Carlos Torres Vila is, first and foremost, a great strategist. He’s capable of looking at any issue, delving into it until he unravels its complexity and understands all the details. He can then translate his insights into something that’s easy to understand. Once he’s made up his mind, he makes a decision and concentrates on executing on his idea. He fully relies on his teams: He makes sure that everyone who is seated at the table – regardless of seniority, responsibility or age – takes part in the conversation. He encourages everyone to share their opinions, and he values bright ideas.

Dutch therapist and writer Eline Snel is Europe’s leading voice in mindfulness applied to education. Snel method’s, also known as the “frog” method due to its focus on attention and breathing taking cues from amphibian behavior, is applied in primary and secondary schools in countries such as France, Germany, Singapore and also Spain. According to Snel, although mindfulness, “is not a magic wand”, teaching it at schools is beneficial for children and teachers, one of the most demanded professionals in the world, she explains.

He is better known as the founder of the world’s most important collaborative projects: Wikipedia. His contribution to the promotion and dissemination of human knowledge has been recognized on many occasions including a Princesa de Asturias Award for international cooperation in 2015. Jimmy Wales is passionate about education, especially about the possibilities that informal learning currently opens up for people’s education. Named the sixth most influential person in the world, Wales believes that, thanks to technology, learning is no longer restricted to schools and colleges, and that we all the need to keep learning throughout our lives.

A journalist and professor at Palo Alto High School (California, USA) for over 30 years, Esther Wojcicki is considered as a pioneer in the study of media literacy applied to education. Along with creativity, critical thinking and collaboration, Wojcicki holds that communication is one of the key skills that must be taught at schools to achieve a more relevant learning in the 21st century.

A distinguished professor at the University of Massachusetts and holder of a PhD in Philosophy, Robert Swartz is considered one of the most influential voices in education. Head of the Center for Teaching Thinking (CTT), Swartz is the creator of the Thought-Based Learning method (TBL), that teaches students to make decisions through critical thought and to think creatively and autonomously. For Swartz, thinking and reasoning properly is a social function, which is why it is so important that, at schools, students develop, share ideas, and learn by working together.

The BBVA Group today named Javier Rodriguez Soler as CEO for BBVA Compass and country manager for the Group’s U.S. operations, following the appointment of Onur Genç as BBVA Group CEO. The appointment will provide continuity to the execution of the bank’s current strategy and continue the strong momentum the bank has built in the U.S.