BBVA Compass has appointed banking industry veteran Heather Sanchez as its new Ontario City President, where she will lead the market’s commercial banking operations and manage the local advisory board.

Francisco González is a self-made man obsessed with two things: technology and ethics/values. His greatest passion is playing golf. He likes to speak frankly, with “frankly” being one of the words he uses most commonly because he “greatly appreciates the courage of those who speak their mind.” He’s proud of the independence that has defined his managerial style – “you can either keep your distance, or you can steer your company into a series of commitments that have nothing to do with the interests of the shareholders,  the customers, the employees or the company at large", he has said on occasion.

It is difficult to summarize everything that has happened at BBVA since 1996 when Francisco González took the reigns as chairman of Argentaria, which would be come BBVA almost four years later, after the merger with BBV. For more than 20 years the Group has stood out thanks to the chairman’s unique approach, an unwavering commitment to values and responsible banking, and the giant leap he initiated to transform the Group into a leading 21st century bank. Ultimately, his tenure as chairman has been marked by values, people, and innovation.

BBVA's international expansion began in the mid 1990s. Today, with operations in more than 30 countries, the bank’s geographic diversification represents one of the great accomplishments of Francisco González's twenty-year tenure as executive chairman, and is a key factor in the Group's repeated positive results.

BBVA has signed an agreement to transfer a credit portfolio, which is composed by mortgages credits (mainly non-performing and in default), with an aggregate balance amounting to approximately €1.49 billion to Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB). The transaction is part of BBVA’s strategy to reduce to the fullest its exposure to real estate risks in Spain.

Francisco González was greeted warmly by the auditorium at Ciudad BBVA in Madrid where he was bid farewell with applause and a standing ovation. The bank’s executive chairman was interviewed by his successor, Carlos Torres Vila, in a memorable conversation that the Group employees could follow from more than 30 countries. After 22 years at the helm of the bank that has become BBVA, Francisco González declared that "with much effort," the legacy he leaves behind is "a bank in solid financial shape, an extraordinary project, and an absolutely exceptional team."

Going public is an option that many businesses start considering after reaching a certain stage in their development, whether to access funding from capital markets and drive their growth strategy, or to offer the opportunity to its private shareholders to obtain liquidity, crystalize the value of their shares and diversify their asset portfolio. But, what factors determine the success of an IPO?

BBVA has received all the required administrative authorizations from the European Central Bank (ECB) for the resolutions approved by the Board of Directors of BBVA at its meeting held on Dec. 20, 2018, to come into full effect.

It’s the holiday season, which means many of us are hitting our favorite stores or shopping online with plastic in hand. With all this activity, it only makes sense that credit and debit card fraud tends to increase during this time of year.

BBVA and the European Investment Bank Group (EIB) have signed a synthetic securitization of €1 billion. The agreement is a very innovative financing operation, as it is the first synthetic securitization to be supported by blockchain technology in the European Union and the third synthetic corporate loan securitisation signed by the EIB Group and BBVA. Moreover, BBVA and EIB Group will provide €360 million to finance investments projects of SMEs and midcaps.