Grupo Catalana Occidente S A : GCO (Grupo Catalana Occidente) renames its foundation to Fundación Occident

"The entity, formerly known as Fundación Jesús Serra, will continue with its main lines of action and maintain alive the memory of the insurance group's founder, Jesús Serra Santamans, by carrying out strategic projects named after him."

GCO's foundation will be taking on a new name as of 1 January: Fundación Occident. The change in name is part of the process for corporate simplicity in which the insurance group is involved, and it will be completed with the merger of Seguros Catalana Occidente, Plus Ultra Seguros, Seguros Bilbao and NorteHispana Seguros into a single entity, which will operate under the brand Occident. In addition to this change of name, the Foundation will include and be identified with the new emblem.

The institution was established in 1998 with the purpose of channelling the patronage activities carried out by Jesús Serra Santamans, founder of Grupo Catalana Occidente and Seguros Catalana Occidente, on a corporate basis. It was initially called Fundación Catalana Occidente, but in 2006, as a way of recognition, the entity's name was changed to Fundación Jesús Serra. Now, under the name Fundación Occident, it will maintain the same spirit as it has so far and will continue promoting its five lines of action: research, teaching, cultural actions, sports activities and solidarity initiatives.

"If one thing singled out Jesús Serra, it was his great humanitarian vocation, focused on preserving the principle of equal opportunities. This spirit has led us to launch many projects through the foundation, year after year, aimed at integration, promotion of human rights, scientific development and culture. In short, progress aimed at generating a positive impact on society", said Federico Halpern, Chairman of Fundación Jesús Serra, soon Fundación Occident.

The memory of GCO's founder will continue to live through the strategic projects, which will bear his name, carried out by the foundation in each of the lines of action, "following the humanist spirit that he promoted", explained Halpern.

Twenty-five years channelling GCO's commitment to society

Over its 25-year-long track record, Fundación Occident has supported numerous research and educational projects, cultural activities, sporting activities and solidarity initiatives, both organised solely by the Foundation and in collaboration with other institutions, with the aim of fostering GCO's work and commitment towards society. All the lines in which the company works include a vision for equal opportunities aimed at supporting young people and families, by means of organising competitions, establishing inclusive training frameworks and launching artistic training activities in a universal manner.

Among the different projects carried out, the ones that stand out are those that focus on promoting the talents of children with limited financial resources through musical initiatives such as "My turn to play!" or the scholarship programmes for gifted students with a positive attitude in renowned entities such as the Deusto Business School. In the field of promoting the poetic genre in all age groups, the foundation has positioned itself as a national and international benchmark thanks to actions such as the Fundación Jesús Serra Poetry Competition and the project "Poetízate", which aims to bring poetry to students as a tool for expressing oneself and communicating in the teenage years.

In the line of supporting research, the entity has carried out projects such as the Fundación Jesús Serra Research Awards and the Visiting Researchers programme, in collaboration with the CNIO, CNIC and IAC. Within the framework of fostering sport, Fundación Occident regularly organises ski championships and tennis and paddle tennis tournaments for young people, and it has become the leading entity in adapted winter sports for launching activities such as the inclusive Spanish Cup circuit of alpine skiing, in coordination with CDIA, and the detection and technification campus for future alpine and cross-country skiers and snowboarders. Lastly, within the scope of social action, GCO's foundation partners with organisations such as UNHCR, Save the Children, Ser Madre Ser Mujer, Manos Unidas and Fundación Balia.