One hundred years of ES Banque: how is it shaping the bankers of tomorrow?

A hundred years after its creation, the École Supérieure de la Banque (ES Banque) celebrated its centenary at a special evening event. Between historical territorial anchoring, creation of the “ES Banque Alumni” network and breakthrough pedagogical innovations such as “My AI Coach”, the institution proves that you can be a hundred-year-old monument while shaping tomorrow’s finance.

A century of transmission, commitment and adaptation to economic movements. This exceptional journey was celebrated by leaders, university partners, former students and interns of ES Banque, gathered on Boulevard Grosso. The only professional school in the banking and insurance sector, created in 1926 by bankers for bankers, the institution has managed to cross the ages without ever losing its guiding principle: training professionals who are immediately operational in the field.

Before an audience from across the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region and Corsica, Jean-Charles Prioux, Chief Executive Officer of ES Banque, recalled the symbolic significance of this anniversary. “A hundred years is both a legacy, a responsibility and a tremendous source of projection. Our institution was built by women and men who believed before us that training was an essential lever for professionalization.”

Today, ES Banque trains more than 30,000 learners per year, relies on 19 campuses in France, 2,800 professional speakers and radiates to more than 25 countries in Africa. A success based on a hybrid model, the alliance of solid academic expertise (thanks to 150 university partnerships and major programs) and ultra-concrete professional expertise.

Pedagogical innovation facing AI challenges: “My AI Coach”

Far from resting on its past, ES Banque is staying ahead of technological transformations in the sector by integrating artificial intelligence at the heart of its learning model. Faced with concerns raised by job automation, the Chief Executive Officer defended a resolutely human and pragmatic vision.

“AI is often accused of closing doors to junior staff or automating what gave the profession its value. We chose another approach. We have just launched “My AI Coach”, a tool where the learner trains against an interactive avatar. You discuss with it, you discover its needs, and the system analyzes your posture and technical accuracy. Unlike conventional AI that works for you, this one makes you work, it corrects you in real time, tells you where you lacked precision and forces you to progress.“

Fully compliant with European regulatory requirements, this immersive simulation allows advisors to accelerate their experience curve, particularly in high value-added professions such as wealth management or the professional market.

Local anchoring and “Alumni” network, the strength of a hundred-year-old network

Based in Nice since 1929, ES Banque maintains close proximity to economic players in the South region and Corsica. The Nice campus currently has around a hundred learners who rely on a network of 25 major partners (Crédit Agricole PCA, BNP Paribas, LCL, Caisse d’Épargne PCA, Banque Populaire Méditerranée, Société Générale SMC, Nice and Corte universities).

For Emmanuel Point, Mediterranean regional delegate, it is this constant physical presence that forges the school’s trump card. “What characterizes the school is trust. In a world that moves greatly and is sometimes unstable, this bond reassures. There will always be a need for physical facilities and strong institutions. Our very high success and employment rates guarantee the sustainability of this bond.”

This evening was also marked by the highlighting of the ES Banque Alumni platform, presented by Olivier Raby, Network Director. An alumni network that already has more than 3,000 members and which will deploy a tailor-made mentoring system from next fall to support the younger generation. “Alumni are first and foremost memory, impact, and the link between past, present and future. We will allow new graduates to be supported by a mentor, a former graduate who can guide them in their new managerial responsibilities.”