After ten years with BBVA Group, the last three and a half as CEO, Carlos Torres Vila is expected to replace Francisco González as the bank’s executive chairman on January 1, 2019. We spoke with Carlos about his vision and future plans for the Group.

These decentralized applications use blockchain so that users can interact directly among themselves and close deals without the involvement of a central management service.

BBVA realized a few years ago that it wouldn’t be able to tackle its strategic transformation alone, and decided to establish a series of strategic partnerships with a number of industry leaders.

BBVA is a global brand. BBVA’s purpose is to “bring the age of opportunity to everyone.” And today, opportunities lie in the digital world.  And this is where we strive, trying to tell the best stories about our journey. That is why we’re reinventing ourselves and introducing the new bbva.com

The BBVA Compass Foundation has announced that it will donate $2,500 to the Santa Fe Texas Education Foundation, Inc. to aid in recovery efforts in the wake of the recent tragedy at Santa Fe High School.

Innovation in communications is becoming increasingly important and necessary. BBVA’s ‘own voice’ project through BBVA.com has been shortlisted by ‘Digiday Media Awards Europe’ as one of the best new websites displaying an impressive performance in terms of editorial approach, quality and growth. These awards seek to pay tribute to companies working to modernize and improving media in Europe.

BBVA today announced a reorganization of its Customer Solutions area led by its Global Head Derek White. The move aims to foster the development of innovative solutions for the Group’s clients and customers, the promotion of disruptive initiatives, while accelerating the bank’s transformation.

Francisco González, Group Executive Chairman

• Transformation: “We’ve reached a digital tipping point. In six countries more than 50 percent of customers are digital”
• Dividend: “Our earnings in 2017 allow us to maintain a very solid stream of dividends, with a clear, predictable and sustainable remuneration policy”

• Principles: “We’ve gone through a deep financial crisis and BBVA emerged from it with a very strong reputation”

Carlos Torres Vila, CEO

• Evaluation: “In 2017 we accelerated our transformation, making great strides in the digitization of our business with a huge impact in terms of sales and customer loyalty and satisfaction”

BBVA’s presence in Switzerland dates back 25 years – a quarter century during which the bank has accompanied its clients, advising them on the management of their wealth and the diversification of their investments. It’s the only bank in the BBVA Group devoted exclusively to private banking, offering a superb value proposition in international asset management.

Sir Elton John and David Furnish will host the Elton John AIDS Foundation (EJAF)’s 26th annual Academy Awards Viewing Party on Sunday, March 4, 2018, at West Hollywood Park in Los Angeles. BVLGARI is the gala event’s generous Presenting Sponsor.

At BBVA, new digital solutions for customers are constantly being developed. The bank´s affiliates in Mexico, Peru and Chile are launching new tools for personal finance, implementing the use of the digital signature for contracting loans, and adding new functions to their cell phone apps.

Christmas and New Year’s are coming and with them, new resolutions and new dreams.  BBVA wants to celebrate these holidays by recalling that opportunities are within everyone’s reach, in line with the company’s corporate purpose: “To bring the age of opportunity to everyone. “

Garanti Bank on November 22 has successfully refinanced its 367-day Dual Currency Term Loan Facility dated November 23, 2016 with a 100% rollover ratio. The new Facility is comprised of $405.0 million and €648.5 million 367-day tranches and a $180.0 million two-year tranche.

In April 2010, when smartphone penetration was still very low in Argentina, BBVA Francés launched an innovative communication channel to be closer to its customers. FrancésGo was the first mobile channel in the financial sector. It allowed customers to obtain information about BBVA Francés card promotions by text message (SMS that all types of devices could receive), segmented by area, type and brand. At the time, customers had to send the word “GO” to a four-digit number. And that’s how it all started.

ShareAction, one of the most important observers of responsible investing, has published a study on the 15 biggest European banks, analyzing how we manage the risks and opportunities related to climate change. This study follows the guide for investors on discussing climate change with their bank that was published a few months ago.

The oldest private domestic bank in Argentina and one of the leaders in Latin America, BBVA Francés on October 14 marked its 130th year in operation and its 21st year as part of the BBVA Group. In the course of its history, BBVA Francés has gone from being a 20th century “temple of money,” to a powerhouse of digital banking in the Argentina of the 21st century.

BBVA has appointed María Abascal as Global Director of Institutional Relations. Abascal brings to the post more than 15 years of experience in the analysis of economic, financial, regulatory and institutional affairs in the public and private sector. Prior to her new appointment, since June 2010 she had been BBVA Research’s Chief Economist for Regulation and Public Policies.

The Banker magazine has selected BBVA Bancomer and Garanti Bank as the best banks in Mexico and Turkey, respectively, as part of its 2017 Bank of the Year awards. The magazine, a member of the Financial Times group, noted the strength of both banks and underscored their commitment to digital transformation.

When Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press in 1440, he couldn’t publish everything he wanted. The supply of text was limited, censorship prevented him from publishing certain things, there were few authors around and demand for reading materials was low. In the 21st Century, the situation is very different. It’s worth exploring these differences, recalling the process that Marshall McLuhan called the Gutenberg Galaxy.

BBVA today announced an agreement with a subsidiary of Cerberus Capital Management, L.P. (Cerberus) to create a joint venture (JV) for its real estate business in Spain, reducing almost entirely its exposure to non core real estate assets. On the closing of the operation, BBVA will sell an 80% stake in the JV to Cerberus for about €4 billion. The transaction marks a milestone in BBVA Group’s strategy.

BBVA customers in Spain now have access to a new feature that completely simplifies mobile-to-mobile money transfers. The transfers are totally secure and do not require customers to use BBVA’s mobile banking app. Both Android and iOS users can send money through BBVA’s “chatbots” on instant messaging apps like Facebook Messenger and Telegram. And those using the iOS operating system (iPhone) will also be able to do so with the voice assistant, Siri. All this has been made possible thanks to an evolution of the Bizum system, which enables users to send money between cell phones with the apps of the major Spanish banks.

Samsung and BBVA today presented the iris scanning feature, which will allow BBVA customers with Samsung-compatible smartphones to log on to the bank’s Spanish mobile banking app just by looking at their displays[1].

BBVA Compass today announced that Manolo Sánchez is retiring as non-executive chairman of the board of directors of BBVA Compass and its holding company, BBVA Compass Bancshares, Inc. Terry Strange, longtime member of the board and the current chairman of the Audit and Compliance Committee, will step into the role of non-executive chairman effective Nov. 15.

Garanti Bank won the first prize in 2 different categories in Golden Spider (AltınÖrümcek) Web Awards, where the best Internet and web practices in Turkey are rewarded. Garanti Cep (Garanti Mobile) making things easier for the users with its renewed designand functionality, was selected the “Best Mobile Application” in the category of Banking and Finance whereas the website of Garanti Mortgage, “Garantimortgage.com” also received the “The Best Website Award” in the same category. Garanti Cep and “garantimortgage.com.tr”also won the people’s favorite award.

The social entrepreneurs selected for the inaugural U.S. class of the BBVA Momentum mentorship program dove into the details of business-building in their second session with top-flight educators at the University of Texas at Austin.

• Operating income: Recurring revenues continued their upward trend, growing 4.2% between January and September. This, together with cost containment efforts (expenses dropped 1.7% in the year to September), drove operating income to a record €9.52 billion
• Risks: The NPL ratio continued to improve, reaching 4.5% in September (vs. 4.8% in June), the lowest level in the past five years. Coverage increased to 72%
• Capital: The fully-loaded CET1 ratio rose to 11.2% in September, reflecting a capital generation of 30 basis points in the first nine months of the year
• Transformation: The digital customer base grew 24% y-o-y to 21.1 million in September. Of these, the number of customers banking with their smartphones surged 43% to 15.8 million

Sex, religion, and politics, along with harmony and trust, gave birth to money. At first, there was barter. Later came coins and bills, which have now given way to the network age, a world in which space and time have disappeared and transactions are conducted in bits. In order to understand the present and predict the future, Chris Skinner reflects on the history of money in his book, ‘The Next Step: Exponential Life’, which can be downloaded online free of charge as part of BBVA’s OpenMind project.

Last week, 12 Nobel laureates were named in a fresh round of Nobel Prize recognitions in scientific, cultural and academic achievements and innovation.

BBVA’s Board of Directors resolved today to approve the payment of an interim dividend for 2017, for a gross amount of €0.09 per share, to be paid on October 10.

When a storm of controversy erupted in Spain about the alleged mistreatment of interns in Michelin-starred restaurants, there were some surprised faces in the world of haute cuisine. It is true that in this sector, which has been so fashionable for a number of years, there are still those who are in favor of a training system of the “no pain, no gain” type; but these implacable instructors coexist side by side with maestros who, like the Roca brothers, have for a number of years been committed to a humanist revolution in the kitchens.

BBVA has sent a statement to the CNMV (National Securities Markets Commission) related to its subsidiary in Chile

Access the full statement [here]

BBVA has issued €1.5 billion at 5 years, at fixed interest. It is its first issue of senior non-preferred debt, a new category of liability with the capacity to absorb losses, that allows financial institutions in the European Union to comply with MREL requirements. The issue has been a success, with demand of around €5 billion, allowing it to close with the lowest price in Europe at this maturity, 70 basis points above the mid-swap rate, and a coupon of 0.75%.

• Income: Net interest income reached a seven-quarter high in Q2. In the year to June, this item, plus fees and commissions, grew 5.1% y-o-y. This, combined with cost-containment efforts, helped keep the efficiency ratio at levels below 50%
• Risks: The Group’s NPL ratio stood at 4.8% at the end of the quarter, compared to 4.9% in December; coverage stood at 71%
• Capital: BBVA remained in line with its fully-loaded CET1 target (11%). It added 20 basis points in the first two quarters and increased the ratio to 11.10%. This ratio includes the negative impact related to the March purchase of an additional 9.95% stake in Turkey’s Garanti
• Transformation: As of the end of June, BBVA’s digital customer base came to 19.9 million (+22% y-o-y). Of these, 14.5 million were mobile customers (+42% y-o-y). BBVA’s mobile banking app in Spain is the best in the world, according to Forrester Research

They say that islanders tend to be reserved, and take their time to open up.  Miguel, Nito, Joan, Emilio and Ángel could all be said to fit the stereotype, except when they talk about music. They are Maico, the group tasked with singing BBVA’s sound identity, ‘How we dream’.

Age makes a difference – a big one – when it comes to downloading apps. Centennials prefer Snapchat, Instagram and Vine. Millennials like Tinder and Soundcloud. Generation X looks for apps to watch movies and for travel. And baby boomers? They prefer apps to monitor their health.

Music, an indispensable connecting thread for telling stories. Excitement, a fundamental element when starting a new project. The responsibility for producing a job well done. These are the three pieces of a new puzzle that BBVA is putting together. Do you want to know more?

In Mexico City, BBVA held the first edition of EduFin Summit, a global event on financial education organized by the Center for Financial Education and Capabilities, which the bank established early this year. With this forum, BBVA is giving the global movement for financial education a significant boost, consolidating the bank’s role as a global leader.

BBVA’s Global Head of Customer Solutions, Derek White, explained this morning that “It’s not longer about products, but about helping customers with their financial lives.” White participated in MoneyConf’s panel “Competition makes you smarter: Customer Centric banking,” where he exchanged ideas with Zopa CEO Jaidev Janardana and moderator Andrea Rexer, finance editor at Süddeutsche Zeitung.

Companies are facing the challenge of correctly interpreting information to create valid patterns they can apply to their businesses.

Delving into the digital universe implies competing in the sprawling world of search engines and social media. Some of these tips may be highly useful for SME’s starting the adventure.

“The path is made by walking,” said the great poet Antonio Machado. In the case of BBVA, the path has more than 160 years of history, starting with the bank´s foundation and today, it has reached a turning point. The new BBVA is a global financial group leading the transformation of the banking industry worldwide, putting all the new opportunities within everyone´s reach.

“Plain language entails putting readers first: discovering what they want to know, what information they need and helping them meet their goals. The goal is for readers to be able to understand a document written in plain language the first time they read it. But plain language doesn’t only have to do with language: it also includes the design, layout and mucho more.”

International Plain Language Federation

Brands are hiring influencers to reach out the masses. Companies are paying dizzying sums of money for a picture. They say the investment is worth it. However, trusting communications to people outside an organization entails risks.

Free Wi-Fi, reservations by mobile phone or requesting a massage via WhatsApp. Travelers today are digital and hotels cannot ignore the needs of their guests – even though new concepts are appearing where disconnecting is in vogue, such as Digital Detox. Modern travelers can choose the option that best suits their needs.

Virtual Reality has been stealing the show until now, but Augmented Reality is on the brink of becoming a huge business. Success stories such as Pokemon Go and Snapchat have shown the technology’s potential, causing Facebook to spring into action.