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Why Ingenuity Matters

November 17, 2011
Francesco Vanni d'Archirafi, CEO of Citi Holdings and Chairman of the Board of Governors of Junior Achievement Worldwide

Today, Citi and the Financial Times (FT) announced the launch of the FT/Citi Ingenuity Awards: Urban Ideas in Action, a global program to recognize individuals who have developed groundbreaking solutions to urban challenges that benefit cities, citizens and urban communities in the fields of education, energy, healthcare and infrastructure.

Why ingenuity?

We believe ingenuity is the "how" of innovation. It accelerates the innovation process, makes it more efficient in terms of outcomes realized for effort and materials expended, and provides a "wow" factor in terms of the originality with which a problem, opportunity or challenge is addressed. Ultimately, ingenuity must lead to societal impact.

And while organizations and societies provide the context for ingenuity, they are not its source. People are. Ingenious people, enabled by the right kind of environment, can come up with original and efficient ways of harnessing creativity and applying it to a purpose to generate value.

With more than half the world's population living in cities today - a number expected to rise in the decades ahead - the program explores ingenuity in urban centers around the world as they strive to find solutions that modernize infrastructure, improve efficiency, enhance quality of life and foster sustainable growth and development.

At Citi, we apply our global expertise to urban challenges in more than 100 countries every day which gives us a unique perspective on the complexities of the urban environment. We work with clients and partners across the public and private sectors to enhance public services, facilitate commerce, expand financial inclusion and harness advancements in digital, mobile and card technologies.

As we approach our 200th anniversary, this global program is designed to recognize individuals who share our passion for progress--those whose services, products and solutions are fuelling growth and prosperity, and advancing the communities in which we all live and work.

If you are interested in additional details, please visit: www.ft.com/ingenuity.

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