About JA :: What's New

Tournament marks milestone in program’s global expansion.

 Citi and JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT CROWN “JA BANKS IN ACTION” NORTH AMERICAN CHAMPIONS

New York – July 3, 2008 – Christopher Borders, Edward Balaguer and Burns Healy, students from Anderson High School in Austin, Texas, devised a winning strategy and were crowned the champions of the second annual JA Banks in Action^™ North American Competition. The event was held in New York on June 30 and July 1 by the Citi Foundation and JA Worldwide^® (Junior Achievement) at the Marriott East Side Hotel. Team Anderson Bank bested sixteen other regional semi-finalists from Delaware, Arizona, Nevada, Kentucky, Texas and Canada for the North American title.

The second-place team also hailed from Anderson High School in Austin and was comprised of Jae Lee, Daniel Jones and Jessica Tsing. Rounding out the top three was a team from Mandarin High School in Jacksonville, Florida, comprised of Ryan Cannady, Wesley Durrance and Ne’Frisco Nash.

Geared to high school students, “JA Banks in Action” demystifies finance by explaining how a bank works. While exposing students to banking basics, operations, and history, students learn about various career paths they can take in the financial services industry. A computer simulation allows student competitors to role-play in high-level positions such as CEO and CFO, challenging them to successfully operate a bank in a dynamic environment where their decisions will make or break ‘their’ bank. The students face off in an exhilarating game of financial know-how and skill, where good money management instincts are the key to survival.

Francesco Vanni d'Archirafi, Global Head of Treasury and Trade Solutions at Citi and a member of Citi’s Institutional Clients Group Management Committee; and Jack Kosakowski, Executive Vice President and COO for JA Worldwide, presented prizes to the winners during an awards luncheon emceed by Tyler Mathisen of CNBC’s “On the Money.”

Francesco Vanni d'Archirafi, who also serves on the JA Worldwide Board of Governors and is the Chairman of JA Europe, said, “Citi is delighted to join JA Worldwide and share our knowledge, experience and passion about the banking industry with students around the world through “JA Banks in Action.” We hope young people will be inspired to pursue careers in the financial services industry and even more importantly, that they will gain an understanding of how financial institutions help people manage their money and achieve their life goals.”

“The JA Banks in Action competition demonstrates how financial literacy contributes to success in the global economy,” added Mr. Kosakowski. “The dedication of our corporate partners, such as Citi, makes it possible for us to deliver these vital lessons to youth-- now in more countries around the world than ever before.” 

JA Banks in Action was created by Citi Argentina and Junior Achievement Argentina in 1996; the program has been significantly enhanced and updated for 2007.