Francisco González purchased one million shares of the bank after his departure as the Group’s executive chairman.

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.

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.”

BBVA’s Group Executive Chairman met with the Board of Trustees of the BBVA Microfinance Foundation (BBVAMF) following the appointment of Anna Escobedo Cabral, expert in development and a leading voice in the defense of the most disadvantaged regions, as the Board’s new Chair. Francisco González praised Claudio González Vega’s work, who will step down as chair of the institution but will continue to contribute his broad experience in microfinance as member of the Board.

BBVA’s Group Executive Chairman took part in a seminar organized by Spanish newspaper ABC on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the Spanish Constitution. In this four decades “Spain has become a consolidated democracy and from an economic standpoint, it has made great strides,” said Francisco González. “What has taken place in Spain over the last 40 years has been amazing”

BBVA Group Executive Chairman received the ‘Lion Award’ for the best corporate management, presented by online newspaper El Español. The award recognizes Francisco González’s impressive career and his role as “a great innovator in banking.”

This week, Spanish newspaper El Español will honor Francisco González’s professional career with a Los Leones award. On the occasion of the award, the current BBVA Group Executive Chairman sat down for an interview with the online newspaper to discuss the present and future challenges facing the banking industry at large, and his bank in particular, including his retirement from office, scheduled to take place on December 31, 2018. At BBVA “we’re creating a new bank,” he says. Now the institution customers are more satisfied, more likely to recommend the bank and more loyal.

BBVA Group Executive Chairman Francisco González said to participants in the BBVA Open Summit in Madrid that “data will define the future of the world.” Addressing an audience of hundreds of entrepreneurs, BBVA chairman added that for BBVA, data belongs to the customer.

BBVA executive chairman Francisco González attended this year’s meeting of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank in Bali (Indonesia). He commented that resulting from today’s digital revolution, “ultimately there will be more wealth and prosperity for the whole world, and I hope less inequality; less difference between the have and have-nots.” Francisco González’s remarks come from what will be one of his last international meetings ahead of handing over the baton to Carlos Torres Vila, after December 31.

BBVA’s executive chairman, Francisco González, believes that the success of a company’s transformation is directly related to employee talent. “To have excellent people is a must” he said at the South Summit, an event held in Madrid this Wednesday. “If you don’t have the best people, it’s impossible to advance.”

After announcing that he will be stepping down as BBVA Group Executive Chairman, which is set to take place at the end of December, Francisco González granted an interview to Spanish newspaper El Mundo. During the interview he went over his almost 18 year tenure at the helm of the bank, but mostly spoke about the future. Francisco González leaves a bank set for “huge success” in the new digital scenario, managed according to clear principles, by the best possible leader, Carlos Torres Vila.

On December 31, 2018, Francisco González will step down as BBVA Group Executive Chairman, after 18 years at the helm of the bank and almost four more as Chairman of Argentaria. Following the Board’s announcement regarding the approval of the chairman’s succession plan, we sit down with him for an hour to talk about the meaning of his decision.

The Board of Directors of BBVA approved the succession plan for the company’s chairman. The plan establishes that CEO Carlos Torres Vila is to replace Francisco González as group executive chairman when he leaves his post, which is expected to take place on Dec. 31st, 2018. The succession ensures the continuity of the transformation process which has placed BBVA at the forefront of the global financial industry.

Francisco González, the executive chairman of the BBVA Group, is a member of the International Advisory Panel of the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) and is a frequent visitor to the country. This weekend, he took part in the Singapore Summit, an event aimed at “connecting Asia with the rest of the world.” While there, Francisco González granted an interview to the Spanish daily ABC, in which he speaks about the “extraordinary moment” the bank is going through, having chosen to embark on a digital endeavor, the results of which have been striking. These results include an increase in digital sales, which accounted for 42 percent of total sales in July. “The first fruits of digitization have been really superb,” he says.

Francisco González weighs in on the challenges of the financial sector to compete with big tech firms in an article published on the ‘Singapore Summit’ website. BBVA Group Executive Chairman participated this weekend in the event – which analyzes Asia’s role as the driver of world growth – and in the annual meeting of the International Advisory Panel (IAP) of the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS).

BBVA’s executive chairman Francisco González took part in a presentation in Madrid of Dr. Peter Weill’s new book, ‘What’s Your Digital Business Model?’ Professor Weill is chair and senior research scientist for the Center for Information Systems Research (CISR) at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

BBVA’s Group Executive Chairman was in Barcelona to participate in the forum, ‘Education in the Digital Age’, organized by OpenMind and the Spanish daily newspaper La Vanguardia. During his participation, Francisco González stressed the importance of education and underscored the need for new policies and standards to foster the fulfillment of the significant opportunities of the digital age.

BBVA’s Board of Directors held this wednesday its monthly meeting in Barcelona. The previous day was taken up by a series of working meetings on the bank’s digital transformation. The Board also went over developments in its franchise in Catalonia and agreed to modify the composition of its committees.

BBVA Group Executive Chairman Francisco González thinks it is necessary to establish “a new global regulation,” one that could benefit society as a whole with all the opportunities the digital era has to offer.  “We are living an unprecedented revolution, that could bring a never-before-seen level of well-being if we manage to make progress in a new legal architecture,” he pointed out during a meeting at the Institute of International Finance (IIF) in Brussels.

BBVA’s Group Executive Chairman is convinced that, to tackle the enormous environmental, social and technological challenges that climate change poses, the social role of banks needs to completely change. “We need to reimagine the role of banking,” said Francisco González a few days ago, during the BBVA Sustainable Finance Forum event.

Mexican president Enrique Peña Nieto has honored Francisco González with the Mexican Order of the Aztec Eagle in recognition of his professional career. At the awards ceremony, BBVA Group Executive Chairman extended his gratitude and expressed confidence in the future of the country. “Mexico is destined to play a leading role in the community of nations. It has everything: resources, keen, hard-working people and its geographical location.”

BBVA Chairman Francisco González presented ‘The Age of Perplexity. Rethinking the World We Knew,’ the tenth book in the annual collection published by BBVA through its OpenMind project. In this publication, 23 internationally renowned and well-respected intellectuals address the big economic, political, and social questions raised by the technological revolution.

BBVA Group Executive Chairman Francisco González has been distinguished with the Mexican Order of the Aztec Eagle, in the grade of Plaque. The Aztec Eagle is the highest distinction awarded by the Mexican government at international level. The award stands as a testament to  Francisco González’s outstanding career, “which has allowed to benefit Mexican society through projects in healthcare and education, stimulating young entrepreneurs in Mexico.”

Representatives of the Government of Singapore, a beacon of innovation in Asia, and BBVA met at the institution’s headquarters in Madrid to share digital experiences and strengthen cooperation. The Government of Singapore inquired about BBVA’s digital strategy and set out its views on fintech and cybersecurity regulations.

BBVA Group Executive Chairman handed over the Francisco Giner de los Ríos Awards for Improvement in Educational Quality which acknowledge the effort on the part of teachers to spark their students’ curiosity and creativity while keeping in mind that the effort to learn and the pleasure of discovery always go hand-in-hand.

• Good results: In 2017, the BBVA Group posted a net attributable profit of €3.52 billion (+1.3%). Excluding the accounting adjustment of Telefónica and the capital gains from extraordinary corporate operations, net profit in 2017 was €4.29 billion, up 23.3% from a year earlier. The main drivers behind this result were a positive performance of recurring revenue, cost containment efforts in operating expenses and an effective risk management strategy
• Group Executive Chairman: Total remuneration of BBVA Executive Chairman for 2017 was €5.8 million, up 18% from 2016. The Chairman’s variable compensation rose 12% compared to the previous year. The deferred variable remuneration is subject to multi-annual indicators, based on which remuneration can be reduced or taken to zero, never increased. It also includes a Malus clause that could limit or prevent its collection, and clawback clauses intended to reduce or reclaim already paid amounts
• CEO: Carlos Torres Vila’s total remuneration was €4.9 million in 2017. HIs variable compensation is also subject to the same deferral period and conditions as that of the Chairman

BBVA’s digital customers are increasing in number, are more satisfied and interact more with the bank. In fact, the bank has reached its digital tipping point, at which more than 50 percent of its customers are using the bank’s digital channels in six countries (Spain, the United States, Turkey, Argentina, Chile and Venezuela). It’s a milestone that foreseeably will be reached this year by more of the countries where BBVA operates. Indeed in Davos last week, BBVA Group Executive Chairman Francisco González predicted the Group’s customer base as a whole will pass the 50 percent tipping point in 2018.

One in every three sales of BBVA products in December 2017 was done through digital channels. Two years ago, in December 2015, only one in every 10 sales was digital. Beyond income and profits, the Group’s digital transformation stands as one of the key takeaways of its year-end earnings report. “2017 was a good year for BBVA,” said Group Executive Chairman Francisco González.

These are the key takeaways of BBVA’s economic performance in 2017:

• Transformation: More than half of BBVA customers in Turkey, Spain, USA, Argentina, Chile and Venezuela are already digital. As a whole, the digital customer base grew 25 percent in the year (to 22.6 million), while mobile customers grew 44 percent (to 17.7 million)
• Record revenues: Income reached record highs in 2017. Recurring revenue grew 4.1 percent y-o-y, (+10.3percent excluding currency impact), and expenses dropped 2.3 percent in the year (+2.2 percent at constant exchange rates), boosting operating income to €12.77 billion
• Risks: The NPL ratio continued to improve, reaching 4.4 percent (vs. 4.9 percent in December 2016), its lowest level since June 2012. Coverage at year-end stood at 65 percent
• Capital: The fully-loaded CET1 ratio stood at 11.1 percent at the end of December, above BBVA’s target
• Dividend: A cash payment in the gross amount of €0.15 per share, to be paid in April as final dividend for 2017, is expected to be proposed for the consideration of the competent governing bodies

This year, the World Economic Forum at Davos is attracting plenty of attention. From the long-awaited speech by U.S. President Donald Trump to the criticisms of American protectionism and support for global cooperation expressed by German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron, no leader misses their moment in the spotlight to send messages to the world community.

BBVA’s Group Executive Chairman Francisco González told a meeting of world leaders today that: “We have to transform the bank into a digital company, a services company, as soon as we can.” He was speaking at a high-level panel discussion held during the World Economic Forum at Davos entitled “The Global Business Context.” For the BBVA Chairman, the challenge is to be as efficient as the internet giants, and to attract the best digital talent.

U.S. President Donald Trump has confirmed his attendance at this year’s annual World Economic Forum, which will kick off on January 23 at Davos, Switzerland. President Trump will share the spotlight with some 60 heads of state and government, and an ensemble of business leaders, scholars, artists and prominent figures from civil society. Together, they will seek to deliver on the meeting’s theme: “Creating a shared future in a fractured world.’ Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Trump will deliver the event’s opening and closing speeches, respectively.

Her Majesty Queen Letizia of Spain presided over the presentation of the 2017 Teacher Action Awards, held at BBVA City in Madrid. The prizes are aimed at raising awareness about the importance of the role of Spanish education centers in promoting social values. The event was organized by the Foundation for Aid Against Drug Addiction (FAD), the Spanish National Commission for Cooperation with UNESCO, and BBVA. The Queen was accompanied by BBVA Group Executive Chairman Francisco González; the president of the Foundation for Action Against Drug Addiction, Ignacio Bayón and the Secretary of State for Education, Marcial Marín.

BBVA’s Group Executive Chairman was given the Vocento Corporate Leadership Award for his career achievements. Vocento recognized Francisco González as  a “corporate leader with numerous accomplishments who saw the emergence of digitization in our lives as an opportunity, and decided to turn the bank into a digital company.”

“Conserving nature is not a luxury, it’s a necessity,” Group Executive Chairman Francisco González said at the ceremony for the BBVA Foundation’s annual awards to the best biodiversity conservation projects in Spain and Latin America.

BBVA’s Group Executive Chairman is convinced that technological advances will be accompanied by greater progress and well-being, but he is also calling for policies and structural reforms that are capable of mitigating the costs of the transition to the new digital society. Supporting research and education, promoting competition and transparency in the markets and developing new employment policies and social protection systems were among the recommendations Francisco González shared at an event organized by El Periódico de Catalunya and BBVA in Barcelona.

BBVA Group Executive Chairman Francisco González, and the Chairman of the CAF -Latin American Development Bank-, Luis Carranza, signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) that strengthens their ties in Latin America and formalizes the existing institutional relationship the two organizations have shared for many years.

In a conversation with journalist Gloria Lomana at the Forbes Summit, BBVA’s Group Executive Chairman offered his view of the transformation being provoked by the digital revolution. According to Francisco González, this fourth industrial revolution is going to change the world and offer opportunities to everyone.

BBVA Group Executive Chairman Francisco González presided over the first edition of the Spanish Computer Science Society (SCIE) – BBVA Foundation Research Awards. These accolades recognized the work of six young Ph.D. recipients who are conducting high-level research in Spain.

An artificial inteligence startup aiming to give everyone their own virtual personal money manager  has been named as the winner of the 2017 BBVA Open Talent Competition. Israeli high-growth outfit, Change, beat off strong competition from almost a thousand entries from dozens of country around the world to secure top spot in the world’s biggest fintech competition.