Carlos Torres Vila
21 Dec 2020
Carlos Torres Vila
"We face 2021 with an unparalleled position of strength to invest in growth and to increase shareholder distributions”
In an interview posted on BBVA’s corporate website, Carlos Torres Vila takes stock of 2020 and offers his vision for next year. The Chairman assures that, despite its complexity, “it has been a year of relevant strategic achievements” and “we face 2021 with an unparalleled position of strength to invest in growth and to increase shareholder distributions.” In this sense, and after the recent sale of the franchise in the U.S. and the ECB decision on dividend payments, BBVA considers “a sizeable share buyback¹ as a very interesting option.”
Video
Carlos Torres Vila sat down for an interview during which he went over the key milestones achieved and lessons learned in 2020, and shared his insights into BBVA’s plans for the new year, in a context of health and economic uncertainty. “We face 2021 with an unparalleled position of strength to invest in growth and to increase shareholder distributions,” he said.
In an interview posted on BBVA’s corporate website, Carlos Torres Vila takes stock of 2020 and offers his vision for next year. The Chairman assures that, despite its complexity, “it has been a year of relevant strategic achievements” and “we face 2021 with an unparalleled position of strength to invest in growth and to increase shareholder distributions”.
14 Dec 2020
-
Carlos Torres Vila
Group Executive Chairman
-
Onur Genç
Chief Executive Officer
28 Oct 2020
Macroeconomics analysis
Carlos Torres Vila: “Public-private collaboration is fundamental to making investment decisions and generating prosperity”
BBVA’s chairman participated this Tuesday in the first edition of the Expansión International Economic Forum, organized by the financial newspaper Expansión and the international forum, the European House-Ambrosetti, in Alcalá de Henares, Madrid. “Public-private collaboration can leverage private initiatives to make investment decisions and generate prosperity,” said Carlos Torres Vila. In this regard, he feels that “the work of the public sector is to attract private investment with appropriate incentive schemes that manage to multiply European funds,” and in this process, “banks can play a key role” to channel the funds, analyze the projects being financed and strengthen their effect on the economy with their financing.
21 Oct 2020
Corporate communication
Carlos Torres Vila: “Mexico will play a fundamental role in BBVA’s results due to its leadership and business model”
BBVA chairman gave the opening presentation at the national meeting of regional bank directors in Mexico today. This year, the meeting took place virtually, where the chairman reaffirmed the group’s commitment to the country. “Mexico will continue to play a fundamental role in our bank’s results thanks to our leading position and the strength of our business model in the country,” he said.
19 Oct 2020
Sustainability
Carlos Torres Vila: “Banks can play a key role in channeling and multiplying European public funds”
This Friday, BBVA chairman Carlos Torres Vila participated in the Institute of International Finance’s (IIF) annual meeting, in which he underscored banks’ role in channeling investments from the Next Generation EU recovery plan. “Banks can play a key role in channeling and multiplying European public funds,” he noted. “What is really important to ensure the most effective use of European funds is to increase the multiplier effect through the private sector, including the banks.” He also indicated that emerging markets could be the most interesting for sustainable investments. “What we need are mechanisms in carbon markets to channel the funds to these countries so that the impact over time is mitigated while promoting the development of poor societies,” he said.
06 Oct 2020
Education
BBVA's ‘Aprendemos juntos’ (We learn together) breaks records: More than one billion views and a community of four million people
BBVA’s educational project ‘Aprendemos juntos’ (We learn together) was launched on January 22, 2018 in collaboration with Spanish daily El País. Since then, it has met with one success after another. Over two and half years, more than 200 experts have worked on the ‘Aprendemos Juntos’ initiative, it has accumulated over one billion views, and it has brought together a community of four million people. On May 23rd of this year, ‘Aprendemos Juntos’ went one step further and premiered on the Spanish TV show ‘A mi yo adolescente’ (To My Teenage Self), a nine-episode series on TVE’s channel 2 that looks at what young people think about issues such as friendship, fear and love.
Video
Carlos Torres Vila shared his personal views on education during an episode of BBVA’s educational program ‘Aprendemos juntos’ (We learn together), in collaboration with Spanish daily El País. BBVA’s Group executive chairman took questions from students, parents and teachers, in a talk entitled ‘Life lessons:values, success and leadership.’ In his opinion, education is the “driver of growth in society, the door to opportunities and a force, perhaps the most important there is, to correct the inequalities that exist in our society.”
28 Sep 2020
In an interview with ‘La Linterna’ de COPE, BBVA’s Group Executive Chairman said that the EU funds to face the health crisis represent “a great opportunity”. In his opinion, if invested “productively in long-term growth and combined in combination with structural reforms”, they can help tackle key problems of the Spanish economy, such as structural unemployment. “We also need to invest in education, focusing on the world of the future: the digital world, the world of data and addressing the transition to a more sustainable world, socially and environmentally.”
24 Sep 2020
BBVA celebrated its third annual Values Day under this year’s theme, ‘united by our values’. The event provided the bank’s more than 125,000 employees the opportunity to reflect on and cultivate the BBVA corporate values and behaviors. The activities and workshops organized for this year’s event — unavoidably marked by the COVID-19 pandemic — were moved into a virtual environment, which was available to employees during the days leading up to the event.
18 Sep 2020

Carlos Torres Vila
Group Executive Chairman
03 Sep 2020
Banking
Carlos Torres Vila: “Banks played a key role during this crisis, amplifying the impact of public funding”
BBVA Group Executive Chairman Carlos Torres Vila participated in the Plenary Session of the Spanish Chamber of Commerce, where he emphasized that the recovery in Spain may open up an opportunity to “quickly embrace” a more digital economy. For this, he considers that digitization should be a priority for businesses – especially SMEs – and any progress in this sense will greatly depend on public investments and the amplification effect derived from private initiatives. He also noted that “the role of banks has been pivotal, not only amplifying the impact of public money, but also aligning targets.”
31 Aug 2020
BBVA Executive Chairman Carlos Torres Vila has described the European recovery plan (Next Generation EU) as “a landmark opportunity for Spain.” He asserted that “if the aid is complemented by appropriate reforms, Spain could put an end to its elevated structural unemployment, which has hovered above 16 percent over the last four decades, while laying the foundations of an economy based on green and digital growth, a data-driven economy.”
15 Jun 2020
Carlos Torres Vila
Carlos Torres Vila: “Reactivating the economy for a digital, data-based, social and sustainable future is urgent”
BBVA’s Group executive chairman underscored the urgency of reactivating the economy to prevent damage that could be irreversible – something we should do standing “united and with consensus.” At an event organized by the Spanish Federation of Businesses (CEOE), Carlos Torres Vila indicated that “private investment is crucial to a digital, data-based, social and sustainable future.”
11 Jun 2020
BBVA’s entire branch network in Spain is now operational after the bank reopened the last of the branches that had closed because of the COVID-19 health crisis. The branches will follow strict safety measures, and BBVA is relying on its appointment system—a service that was already available to customers but which is more important than ever—to encourage compliance with health guidelines and provide a better customer experience by cutting waiting times. BBVA Chairman Carlos Torres Vila visited a branch in Madrid to see how employees are handling this phase of the pandemic.
08 Jun 2020

Carlos Torres Vila
Group Executive Chairman
03 Jun 2020
Digital processing
“Technology and data are the key ingredients, together with people, to drive the sustainability agenda”
BBVA Group executive chairman Carlos Torres Vila participated in this year’s virtual edition of South Summit, the leading fintech event, where he spoke about the challenges facing the banking sector and financial technology in a post-COVID-19 world. “If we are going to have a rapid recovery, the only way is with a model of sustainable and inclusive development,” he added. “Technology and data are the key ingredients, together with people –all of you entrepreneurs who produced ideas– to drive the sustainability agenda.”
29 May 2020
Carlos Torres Vila
Carlos Torres Vila: “Measures should be compatible with controlling infection rates while reactivating the economy”
In an interview with the Financial Times, BBVA Group executive chairman Carlos Torres Vila stressed that: “If we want to avoid a deeper economic impact that may be irreversible, measures should be compatible with controlling infection rates, [keeping] contagion at bay [while] reactivating the economy. The best way to reconstruct is not to destroy.”
30 Apr 2020
BBVA posted a recurring profit of €1.26 billion in 1Q20 (+6.4 percent yoy), driven by the highest operating income in ten years (+14.1 percent), and boosted by a good performance of revenues and a containment in operating expenses. Following front-loaded provisions of €1.43 billion related to the COVID-19 crisis, BBVA earned €292 million in the first three months of the year. Including the goodwill adjustment at the U.S. unit, the bank registered a €1.79 billion loss in the quarter.
Corporate information
Statement on BBVA 1Q20 earnings from Group Executive Chairman Carlos Torres Vila
Carlos Torres Vila, Group Executive Chairman:
27 Apr 2020
opinion

Carlos Torres Vila
Group Executive Chairman
06 Apr 2020

Carlos Torres Vila
Group Executive Chairman
30 Mar 2020
BBVA’s Group executive chairman said that the bank has to “step up and make a difference” to do everything in its power to “save lives, mitigate the economic impact, and help others overcome these difficult times.” Carlos Torres Vila also announced that as an act of responsibility with society, customers and clients, shareholders and employees in the current context, “Those of us running the bank on a global level and in the different countries have decided to give up all variable compensation in the year 2020.” In a video made for employees, he maintained that BBVA is facing the COVID-19 crisis from a position of strength.
09 Mar 2020
Carlos Torres Vila
Carlos Torres Vila: "There is an opportunity to increase BBVA shareholder returns" in the medium to long term
In an interview published by the Spanish newspaper ABC, BBVA’s Group executive chairman took stock of recent years and anticipated the bank’s focus looking ahead with new strategic priorities. Carlos Torres Vila underscored that the bank has reached “the [capital] levels where we want to be.” Now that this has been accomplished, in the medium to long term “there is an opportunity to increase BBVA shareholder returns through dividends or share buybacks,” he said.
05 Mar 2020
Carlos Torres Vila
Carlos Torres Vila: "We work day in and day out to create a more sustainable and inclusive society"
Madrid-based Ciudad BBVA today hosted the official conference of the Spanish Federation of Rare Diseases (FEDER), which included the participation of Queen Letizia; BBVA Group executive chairman Carlos Torres Vila; the Health Minister Salvador Illa; and the President of the Congress of Deputies Meritxell Batet.
21 Feb 2020

Carlos Torres Vila
Group Executive Chairman
Kai-Fu Lee, one of the world’s foremost experts in machine learning, has praised the focus BBVA has on Artificial Intelligence during a visit to the bank’s dedicated AI unit
19 Feb 2020
BBVA officially presented the six strategic priorities that will allow the Group to accelerate and strengthen its transformation in the coming years. Group Executive Chairman Carlos Torres Vila and CEO Onur Genç announced the new priorities at a Live@BBVA event, broadcast via streaming for the bank’s 126,000 employees around the world.
18 Feb 2020
Fintech
Carlos Torres Vila: “Through data and artificial intelligence we can improve our customers’ financial health”
BBVA’s Group Executive Chairman participated this Monday in the presentation of ‘Superpowers of Artificial Intelligence’, the latest book by Kai-Fu Lee, one of the world’s most authoritative voices in the field of Artificial Intelligence. Both were invited to feature as speakers in a discussion panel and share their insights into the technological revolution and how it is reshaping society. “Through data and artificial intelligence we can improve our customers’ financial health,” said Carlos Torres Vila.
03 Feb 2020
Carlos Torres Vila
Carlos Torres Vila: Customers’ financial health and sustainability are priorities for BBVA
Carlos Torres Vila presented BBVA’s 2019 results today, “a year with record-high income” for the bank. BBVA’s Group executive chairman went over the bank’s biggest accomplishments since the presentation of the strategy in 2015 and also announced new strategic priorities. Of these, he emphasized two. On the one hand, “we want BBVA to be a trusted partner to improve our customers financial health”. And on the other, “we want to help them in the transition to a sustainable future.”
31 Jan 2020
Video
Trading account
Carlos Torres Vila: “BBVA has achieved outstanding results in 2019, thanks to record-high recurring revenue”
Following the publication of 4Q19 earnings, BBVA Group executive chairman Carlos Torres Vila explained today that: “BBVA has achieved outstanding results in 2019, thanks to record-high recurring revenue.” This, in conjunction with exemplary cost management, has helped us “reach an ex items profit of €4.83 billion — our highest since 2009.”
BBVA Group earned €4.83 billion excluding one-time items in 2019 (+2.7 percent from the previous year), the highest figure since 2009. The results were driven by an increase in recurring revenue and the containment in operating expenses. Including the impact of the goodwill adjustment at its U.S. franchise in 4Q19 and the capital gains from the sale of BBVA Chile in 2018, the net attributable profit declined 35 percent yoy, to €3.51 billion. The bank is to propose for the consideration of the competent governing bodies a gross cash dividend of €0.16 per share to be paid in April 2020, maintaining the same amount as the previous year.
Corporate communication
Statement on BBVA 4Q19 earnings from Group Executive Chairman Carlos Torres Vila
Carlos Torres Vila, Group Executive Chairman:
24 Jan 2020
Sustainability
Carlos Torres Vila: "Advising our clients in their environmental transition is an integral part of BBVA's strategy"
BBVA’s Group executive chairman participated in a debate organized by CNBC at Davos to discuss what financial institutions can do to mobilize resources for a more sustainable development. Carlos Torres Vila pointed to the bank’s commitment – not only to mobilize resources, but to accompany its clients in this change. “Advising our clients in their environmental transition is an integral part of BBVA’s strategy,” he said.
23 Jan 2020
Video
Sustainability
Carlos Torres Vila, in Davos: "In 2018 and 2019, BBVA has mobilized €30 billion in sustainable finances"
This year, a top priority at the Davos Forum is fostering a more sustainable development, a goal that BBVA is completely committed to. Speaking from Davos, chairman Carlos Torres Vila announced that, between 2018 and 2019 “we have already mobilized €30 billion, a figure that represents a major achievement.” This is almost a third of the €100 billion in sustainable finances that BBVA pledged to mobilize between 2018 and 2025.
20 Dec 2019
Video
Sustainability
Carlos Torres Vila at the Climate Summit: "We will place an internal price on CO2 emissions”
The Madrid Climate Summit hosted the ‘New Finance Leadership’ round table with participation from BBVA’s Executive Chairman, along with Nadia Calviño, Spain’s Minister of Economy and Business; Margarita Delgado, Deputy Governor of the Bank of Spain; Inger Andersen, Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP); and José Antonio Alvarez, CEO of Banco Santander.
12 Dec 2019
Climate change is “probably the greatest business disruption humankind has ever faced,” BBVA Group executive chairman Carlos Torres Vila said at the Madrid Climate Change Conference. That’s why “sustainability is a core part of our strategy. The future of finance lies in financing the future,” he stressed.
02 Dec 2019
Sustainability
BBVA sponsors the Climate Summit's inaugural lunch, planned and prepared by the Roca brothers
The climate summit in Madrid kicks off with a reception for world leaders who, over the course of the next few days, will discuss the environmental challenges confronting the planet. BBVA sponsors the inaugural lunch with a sustainable menu designed by the brothers of El Celler de Can Roca. The chefs from Spain’s northeastern city of Girona have created a culinary overture to invite reflection on some of the most relevant topics to be addressed at the summit.
27 Nov 2019
BBVA will actively participate in the United Nations Conference on Climate Change (COP 25), which will be held in Madrid, starting on Monday, December 2. Some of the confirmed events include a round table discussion where BBVA Group executive chairman Carlos Torres Vila – together with representatives from other banks – will discuss new climate leadership. In addition, there will be a sustainable meal, sponsored by BBVA and prepared by the Roca brothers for heads of state and government officials.
31 Oct 2019
Carlos Torres Vila
Carlos Torres Vila: “The free flow of data would foster innovation and competition”
BBVA’s Group executive chairman participated in the Money 20/20 conference on financial technologies in Las Vegas, Nevada (U.S.), one of the most important global events that brings together leading actors from the fintech and financial services industries. There he reiterated the need for “global, cross sector regulation” that fosters data exchange among different companies. “Customers must be the real winners,” insisted Torres Vila, stressing the idea that the free flow of data would facilitate the development of new services that will benefit citizens, society and the planet.
21 Oct 2019
This week, Carlos Torres Vila attended the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank and the Institute of International Finance (IIF) in Washington. BBVA’s Group executive chairman participated in a panel discussion on banking in the digital age, where he stated that: “Technology is a very powerful lever for financial inclusion. It allows us to reach people we never could before.”
11 Oct 2019
BBVA Group executive chairman Carlos Torres Vila, CEO Onur Genç, and the Country Manager of BBVA Spain, Cristina de Parias met on Friday with the bank’s management team in Catalonia to discuss the challenges and opportunities this territory offers. More than 60 percent of Catalan companies are BBVA clients. The bank will continue putting the focus on connecting with its clients and customers.
08 Oct 2019
Responsible banking
"Addressing the most important challenges humanity has ever faced is in our hands"
Climate change, the biodiversity crisis and inequality pose “the greatest sustainability challenges in the coming years,” according to BBVA Group executive chairman Carlos Torres Vila. “Addressing the most important challenges humanity has ever faced is in our hands, and the future will depend on what we do now. For banks, the future of banking lies in financing the future.” Given all of these challenges “companies cannot simply stand by,” he emphasized at an event held by the SERES Foundation in Madrid on Tuesday.
02 Oct 2019
More than 126,000 BBVA employees spent the day re-familiarizing themselves with, assimilating, and living the corporate values, which represent a fulcrum to the bank’s cultural transformation. Over the course of the day, bank employees participated in workshops and activities that reinforced the central pillars underpinning the bank’s mission, “to bring the age of opportunity to everyone.” This year’s event also included participation from the network of sales teams, who developed special activities to enhance an understanding of how they can help customers on a day-to-day basis.
23 Sep 2019
Emerging markets
Carlos Torres Vila joins the International Advisory Panel of the Monetary Authority of Singapore
BBVA Chairman Carlos Torres Vila participated this weekend at the annual meeting of the International Advisory Panel (IAP) of the Monetary Authority of Singapore. He was was also invited to The Singapore Summit, an event that focuses on Asia’s role as a global driver of growth.
22 Jul 2019

Carlos Torres Vila
Group Executive Chairman
17 Jun 2019
BBVA’s Group executive chairman announced today that the bank’s goal is for all products to offer a sustainable option – both for large corporations and institutions, and SMEs and individual customers. The bank plans to reach this goal throughout 2020 for its main products sold in Spain.
12 Jun 2019
Banking
Carlos Torres Vila shares BBVA's commitment to Mexico with Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador
BBVA executive chairman Carlos Torres Vila met today with Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador at the National Palace in Mexico City. Torres Vila conveyed BBVA Group’s commitment with Mexico to the Mexican president and announced an investment of 63 billion pesos (about €2.9 billion at today’s exchange rate) for the 2019-2024 period. During that time, BBVA will continue to contribute to Mexico’s economic growth by providing loans to families and businesses.
Carlos Torres Vila
“If you look at who’s successful in the digital world, in any industry, it's the companies that are global”
BBVA Executive Chairman Carlos Torres Vila has reiterated the importance of the bank operating globally if it is to meet its purpose of bringing the age of opportunity to everyone.