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.

One of the world’s most respected publications, The Economist, has written up an article on BBVA entitled “BBVA, A Spanish Bank, Reinvents itself as a Digital Business’. The focus of the piece is on the steps BBVA is taking to transform itself into the bank of the future, and the reasons for doing this.

A group of BBVA representatives, led by the Executive Chairman Francisco González, will travel this week to participate in the most important economic event of the year: The annual meeting of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank (WB).  This week is surely marked red on Christine Lagarde (Managing Director of the IMF) and Jim Yong Kim’s (president of the World Bank) calendars.  Representatives of the world’s top financial institutions will meet in Washington from October 9 to 15 to discuss topics such as the future of work in the wake of the Fourth Industrial Revolution or the impact of ‘fintech’ on the financial sector.  Concurrently on the same dates and city, the Institute of International Finance (IIF) will be holding its annual meeting, focusing on the future of finance.

BBVA’s Group Executive Chairman stressed the importance of mathematics as “the backbone of well-being in a global, technological society” at the BBVA Foundation and Royal Spanish Mathematical Society (RSME in Spanish) awards ceremony for the best young researchers.

BBVA’s Group Executive Chairman said that developing the best banking application in the world (according to Forrester) has been a work that “has taken many years.” To get to this point, Francisco González underscored that “the most important thing was when we adopted ‘agile’ work methodologies that allow us to deliver upgrades every three months.” The application helps customers make better financial decisions and manage their financial lives better. Ultimately, he stated, we “want to be the best adviser of our customers.”

Investors and entrepreneurs will once again come together at the South Summit in Madrid, an encounter that has been a proven success in previous years. BBVA will have a distinguished participation in the event.

A host of CEOs and chairpersons from some of Spain’s leading companies gathered at the BBVA headquarters in Madrid to attend an event organized by the bank and global business research association The Conference Board. During his welcoming speech, BBVA Group Executive Chairman Francisco González said the transformation that is rippling across the banking industry will go far beyond “doing the same things in different ways,” and will require “doing new things that we couldn’t even have imagined with the previous technological infrastructure.”

Perseverance is the key to success. That was the message BBVA’s Group Executive Chairman shared with an audience of finance and banking students at the start of the academic year. “Amazon was about to collapse twice. It has been hard for us, but here we are leading the transformation of the industry,” said Francisco González. Principles are the other fundamental element: “Never give in to misconduct,” he told them.

BBVA Executive Chairman Francisco González has reinforced the Group’s commitment to the U.S. after the most recent natural disasters. “We’re going to redouble our commitment to those affected through a number of actions,” he explained. In Houston, where he met with the city’s mayor, Sylvester Turner, he gave a message of solidarity on behalf of the entire BBVA Group. Francisco González also announced that he is going to visit Mexico City in the coming days to see first-hand the damages caused by the Sept. 19 earthquake.

In his speech at the presentation of the 2017 BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Awards, BBVA Group Executive Chairman Francisco González argued that science should be at the heart of culture and decision-making, in order to curb fanaticism and exclusionary ideologies.

BBVA Group Executive Chairman Francisco González handed out the BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Awards, honoring the outstanding work of a number of scientists and their contribution to the advancement of knowledge in recent decades. Awardees are responsible for achievements such as the development of the most accurate genomic editing technique; studies that led to the prevention of millions of malaria deaths; discovering how human action can dramatically affect earth’s ecosystems and statistical tools that allow turning data into knowledge in the era of big data.

During an informal conversation with Financial Times journalist Laura Noonan, Francisco González noted that these days everybody is talking about digital change, but “we have been working on it for years.”  Transforming the bank “is not just a matter of platforms. The big challenge is changing an incumbent into a new digital company.” Francisco González made these remarks during his participation in the closing of MoneyConf 2017, one of the top events in the European fintech calendar, held this year in Madrid.

BBVA Global Executive Chairman Francisco González was very positive about the future of Mexico during his visit to the country for the annual meeting of BBVA Bancomer’s regional Board members. “The resilience of the Mexican economy to the recent challenges it has faced is admirable,” he affirmed. “In terms of the rest of Latin America, I’m also optimistic. Populist movements are losing steam and economic and political rationality is moving ahead.”

The challenges of financial inclusion: technological challenges and the role of women in the economy were the main topics addressed in the Forum on Financial Inclusion and Development organized by the BBVA Microfinance Foundation, Chaired by Her Majesty the Queen.

BBVA Global Executive Chairman Francisco González, together with Queen Maxima of the Netherlands and OECD Secretary General Ángel Gurría, presented the 2015 PISA Report on Financial Literacy. According to the conclusions of the study, Spain sits below the OECD average. BBVA’s Global Executive Chairman called for “everyone to join forces to make progress in an issue that is so significant to people’s well-being” like financial education.