Helmet Vision Wins Citi Foundation Client Focus Award
Lisbon, 24 July 2020
This year’s virtual JA Europe Company of the Year Competition wrapped up today with a prestigious Award Ceremony featuring UN Secretary General António Guterres and celebrating Europe’s best student entrepreneurs from 39 countries. The Citi Foundation Client Focus Award recognising student enterprises that put the client at the heart of their business, was amongst the 13 Awards.
Helmet Vision from Georgia picked up this year’s Citi Foundation Client Focus Award, with a mini-company producing innovative helmets for firefighters. The helmet is equipped with high-level technologies that helps the firefighter locate obstacles in their way and determine the distance with earphones.
Speaking on behalf of Citi, Leslie Rubio, Citi Country Office, Portugal said: “Helmet Vision’s understanding of the client and their needs showed strongly during their presentation. They are clearly driven by a desire to reduce the number of firefighter deaths in service, and have taken an innovative approach that does not compromise the firefighters’ ability to work. Congratulations Helmet Vision!”
Citi Foundation Client Focus Award is part of its Pathway to Progress initiative and a key component of its collaboration with Junior Achievement Europe. Their joint ambition is to help more young people pursue their ambitions and be better equipped to face the challenges of the future. This year, a short movie about the JA Company Programme and the Entrepreneurial Skills Pass was produced with the support of the Citi Foundation, aimed at raising awareness around the positive impact of entrepreneurship education. The movie, featuring testimonials from students, teachers and Citi volunteers, was streamed at a webinar as part of the journey to the virtual JA Europe Company of the Year Competition 2020.
“Junior Achievement and the Citi Foundation have a long history of collaboration with many flagship initiatives”, said Salvatore Nigro, CEO JA Europe. “The Client Focus Award reminds us and our young entrepreneurs about the essential: always keep in mind the end-customer of your product or service, and make it your priority”, he concluded.
Citi Foundation Award jury members:
- Julio Carlavilla, Public Affairs Officer Spain & Portugal, Citi
- Amal Gomersall, Vice President Community Development & Sustainability, EMEA Citi
Citi Foundation Award judging criteria:
- Demonstrate that the mini-company has approached its business with the intention to create value for its clients and to build their trust by serving their interests responsibly.
- Demonstrate the steps the mini-company has taken to understand the world of its clients.
- Demonstrate that the mini-company has been able to anticipate and serve clients’ changing needs.
- Demonstrate that the mini-company has improved clients’ experience through innovation.
About JA Europe
Junior Achievement (JA) Europe is the largest non-profit in Europe dedicated to preparing young people for employment and entrepreneurship. JA Europe is a member of JA Worldwide® which has delivered hands on, experiential learning in entrepreneurship, work readiness and financial literacy for 100 years. JA creates pathways for employability, job creation and financial success.
Last school year, the JA network in Europe reached more than 4 million young people across 40 countries with the support of 140,000 business volunteers and 130,000 teachers/educators.
About Citi Foundation
Citi, the leading global bank, has approximately 200 million customer accounts and does business in more than 160 countries and jurisdictions. Citi provides consumers, corporations, governments and institutions with a broad range of financial products and services, including consumer banking and credit, corporate and investment banking, securities brokerage, transaction services, and wealth management.
The Citi Foundation works to promote economic progress and improve the lives of people in low-income communities around the world. They invest in efforts that increase financial inclusion, catalyse job opportunities for youth, and reimagine approaches to building economically vibrant cities. The Citi Foundation’s “More than Philanthropy” approach leverages the enormous expertise of Citi and its people to fulfil their mission and drive thought leadership and innovation. For more information, please visit: www.citigroup.com; http://blog.citigroup.com; www.youtube.com/citi
JA Europe press contact:
Minna Melleri (minna@jaeurope.org)
