group.bnpparibas/en/

Press Contacts

BNP Paribas
Claire Schiff
+1 (646) 634 4042
claire.schiff@us.bnpparibas.com

DAREarts
Jarvis Strong
+1 (416) 639 6109
jstrong@darearts.com

The BNP Paribas foundation supports a research program on the Perfmafrost Thaw. This program is led by the Takuvik laboratory, in cooperation with the French National Scientific Research Center and the Laval Universty in Quebec. Read the latest article published in “Le Figaro” entitled: “Permafrost thaw: a climate bomb” (in French only) .

To find more information on the APT project, click here

Ronald McDonald Houses provide a home away from home for the families of seriously ill children who are staying at a nearby hospital. In Toronto, the charity owns a house near the “Sick Kids” hospital. It opened in 1981 and now has 81 bedrooms. Each year, 759 families living far from the hospital find affordable accommodation at the Ronald McDonald House for the entire duration of their child’s hospitalization.

Last January 27, 15 employees from the Toronto office working at CIB and BNP Paribas Investment Partners gathered to cook dinner for the families housed at the Toronto RMHC location, as part of the “Home For Dinner” program.

To know more about the Home For Dinner program, click here

To relive this volunteering event in video, click on the below image:

12 employees of BNP Paribas in Canada attended this month the 14th edition of the Tremblant’s 24h ski and contributed to collect funds for several foundations.

On Thursday, December 4, around forty employees of BNP Paribas helped the main Canadian food bank, Moisson Montreal, in its collection, sorting and distribution activities. In the space of half a day, the employees prepared several pallets of food boxes, which have been distributed on the Montreal’s island by local community organizations.

Through its centre for collecting, sorting and distributing emergency food assistance, Moisson Montréal allocates nearly 1,000 tons of food per month to 230 accredited community organizations on the Island of Montreal. In turn, these organizations provide food assistance to 140,000 people, including 40,000 children.

These figures remind BNP Paribas of the great importance of corporate commitment within Canadian communities, and particularly along with Moisson Montreal, which operates every day with the help of many volunteers.

About Moisson Montreal:

A non-profit organization founded 30 years ago in 1984, Moisson Montréal is today the largest food bank in Canada. Moisson Montréal receives funding and supplies mainly through donations. Its operations require the collaboration of more than 7,500 volunteers each year and result in the redistribution of about $75 million worth of groceries annually.

[website title=”For more information about Moisson Montreal, please click here ” url=”www.moissonmontreal.org/” url_display=”” ]

30 employees of BNP Paribas volunteered for a charity event organized at the Jean Talon market (Montreal, Canada) by « La tablée des chefs », a social organization and a key driver for Chefs, cooks and pastry cooks social engagement in Quebec.

For half a day, 265 food portions were prepared and donated to the “Maisonnette des Parents” in favor of needy families living in the Rosemont – Petite Patrie disctrict of Montreal, enabling several families to eat a healthy dish, cooked locally with quality ingredients.

At a time when companies are even more solicited by social communities, BNP Paribas is proud to be engaged in charities and to contribute to the development of its local environment.

This event was organized as part of the Group CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) strategy. Earlier this year, the BNP Paribas employees devoted part of their time to the Quebec Society for handicapped children, the Friends of the Moutain organization and to the food bank Moisson Montréal.