“We are in a climate emergency. It is currently the most pressing challenge humanity must face, and we have to be fast in taking action,” declared BBVA CEO Onur Genç, who recognized the important role sustainable finance plays in achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement. In a panel on the financial sector and sustainability at the Climate Change Conference in Madrid, BBVA’s CEO underscored the financial institution’s role in accompanying clients in this crucial environmental transition.

Garanti BBVA is partnering with BELBİM Elektronik Para ve Ödeme Hizmetleri A.Ş., to go the extra mile when it comes to innovation. Garanti BBVA’s  mobile app can now be used to refill Istanbul travel cards, allowing customers to move around the city without worrying about the balance on their card.

Year 2050: 300 (270–340) million people today live on land indicated as vulnerable to an annual flood event. According to a report by Nature Communications, at the current rate of global warming and Antarctic ice sheet instability, estimates of vulnerability to sea-level rise and coastal flooding triple for Asia, to a greater extent, but also European Mediterranean countries.

The race to make good on quantum computing is well underway. Millions of dollars have been allocated to developing machines that could cause current computers to become obsolete. But, what is the difference between quantum and classical computing? This is a puzzle that is beginning to be unraveled.

BBVA’s practices in support of human rights have been assessed and recognized as one of world’s best in ‘The BankTrack Human Rights Benchmark 2019’ a industry benchmark report published Banktrack. BBVA’s overall mark – 7.5 points, after improving 4 points with respect to the 2016 edition, the highest increase by any of the 50 banks analyzed – placed the bank fourth in list released by the NGO, behind ABN AMRO and Rabobank (Netherlands) and Australia’s ANZ.

Garanti BBVA shared its project financing expertise at the 8th annual PPP in Turkey Forum. The two-day conference, held in Ankara, addressed the complexities around public-private partnerships (PPP).

For years Garanti BBVA has spearheaded projects that give back to society. Now the bank is kicking-off a new initiative: helping its customers celebrate their birthdays by making a contribution to a local charity.

The global economy is in the mature phase of the cycle, with an outlook for growth below potential in most countries. However, the rise in stock exchanges in 2020 should be largely due to valuation and, to a lesser extent, profit. “For the first time in recent years we see more potential in the European stock exchanges than in the S&P 500,” said Joaquín García Huerga, head of Global Strategy at BBVA Asset Management, during the presentation of “Market Vision 2020.”

The rise in the global temperature has negative effects on the planet – effects that are difficult to revert in some cases. Increasing frequent heat waves, devasating fires – like the recent fires in California – and natural disasters like tropical cyclones, floods and droughts, have had an enormous impact on the environment and socioeconomic development.

BBVA’s Turkish unit earned top honors in the Enterprise Transformation and Security & Fraud categories at the Finance Technology Awards hosted by IDC Turkey as part of the IDC Finance Summit 2019.

Integral to its business-wide deployment of agile methodologies, BBVA has to ensure that it has the appropriate skills on hand in order to advance its key strategic projects. To this end, the staffing process- an essential aspect of the bank’s cultural and organizational transformation -orchestrates the assignment of skilled resources.

BBVA CEO Onur Genç stated that: “Today, more than ever, banks play an important role in addressing the sustainability challenge.” In his opinion, “Only banks can play a central role in  distributing the resources, which is a key part of the climate change challenge.” The executive made these remarks at the 15th IESE Banking Industry.

Garanti BBVA recently took part in Turkey’s 2019 Bonds, Loans & Sukuk Conference in Istanbul, where participants discussed the latest developments in bonds, syndicated loans and ‘sukuk’ markets. Sukuks are financial certificates, similar to bonds, that comply with Islamic law, or Sharia principles.

BBVA participated at a conference in Luxembourg organized by United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP FI). During the forum, which coincided with the start of the Climate Summit in Madrid, BBVA laid out its strategy to help its customers transition toward a low-carbon economy and integrate climate risks into their decision-making.

Economists’ warnings about global warming are nothing new; their voices join those of scientists, ecologists, and international organizations. There are many Nobel Prize winners among those raising the alarm.

BBVA’s Executive Board Member, José Manuel González-Páramo, discussed the current status and outlook for the global economy at the 24th S’Agaró Economic Symposium. His main message was that: “The deceleration of the global economy seems to be stabilizing”, with growth close to its potential. He therefore ruled out the “risk of recession”, which “is not the base scenario in the short-term.”

The Spanish capital gears up to host this year’s UN Climate Summit. Now in its 25th iteration, the annual conference will aim to approve programs to fight climate change and raise public awareness about the urgency of the challenge.

Climate summits date back to the 1990s, when concern over greenhouse gases led to a commitment to address the problem. We review key moments from these events.

To celebrate International Information Security Day, which will take place on November 30th, BBVA is dedicating the week to raising awareness of the risks in the digital world. In this interview, Ana Gómez Blanco, Head of Culture in Cybersecurity at BBVA, explains how initiatives like this are a fundamental component of corporate security and the key to helping employees and their families make their habits “cybersafe”.

BBVA hosted a meeting of the Excellence Club at the bank’s headquarters in Madrid. Over 60 corporate clients attended the event to discuss the challenges and opportunities posed by the transformation of working methods in organizations.

BBVA will actively participate in the United Nations Conference on Climate Change (COP 25), which will be held in Madrid, starting on Monday, December 2. Some of the confirmed events include a round table discussion where BBVA Group executive chairman Carlos Torres Vila – together with representatives from other banks – will discuss new climate leadership. In addition, there will be a sustainable meal, sponsored by BBVA and prepared by the Roca brothers for heads of state and government officials.

The new global partnership will enable BBVA to optimize data storage and processing capabilities that drive its commitment towards innovation in financial services.

BBVA hosted the fourth edition of Women in Cybersecurity Spain (WiCS). WiCS is an initiative dedicated to promoting the role of women in cybersecurity – a field where they represent just 24 percent of the global workforce, according to International Information System Security Certification Consortium (ICS). Four women who are senior managers at BBVA participated in the event, which also served to discuss diversity in general.

Oscar Vélez de Mendizábal (Victoria, 1972), is the head of BBVA Spain’s business transformation factory. He’s previously held different positions in the business, institution and corporate areas of the Southern Territorial Division.

The European Commission defines microenterprise as a business that employs fewer than ten people and whose annual turnover does not exceed €2 million. BBVA Momentum, the BBVA program that supports social entrepreneurship, works with companies such as these, which are distinguished by an enthusiasm to grow in order to increase their positive impact.

The bank was recognized for its success in eCommerce by the ECHO Awards, which are jointly organized by the leading local research consulting firm, Akademetre, and specialist trade journal, Marketing Türkiey

In an opinion piece published by the Spanish daily newspaper ‘ABC,’ BBVA CEO Onur Genç asserts that Spanish banks are recognized international leaders in the sector, not only because of their financial solidity and global reach, but also because they have spearheaded the transformation of the industry.

BBVA’s Turkish unit successfully refinanced a syndicated loan on Friday, with demand exceeding the initial transaction amount.  The new facility is comprised of $229.5 million and €518.8 million with a 367-day maturity.

Automatic learning is a prerequisite for intelligent systems. It enables data-driven predictions and creates new business opportunities. Banking in general, and BBVA in particular, is already taking advantage of this technology in order to improve products and services for its customers.

“Impact investing has made traction and is now fundamental to addressing the significant objectives related to sustainability. At a time like now, when all of us are experiencing the impact of the climate emergency, this type of asset is all the more relevant. It is undeniable: sustainability requires impact investing.” Lidia del Pozo, BBVA’s Director of Community Investment Programs, said these words at the European Venture Philanthropy Association (EVPA)’s 15th annual conference in The Hague.

Industry and institutions consider the Internet of things an opportunity for the present and the future that will digitize many operations and bring tremendous benefits. But it also has the ability to help combat climate change and protect the environment. This is how the Internet of Things could impact the sustainability of the planet in different areas, such as water use and energy efficiency.

BBVA today testified before the Central Investigating Court number 6 of the Spanish National High Court. The declaration, that will continue at a later date, is yet another example of BBVA’s commitment to full cooperation with the judicial authorities, to whom it has provided documents since the onset of the case, proactively sharing the information obtained from the forensic investigation, carried out by Garrigues, Uría Menéndez y PwC.

Global Finance magazine has recognized BBVA as the Best Foreign Exchange (FX) Provider in Latin America for the third year in a row. The 2019 World’s Best Foreign Exchange Providers awards were presented on November 19 in London. The publication also presented BBVA awards for the best FX services in its franchises in Peru, Argentina and Spain.

What were the hottest digital transformation trends in banking in 2019? Which ones should we keep an eye on in 2020? The banking sector’s interest in the latest developments in cyber security, computing or gamification grows day by day. For disciplines such as ‘pentesting’, quantum computing or development with the Unity engine, the future looks bright.

Bank of Spain today notified BBVA about the new MREL requirement that the bank will need to comply with starting January 1, 2021. According to BBVA estimates, the current structure of own funds and eligible liabilities in its balance sheet is in line with this MREL requirement, as well as the new subordination requirement.

BBVA’s Turkish unit has once again secured its position on both the BIST Sustainability Index and the BIST Corporate Governance Index, which are managed by Borsa Istanbul, Turkey’s stock market.

How does the BBVA Group select its strategic projects? The key lies in the Single Development Agenda, one of the fundamental pieces of BBVA’s agile transformation. The goal is to make the most of existing capacities in the organization and ensure that strategy and execution are correctly aligned.

BBVA is a customer-centric global financial services group founded in 1857. The Group operates in more than 30 countries and has a strong leadership position in the Spanish market, is the largest financial institution in Mexico, it has leading franchises in South America and the Sunbelt Region of the United States. It is also the leading shareholder in Turkey’s BBVA Garanti.

As part of BBVA’s commitment to improving its products and value proposition for customers, the bank continues reinforcing its love story with fintech startups. With its Open Marketplace platform, the group has challenged the startups to solve four technological challenges its business units have identified in process automation, energy efficiency, international transactions and corporate financing.

Garanti BBVA organized a foreign trade seminar in Istanbul as part of its commitment to making a difference for its clients. At the event, the bank shared its experiences in foreign trade financing, and provided customers updated information about foreign trade regulations, payment methods and the latest developments in the field.

BBVA’s cultural transformation should lie squarely in the promotion of a more diverse, more flexible, more equitable structure that supports a balance between personal and professional life. These are some of the thoughts bank employees were able to share with members of the executive management team, including CEO Onur Genç.

‘Work better. Enjoy Life.’ This is the slogan BBVA used to present employees in Spain the new measures for productivity and work-life balance with which the bank aims to foster change in the way work is done. The initiatives are set to promote a more flexible and balanced work environment, that guarantee equal opportunities and the professional development of all employees based on goals and not presenteeism.

World Usability Day is celebrated on the second Thursday of November. The goal of the day is to emphasize the importance of designing products that are simple to use and make life easier for everyone. BBVA Momentum, BBVA’s program to support social entrepreneurship, promotes companies that espouse inclusive design, ensuring no one is left out.

These days the term sustainability seems to cover everything, and financial institutions are adapting to this new way of understanding the economy. In a gradual but unstoppable fashion, companies are incorporating sustainability criteria in their management. As a result, private and institutional investors are starting to call for global sustainable investment indexes that are rational, solid and reliable to allow them to monitor the evolving profitability of their sustainable investments.

High level government representatives from the energy, industry, and finance fields participated alongside business leaders at the Eighth Turkish Wind Energy Congress (TWEC 2019). Experts at the event agreed, “We have created a success story in energy, with wind energy leading the sector.” The event was held in Ankara and organized by theTurkish Wind Energy Association (TWEA).

Stores, restaurants and hotel chains in Spain are offering tourists from other countries the possibility of paying with their smartphones. Payments with QR codes allow companies to streamline the process and boost sales. Platforms like WeChat Pay and Alipay are central to the shopping experience of tourists from China, one of the most profitable for the country.

Google claims that its quantum computer has been able to perform a calculation in a matter of seconds, a task that would take a traditional computer thousands of years. Even though quantum processors currently only handle simple problems, they are expected to have a significant impact on the future of the pharmaceutical, manufacturing, and banking industries.

Machines’ current ability to learn is present in many aspects of everyday life. Machine learning is behind the recommendations for movies we receive on digital platforms, virtual assistants’ ability to recognize speech, or self-driving cars’ ability to see the road. But its origin as a branch of artificial intelligence dates began several decades ago. Why is this technology so important now, and what makes it so revolutionary?

BBVA has returned today to the markets with an issuance of 1,000 million euros of senior debt with maturity in November 2026. Demand has exceeded 2.4 times the initial offer, which has allowed reducing the initial price indication by around 20 basis points, to mid swap plus 52 points. The coupon was 0.375%, a historical minimum reference for a seven-year preferred debt issue. No issue premium has been paid, which demonstrates the quality of the price reached.

Garanti BBVA Mortgage unit has joined the Energy Efficient Mortgages Initiative (EEMI) Pilot Scheme which is supported by the European Union’s Energy Efficient Mortgages Action Plan (EeMap) Initiative, thus becoming the first EEM member from Turkey. As such, Garanti BBVA Mortgage joins 48 other lending institutions who have committed to testing the final energy efficient mortgages framework by implementing it into their existing product lines and processes.

30 students from across Spain participated in an educational program at BBVA in collaboration with the Princess of Girona Foundation. The sessions took place in Madrid – at BBVA’s Open Space and at the bank’s corporate headquarters, BBVA City. The students, between the ages of 21 and 30, were selected for their hard work and exemplary nature, and many of them are the first in their familiar to go to college. Bank experts in different professional skills were in charge of teaching the training sessions.

The President of the BBVA Foundation, Carlos Torres Vila, presented the Spanish Computer Science Society (SCIE) – BBVA Foundation Research Awards in recognition of creativity, originality and excellence in cutting-edge research in the computer science field.

Aspiring chefs from all around the world are encouraged to apply and compete for a chance to work at three of the best restaurants in the world with the launch of the 50 Best BBVA Scholarship 2020, organised by The World’s 50 Best Restaurants with the support of Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria (BBVA). Entries are now open for the initiative, which is in its third year.

The image of the traditional billionaire, surrounded by luxury and oblivious to what is happening on the planet, is beginning to be a thing of the past. Some of the largest global fortunes have discovered impact investing and social entrepreneurship and are using these opportunities to take action and leave a positive mark on the world.

Urgency and opportunity are the two defining traits of the current situation that financial institutions are facing in this climate emergency scenario. For Antoni Ballabriga, Global Head of Responsible Business at BBVA, there are “two axes that define this age of responsibility.” At BBVA, “we are lending at interest rates that reward companies that meet measurable sustainable goals.” In his opinion, the financial sector “is taking ownership of its share of responsibility in this transition, although we still have a long way to go.”

BBVA has been named sustainable finance bank of the year by international magazine LatinFinance. The publication recognized the bank’s performance in the region, notably the experience, creativity, and drive demonstrated by its teams as they promote sustainable finance.

The bank’s chief executive officer, Onur Genç, wants Spain’s contribution to BBVA Group profit to continue to grow. “Our ambition for Spain is to have continued growth,” he stated in the 2019 Q3 results press conference.

BBVA’s 3Q19 earnings reveal how core revenues of the banking business –net interest income and net fees and commissions– keep growing steadily. BBVA CEO Onur Genç noted the impact that digital transformation is having on the business. “We’re leveraging digital transformation in everything we do to create a competitive advantage,” he pointed out.

BBVA earned €1.23 billion in the third quarter, +6.1 percent yoy, excluding capital gains from the sale of BBVA Chile and this franchise’s earnings in 2018. The net attributable profit for the first nine months of 2019 reached €3.67 billion, +1.2 percent yoy (+0.5 percent in constant euros), on a comparable basis. The result was driven mainly by growth in recurring revenues and containment in operating expenses.

BBVA’s Group executive chairman participated in the Money 20/20 conference on financial technologies in Las Vegas, Nevada (U.S.), one of the most  important global events that brings together leading actors from the fintech and financial services industries. There he reiterated the need for “global, cross sector regulation” that fosters data exchange among different companies. “Customers must be the real winners,” insisted Torres Vila, stressing the idea that the free flow of data would facilitate the development of new services that will benefit citizens, society and the planet.

Startups face the growing challenge of building successful business models quickly, while protecting customer data from the threats in the digital world. Here are some recommendations that were offered during the last Open Summit to help entrepreneurs defend themselves against cyberattacks.

Onur Genç, BBVA CEO:

Garanti BBVA today announced its third quarter earnings. The bank’s net income for the first nine months of the year was TL 4.998.460 bilion(approximately €786 million), with total assets at TL 411.161.696 billion (around €64.67 billion).

Financial institutions are preparing to present Q3 2019 earnings. This week, it will be the turn of most Spanish banks, among them BBVA.

Investor appetite for sustainable products has been growing exponentially in recent years.  BBVA’s Global Head of Responsible Business, Antoni Ballabriga, revealed that “This year $350 million in sustainable bonds and corporate loans will be issued around the world, 30 percent more than last year, according to data from the Institute of International Finance (IIF).” During the ‘Sustainable finance in the face of environmental challenges’ forum, organized by Spain’s National Association of Economists (Consejo General de Economistas), Ballabriga stressed that “there is still a lot to be done” and “one of the current challenges is to incorporate this trend into the SME and consumer markets.”

Noam Chomsky received the BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Award in Humanities and Social Sciences in a ceremony at his home in Tucson, Arizona. BBVA Foundation President Carlos Torres Vila made the special trip to present him the award, as the U.S. linguist was unable to attend the award ceremony in Bilbao last June. “This is a recognition to your unparalleled contributions to the understanding of human language, which have had a tremendous influence in so many fields,” said Torres Vila.

Representatives of three leading organizations – Google, Telefónica and BBVA – spoke during the Open Summit event about the different applications of artificial intelligence (AI) in the business world and how to extract tangible value from data for people and for society as a whole, at a scale and in a structured way.

Garanti BBVA won three bronze awards at the 2019 Smarties Turkey, the Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) program recognizing innovation, creativity and achievement in the mobile marketing world.

The exhibition ‘Sound Art?’, sponsored exclusively by the BBVA Foundation, addresses the issue of sound in art and raises the possibility of this aesthetic category. The art show explores the presence of sound elements in 20th Century visual arts. Curated by the expert Arnau Horta, the exhibit is open to visitors at the Joan Miró Foundation in Barcelona from October 26, 2019  through February 23, 2020.

“According to United Nations estimates, meeting the Sustainable Development Goals will require mobilizing $5 to 7 billion per year. This explains the enormous scale of the changes that we need to address,” explained BBVA Global Head of Responsible Business Antoni Ballabriga, during speaking at the Open Summit event in Madrid. Ballabriga underlined the key role that financial institutions are called to play in a context “where sustainability is the biggest business opportunity for banks in the next 10 years”.

“The future of banking lies in financing the future.” With this phrase Carlos Torres Vila summed up his breakfast presentation, part of the “Finance and its challenges” series organized by the Deusto Business School in Madrid. According to BBVA’s executive chairman, social and environmental sustainability and the battle over customer data are the principle medium and long-term challenges facing the financial sector. “These challenges bring opportunities. Technology promises a bright future, and we have to seize the opportunities that come with it,” he maintained.

BBVA CEO Onur Genç cited the bank’s collaboration with startups as a contributing factor to the bank’s hitting its growth and efficiency targets. He made his comments at Open Summit, where he presented the grand prize for this year’s international Open Talent competition to the winning startup, Cobee. The BBVA CEO also referred to the Group’s challenges, saying, “Our goal is to monetize the technological advances we’ve made from our investment in digital transformation.”

Today BBVA celebrates its fourth annual Open Summit, the event dedicated to innovation and, as explained by BBVA’s Global Head of Client Solutions David Puente, “demonstrates our commitment to the fintech ecosystem.” Sustainability will be a featured topic throughout the day, and the Open Talent final winner will be announced.

BBVA’s Turkish bank recently participated in the Mobile Market Association’s Impact Istanbul event. Executive Vice President Didem Dinçer Başer represented the bank at the conference, where she discussed the transformational role of mobile technology and mobile marketing in the finance sector.

A poll by the international coworking and entrepreneurship network Impact Hub, which was conducted among the 16,500 professionals who work in its spaces, revealed what social entrepreneurs value the most when it comes to working with a community and how it helps them to promote their businesses.

This week, Carlos Torres Vila attended the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank and the Institute of International Finance (IIF) in Washington. BBVA’s Group executive chairman participated in a panel discussion on banking in the digital age, where he stated that: “Technology is a very powerful lever for financial inclusion. It allows us to reach people we never could before.”

More than 650,000 companies can now register to become BBVA Spain customers, using a completely online process that takes less than ten minutes. The bank, an innovator in online enrollment for private customers, has become the first bank in Spain to create an online registration process that lets businesses instantly open and manage a business account.

Between January 2016 and December 2018, BBVA Group reduced its energy consumption by 7 percent per employee. This savings reaffirms the bank’s commitment to sustainability. By December 2018, the Group had hit its targets of having 35 percent of the energy it consumes coming from renewable sources and reducing its CO2 output by 27 percent compared to 2016. October 21 marks World Energy Savings Day and intends to raise awareness about energy efficiency and the need for responsible and sustainable guidelines governing the consumption of the planet’s resources.

Garanti BBVA recently launched an electronic platform known as Elektronik Teminat Mektubu Platformu, or ETMP, to provide customers letters of guarantee electronically. Provided by Kredi Kayıt Bürosu (KKB), Garanti BBVA customers who are KKB Findeks members get free access to the platform.

BBVA has been a pioneer in its commitment to talented young designers with the launch of its training and recruitment program. One of the architects of the program, Elena Herbosa, the Head of Talent Acquisition for Design at BBVA, explains the bank’s experience building one of the industry’s top design teams and how she sees the future of the profession in the banking sector.

Social entrepreneurship competitions are platforms that can give a leg up to entrepreneurs with a business idea and the hunger to grow. Of the competitions taking place in the upcoming months, there are some that are internationally renowned, standing out thanks to the prestige they have accrued over the years.

Garanti BBVA joined 129 other banks from around the world in signing the United Nations Environment Program Finance Initiative (UNEP FI) Principles for Responsible Banking at the UN General Assembly in New York. The participating banks represent over $47 trillion in total assets. By signing these principles, Garanti BBVA and five other Turkish banks – ING, the Investment and Development Bank, Şekerbank, TSKB and Yapı Kredi – formalized their commitment to leading the way for sustainability in the country.

PSD2 is a European regulation for electronic payment services. It seeks to make payments more secure in Europe, boost innovation and help banking services adapt to new technologies. PSD2 is evidence of the increasing importance Application Program Interfaces (APIs) are acquiring in different financial sectors.

When Simple appointed David Hijirida as CEO in November 2018, the Amazon alum was excited to get back to his banking roots, the industry where he’d first cut his teeth.

BBVA’s regional advisory board members gathered for their seventh annual meeting in the auditorium of BBVA’s headquarters in Madrid. Antonio Garmendi, Chairman of the Confederation of Employers and Industries in Spain (CEOE), and Carlos Salazar, Chairman of Mexico’s Business Coordinating Council (CEE) were invited to attend as guests. This year’s meeting included participation from advisory board members from across Spain and a delegation of advisory board members from BBVA Mexico. Carlos Torres Vila, BBVA’s Executive Chairman, inaugurated the session, which also included presentations from BBVA CEO Onur Genç and Cristina de Parias, Head of BBVA Spain.

BBVA completed its agenda of activities to commemorate “Financial Education Week”, held from October 7 to 11, taking part in the event `Financial Health in Spain : How to Improve It’, organized by Nantik Lum Foundation and JP Morgan. Speaking at the event, Lidia del Pozo, Director of Community Investment Programs BBVA, explained how BBVA’s strategy has evolved in the field of financial education, noting its profound relationship with financial health and emphasizing “the more than 13 million people have received financial education through BBVA since 2008.” and that “today, BBVA develops these programs across all population segments, primarily through digital channels.”

The company, which develops solutions that allow users to manage their data directly with advertisers and brands, has closed the first round of funding led by the bank, with participation from La Sexta Opción.

Once again, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences’ criteria reaffirms a previous decision by the BBVA Foundation. Banerjee and Duflo, founders of MIT’s Poverty Action Laboratory, were honored in the first edition of BBVA Foundation’s Frontiers of Knowledge awards in 2008. Considering that ten Frontiers of Knowledge awardees have been subsequently recognized by the Swedish Academy, it could be argued that, to a certain extent, BBVA Foundation’s awards are becoming a prelude to the Nobel awards.

BBVA CEO Onur Genç said on Monday that the bank is focused on organic growth, efficiency and transactionality, all leveraged by digitization. “We are focused on these three levers to ensure we provide the best value,” he said at the 10th Expansión-KPMG Financial Meeting in Madrid. He also recalled that “we have been pioneering the digital transformation.”

The roll-out of networks with speeds far superior to 4G will improve customer experience and allow for real time information processing, making communications more secure.

Banks and investors as starting to awaken to the benefits that can derive from the use of blockchain technologies in bond issues, including green bonds. BBVA and Spanish insurance company Mapfre partnered early this year to arrange the issue of a pioneering blockchain sustainable bond. The technology allows to cut costs, increase efficiency and ensure full transparency.

Garanti BBVA keeps its finger on the pulse of new technology, sponsoring the Second National Blockchain Workshop, organized by TÜBİTAK Bilgem, Turkey’s Informatics and Information Security Research Center.

They attend school, help their families, work, take care of their elders… Girls are an active part of society, but most are discriminated against due to their gender, and this inequality puts them at a disadvantage. October 11 has been marked as the International Day of the Girl to remind us all that, to build a better future, it is essential to support the development of girls and young women across the globe.

Bdeo, the winning startup for the fintech vertical at the South Summit competition, is proof positive that big companies and startups can successfully work together. Its remote claim verification solution is being used by BBVA Mexico’s insurance business, proving that efforts to find new value in the entrepreneurial ecosystem can translate into legitimate innovation for big businesses.

Energy savings at BBVA’s headquarters is 5,766,731 kWh a year, equivalent to the consumption of 1,900 households. This equals 12 to 15 percent less than when the complex was inaugurated in 2015 and a 1,430-metric ton per year reduction of CO2 emissions. The building’s sustainable design and equipment are not solely responsible for this success: tools powered by artificial intelligence have also been used to optimize the bank’s energy use.

Climate change, the biodiversity crisis and inequality pose “the greatest sustainability challenges in the coming years,” according to BBVA Group executive chairman Carlos Torres Vila. “Addressing the most important challenges humanity has ever faced is in our hands, and the future will depend on what we do now. For banks, the future of banking lies in financing the future.” Given all of these challenges “companies cannot simply stand by,” he emphasized at an event held by the SERES Foundation in Madrid on Tuesday.

According to a KPMG report, payments will retain its position as the most significant area for fintech investment in the coming years. Regtech, cybersecurity, wealthtech and proptech are other sectors on the rise. These are areas of innovation and development that the BBVA Open Talent team is also seeing, as part of the around 800 entries to this year’s BBVA Open Talent Competition, the world’s biggest fintech competition.

BBVA Chairman Carlos Torres Vila has told the biggest start-up conference in Spain that authorities around the world need to take action to unlock the true potential of data.

BBVA, in partnership with South Summit, has launched a request for proposals to solve two major challenges of the financial sector: improving digital onboarding processes and digital banking services for SMEs.

The reform of the reference rates in the euro area to adapt to new regulations, promoted by the European Central Bank (ECB) along with other authorities, is taking shape. On October 2, the ECB began publishing a new overnight rate: the €STR.

Social entrepreneurship is known for addressing society’s most pressing problems. The migratory crisis is one of them, forcing millions of people to go to countries where they face an uncertain future. Social enterprises are working hard to support them, offer them the opportunities they need and portray a different – unprejudiced – image of refugees.

A festive day to reflect on and assimilate BBVA’s values. Values Day, now in its second year, was celebrated by the entire BBVA Group. Employees from across the bank’s operating footprint connected with each other over shared values in various workshops, presentations, and group activities.

Garanti BBVA is the industry leader in Turkey with its innovative retail banking products and services. As such, it was recognized as the Best Retail Bank in Turkey for the fifth year in a row by ‘World Finance,’ the internationally respected publication covering the global economy.

BBVA’s Board of Directors resolved today to approve the payment of an interim dividend for 2019, for a gross amount of €0.10 per share, to be paid on October 15.

“You cannot walk the path of innovation alone,” said David Puente, Global Head of Client Solutions at BBVA, during the opening speech of South Summit event in Madrid. Puente also emphasized that BBVA’s commitment to entrepreneurs is one of the key elements of the bank’s strategy to advance its digital transformation.

More than 126,000 BBVA employees spent the day re-familiarizing themselves with, assimilating, and living the corporate values, which represent a fulcrum to the bank’s cultural transformation. Over the course of the day, bank employees participated in workshops and activities that reinforced the central pillars underpinning the bank’s mission, “to bring the age of opportunity to everyone.” This year’s event also included participation from the network of sales teams, who developed special activities to enhance an understanding of how they can help customers on a day-to-day basis.

Since SWIFT gpi was launched in 2017, BBVA has managed three million transactions – equivalent to €2 trillion – using this international payment standard. BBVA staunchly supports this global payment mechanism, which delivers speed and transparency to cross-border payments. Now SWIFT gpi aims to offer instant payments.

As sustainable fashion moves closer to the mainstream, it is starting to be recognized as an efficient way of curbing the impact of one of the planet’s most polluting industries. The industry’s social enterprises cool eco-friendly designs are winning the hearts and pockets of consumers.

After last week’s climate summit in New York, there is still a lot of uncertainty around the feasibility of fulfilling either the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda goals or hitting the 2050 carbon neutrality target. In an article written by BBVA Research’s Arturo Fraile, the economist warns that “time is running out, and progress must be made” because positive results are still on the distant horizon. In his opinion, financial regulation and supervision will be key to this unavoidable transition.

by Anita Dharapuram

BBVA USA Tucson and Southern Arizona CEO Mark Mistler, alongside six of his local team members, have been working together in banking for more than 25 years. In today’s reality, few people stay at the same job for more than four years, but Mistler and his team have figured out the secret to success and are a refreshing enigma in the modern-day workplace. In Mistler’s case, a unique journey from the gridiron to his current state helped maintain this longevity.

On September 22, the Principles for Responsible Banking were signed during the United Nations General Assembly in New York. These principles were conceived a year ago in Paris thanks to the initiative of 28 financial institutions working together under the framework of the United Nations Environment Programme – Finance Initiative (UNEP FI).  BBVA was one of the founding banks. To date, 130 CEOs from financial organizations around the world have signed the principles.

In 2019, BBVA reached a landmark milestone: By incorporating agile methodology techniques into their daily business activities it transformed the way the Group’s entire 33,000-strong central services division organizes itself and works. This achievement represents a decisive inflection point in BBVA’s transformation process and serves as an opportunity to reflect on the route that has led the bank so far.

Garanti BBVA has been awarded the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) platinum certificate for the overall sustainability of its headquarters building in Istanbul. It is the only bank in Turkey to have received such recognition, which is one of the most rigorous green building rating systems in the world, developed by the American Council of Green Buildings (USGBC).

BBVA remains the global mobile banking leader in 2019, according to ‘The Forrester Banking Wave™: Global MobileApps Summary, 2019’. BBVA’s mobile app combines “exceptional functionality with the best user experience.” Garanti BBVA, the Group’s Turkish franchise, is also in the report, which states that it is “one of the first banks to launch an in-app, voice-activated virtual agent.”

Mounting trade tensions and the fear of a potential global slowdown have recently caused central banks to rethink their strategies. Some have even kicked-off a new round of interest rate cuts. What’s the goal?

Group-dynamic games are techniques used to improve coordination levels within a team, as well as to build its members’ problem solving and decision making skills.

Last week, BBVA held the first Open Talks event in Portugal. Experts from Portugal’s innovation and fintech ecosystem gathered at the Tivoli BBVA Theater to share their insights and discuss the transformation challenges facing the country’s financial system.

In commemoration of the fourth anniversary of the approval of the 2030 Agenda, with its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), BBVA is joining the #Act4SDGs to help disseminate these United Nations goals. It is doing so in collaboration with the Spanish Global Compact Network, the largest global network on sustainability and corporate responsibility, which BBVA joined in 2002.

Cledara, which is innovating the Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) space with a ground-breaking subscription model, has signed on as the first of what is expected to be dozens of new ventures under the program.

BBVA today tapped the markets with its third senior non-preferred bond of 2019. The €1 billion 5-year issue was priced at mid swap plus 80 basis points, with a coupon of 0.375 percent, the lowest for a senior non preferred debt issue in Spain as well as the lowest for BBVA senior debt (preferred and non preferred). Demand peaked at €1.8 billion with more than 130 orders.

BBVA Next Technologies, a Premier Consulting Partner in the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Partner Network (APN), announced today that it has achieved Amazon Web Services (AWS) Machine Learning (ML) Competency status. BBVA Next Technologies, a professional technology services company expert in cloud computing, big data and artificial intelligence, created to accelerate the technological transformation of BBVA and other leading companies, has achieved the AWS ML Competency . This Competency consolidates BBVA Next Technologies as one of the leading European companies in the design and exploitation of artificial intelligence products based on machine learning and highlights it potential in helping its clients digitally transform their businesses thanks to AWS’s ML capabilities.

BBVA is one of the signatories of the Collective Commitment to Climate Action that, under the auspices of the United Nations, 31 international financial institutions have promoted to ensure the alignment of their products and services to the fight against the climate emergency.

BBVA Chairman Carlos Torres Vila participated this weekend at the annual meeting of the International Advisory Panel (IAP) of the Monetary Authority of Singapore. He was was also invited to The Singapore Summit, an event that focuses on Asia’s role as a global driver of growth.

Every second an enormous amount of data from around the globe is amassed. Companies need professionals with expertise in processing and converting this data into knowledge that will feed their decision-making and define their business strategies.

BBVA is one of the signatories of the Principles for Responsible Banking, promoted by the United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP FI). These Principles embody the commitment of 130 banking institutions and the United Nations to take on the climate emergency and sustainability challenges facing society today.

World Car-free Day is held on September 22 to raise awareness about the environmental impact of large-scale car use. BBVA Momentum, the bank’s program that supports social entrepreneurship, has backed businesses that are working for sustainable, more environmentally friendly transportation.

Garanti BBVA recently signed the world’s first gender loan with Turkish company Polat Energy. The $44 million loan will finance the construction of Turkey’s largest wind farm. The company’s performance will be annually assessed based on a series of gender criteria, and improvements in their performance will also enhance the terms of the loan.

More than 750 applicants from in excess of 90 countries applied to the world’s biggest fintech competition this year.

BBVA and Pestana Hotel Group have reached a new milestone in the sustainable finance market, issuing the world’s first green bond in the hotel industry, according to the International Capital Markets Association’s (ICMA) Green Bond Principles. The €60 million bond has a maturity of 6 years and was placed among professional institutional investors.

Now that the school year is about to begin, it’s a great time to catch up on the most relevant events for entrepreneurs coming up for the remainder of the year. All these events aim to spread knowledge, catch on the latest developments in the industry, do some networking, and explore new ways to innovate and grow. These are some of the most noteworthy.

Garanti BBVA has been the lead sponsor of Turkey’s winning national wheelchair basketball team since 2001. This year the team won the bronze at the European Championships recently held in Poland.

‘The Banker’ has announced the winners in this year’s edition of “The Banker Tech Awards”. BBVA The British financial journal has recognized BBVA in the category devoted to Distributed Ledger Technologies (DLT) and blockchain.

The extinction of species, the rise in temperatures and major natural disasters are some of the consequences of climate change. Countries and industries are aware and work to combat the planet’s accelerating pollution. Are there any viable solutions? According to some researches, using big data and machine learning could help drive energy efficiency, transforms industries such as the agriculture and find new eco-friendly construction materials.

Garanti BBVA continues to contribute to the Turkish national economy by providing exporters the expert guidance they need to break into new markets.

Yet another year, BBVA has been included in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI), the market’s leading benchmark index, which measures the economic, environmental and social performance of the world’s most valuable companies.  BBVA’s inclusion in the DJSI World and DJSI Europe indices was announced today Friday, September 13. Garanti BBVA was also included in the DJSI Emerging Markets and is the only company in Turkey which qualified for fifth consecutive year.

Last week, Eduardo Osuna Vice President and General Manager of BBVA in Mexico, conducted a “teach-in” for analysts who follow both the bank and the Spanish banking sector in general. He used the meeting organized by BBVA to talk about the Group’s Mexican affiliate and stress the bank’s positive performance at every level.

BBVA is working with the investment firm Anthemis on a new model to create startups. The focus of their efforts is on developing an ecosystem of talent, ideas and knowledge where new fintech business models can flourish, with the potential to transform the financial industry.

Garanti BBVA successfully issued the first bond indexed to the Turkish Lira Overnight Reference Rate (TLREF), an interest rate which has served as a new benchmark since its launch in June of this year.

Garanti BBVA held the Turkish round of the world’s largest fintech competition, BBVA Open Talent, for the fourth time at the Impact Hub in Istanbul. Five startups reached the finals of the event, which encourages innovating businesses to submit cutting-edge creative projects that contribute to financial technology. Pisano was the event’s top prize winner and as such has qualified to attend the BBVA Open Summit in Madrid on October 24.

BBVA Momentum, the BBVA program that supports social entrepreneurship, is entering its second half. September kicks-off with new training sessions for the selected social enterprises from participating countries: Colombia, the United States, Mexico, and Turkey. In a short couple of months, the most ambitious round of BBVA Momentum to date – with a record-breaking 169 participating social enterprises – will draw to a close.

Experts in telecommunications, industrial engineering, and IT have developed the artificial intelligence that gives Google Assistant, Siri, and Bixby their voices. The most common techniques used to generate responses are based on templates that contain changing parameters.

‘Design thinking’ is a methodology that develops creativity and promotes innovation to solve problems and meet people’s needs in a viable way. Its influence has reached social enterprises who use it to improve their results and increase their impact.

This summer, approximately 400 children and teens between the ages of 9 and 17 enjoyed BBVA’s cybersafe Fridays. The bank held a series of different workshops to raise awareness and educate employee families about how to use technology and social networks safely.

BBVA has a global program designed to create personalized, data-driven experiences to cater for the individual saving needs of its customers, either through recommendations, advice or proactive steps. After launching this kind of solution in Spain and Mexico, BBVA is now working to bring this program to the other countries in which it operates.

Experts agree that workplace diversity translates into significant benefits for businesses. Decision making, return on investment, entry into new markets, and innovation all improve when minorities are represented in a company’s workforce.

BBVA issued a $1 billion contingent convertible bond (CoCos), with demand exceeding by almost eight times the initial offer ($7.8 billion) and more than 410 orders from investors. High demand for the issuance allowed it to close at a very attractive price, with a coupon of 6.5 percent in dollars (0.50 basis points below the initial price of 7 percent), which is equivalent to a 4-percent coupon in euros.

Although the concept of sustainable development was first used officially in the Bruntland Report, published in 1987, it wasn’t until the UN General Assembly held in 2015 when countries across the globe signed the UN 2030 Agenda For Sustainable Development. A pivotal part of this agenda are the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a set of goals and specific sets of tasks defined by the UN to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity.

The award underscores the role that the Group is playing, spearheading the digital transformation process of the region’s financial sector by rolling out, on an ongoing basis, innovative products and services that seek to bring the age of opportunity to everyone. The publication also recognized BBVA as the best digital bank in Spain in the Corporate/Institutional category.

The markets have an endless supply of opportunities. Every investor’s dream is to know how to identify and take advantage of them. In order to do so,  real-time information on everything taking place in the stock market and access to the analyses of different experts is paramount. If you also have useful tools to design an investment strategy, multiply it at no additional cost, and manage the risks, it is much easier to make the right decision. All of this is possible with BBVA Trader, the trading platform for customers and non-customers.

In 2018 BBVA invested €12.4 million in initiatives supporting social enterprises, encouraging volunteer activities, and promoting corporate responsibility. This amount totals €43 million for the 2016-2018 time period.

The digital onboarding process based on biometric identification technologies, which is already available in Spain, will now reach other countries thanks to the reuse of globally designed components.

Garanti BBVA appoints Recep Bastug as its new CEO, replacing Fuat Erbil. Recep Bastug also becomes the new Country Manager for BBVA in Turkey. The change is effective as of September 1st, subject to required regulatory approvals.

Atom bank, the U.K.’s first bank built exclusively for mobile, has today been awarded a £10 million grant to boost genuine competition in lending to SMEs. Atom will use the grant to help transform banking for small businesses and deliver an additional £3 billion of business financing by March 2024. Atom will also create 70 jobs in the North East of England.

Garanti BBVA Partners, an initiative launched by Garanti BBVA to support the entrepreneurial ecosystem, has announced its new activities and participants. The initiative champions the transformation of innovative ideas into sustainable enterprises and provides concrete support to this end.

August 12 is International Youth Day, a day designated by the United Nations General Assembly to remember, among other facts, that 24 million young people do not got to school, and one in ten live in zones suffering from armed conflict. Education is the key to ensuring these generations have opportunities in the future.

BBVA’s Global Head of Responsible Business, Antoni Ballabriga, has been named co-chair of UNEP-FI Global Steering Committee. UNEP FI (United Nations Environment Programme – Finance Initiative) is a global partnership established between the United Nations and the financial sector in 1992 to promote sustainable finance.

BBVA has reached an agreement with Banco GNB Paraguay, a unit of Grupo Financiero Gilinski, to sell 100% of its capital in BBVA Paraguay, for about 270 million dollars (about 240 million euros). Said price is subject to the regular adjustments for these kind of transactions between the signing and closing dates of the transaction.

According to the United Nations, “It is important that governments, civil society and communities work together to implement lasting solutions to reduce violence, deliver justice and ensure inclusive participation at all times.” This is the aim of Sustainable Development Goal 16: “To promote just, peaceful and inclusive societies”. BBVA contributes to this goal through its responsible banking model and commitment to human rights, to name a few.

Kathy Fennell works at BBVA US and wants you to know one thing: She’s passionate about volunteering, and she thinks you should be, too. “Volunteering is so rewarding,” says Fennell, a Relationship Support Specialist for the Commercial and Real Estate Group in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

BBVA CEO Onur Genç underscored during the Group’s second quarter earnings conference call that the Group has “multiple management levers to mitigate the impact of low interest rates,” both in Europe and in the U.S.

BBVA has reported its second quarter results for 2019, revealing positive dynamics in the business, as explained by the Group’s CEO. Onur Genç stressed the bank’s continued progress in its transformation process, which is having a “clear impact on the growth of the customer base, customer loyalty, efficiency, and the customer experience.”

Between January and June 2019, BBVA Group earned €2.44 billion. In the second quarter, the net attributable profit reached €1.28 billion, up 10 percent qoq, and 6 percent yoy, excluding the sale of BBVA Chile, thus maintaining the same business perimeter (or +2.6 percent including Chile). The results were driven by a solid evolution of more recurring revenue items, with a double-digit growth of the net interest income, and lower impairments on financial assets.

Ana Fernández Manrique has been named Global Head of Regulation & Internal Control, replacing Eduardo Arbizu, who is leaving the company after a successful career at BBVA of nearly 20 years.

Garanti BBVA has released its financial statements through June 30, 2019. Based on its consolidated financials, the bank posted a net income of 3.7 billion Turkish Lira (TL) in the first half of the year.

The number of finalists in this year’s edition of BBVA Momentum, BBVA’s social entrepreneurship support program, has grown exponentially to 169 enterprises from Colombia, United States, Mexico and Turkey. All these enterprises compose a mosaic that perfectly reflects the social and environmental concerns of global society.

Following the request from Spanish Public Prosecutor’s Office’s on July 24th, the Central Investigating Court number 6 of the National High Court today declared BBVA as an investigated party of piece number 9 of the ‘Tándem’ case -which is under secrecy order- for bribery, unveiling and revelation of secrets and business corruption. The condition as an investigated legal entity does not imply -in this preliminary phase of the process- a formal accusation for any crime.

Garanti BBVA’s data center, formerly located in Istanbul’s Güneşli district, has moved to an Uptime Institute Tier IV certified building in Pendik, also in Istanbul.

Following a six-month public consultative process, the United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP FI) has this week released the final official versions of the UNEP FI Principles for Responsible Banking and their supporting framework documents. Endorsed by more than 100 financial institutions ahead of their 22 September global launch. BBVA is one of the 30 Founding Banks for this initiative.

The Spanish Public Prosecutor’s Office announced this morning that it has requested the Central Investigating Court number 6 of the National High Court to declare BBVA as an investigated legal entity as part of piece number 9 of the ‘Tándem’ case, which is under secrecy order.

Over eight million tons of plastic per year. As part of its Pledge 2025, BBVA works to attain the United Nations’ (UN) Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 14  by protecting marine life and financing ecology and biology research teams. The goal is the conservation of habitats and/or endangered species in Spain.

‘Schedule your account’ is the new digital service BBVA is offering its customers on the app (Android e iPhone). With this tool, customers can activate, and customize, six settings to automatically perform certain tasks to manage their personal finances. They simply have to choose the most convenient way to manage their account balance or save, include the parameters to take into account, and the operations take place automatically. Luz Martín Manjón, Head of Digital Products at BBVA Spain, explains how this new tool works.

Garanti BBVA has been named ‘Best Bank for Corporate Responsibility’ in Central and Eastern Europe at this  year’s ‘ Euromoney Awards for Excellence’. The recognition comes on top of other accolades earned by the BBVA Group in categories such as ‘World’s Best Bank for Financial Inclusion’, ‘Latin America’s Best Bank for Sustainable Finance’ or ‘Western Europe’s Best Digital Bank’.

Emilio Ybarra, the former co-chairman of BBVA, has died. He was 82.

For more than 20 years Garanti BBVA has been investing in technology in order to ensure a personalized and simplified digital experience in every new product or service it offers its customers and clients. In collaboration with Google, the bank recently launched a ‘Universal App Campaign,’ aiming to increase the number of interactions in the Garanti BBVA Mobile app and to encourage customers to use the bank’s digital channels for their banking transactions.

The United Nations warns about one of the most significant global issues facing humanity, as reflected in Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 13: climate change and its impacts. “Without action, the world’s average surface temperature is likely to surpass 3ºC this century. The poorest and most vulnerable people are being affected the most.” BBVA’s approach to business is accompanied by a firm commitment to mitigating the effects caused by climate change and integrating them into its risk management model.

BBVA Group executive chairman Carlos Torres Vila defended the role of education in general and financial education in particular to fight poverty and enhance people’s well-being. “Education in general is the best driver to end inequality and promote a sustainable development. It’s the simplest way to bring the age of opportunity to everyone – especially those who are most vulnerable,” he said on the second day of the BBVA EduFin Summit 2019 being held in Madrid.

José Manuel González-Páramo, BBVA Executive Board Member and Head of Global Economics & Public Affairs, opened in Madrid the third edition of Edufin Summit, the annual event organized by BBVA’s Center for Financial Education and Capability. In his speech, he noted that financial education is becoming especially relevant today, at a time when we’re seeing disruptive change everywhere.

BBVA – with Deloitte and PCS acting as independent third parties – has completed the first issuance of securitized bonds in Spain, which will be registered with the ESMA (European Securities and Markets Authority) as Simple, Transparent and Standardized (STS).  With this securitization, BBVA takes advantage of European regulation in force since January 1 that will confer preferential capital treatment to financial institutions issuing STS securitizations.

BBVA was recognized in six different categories in the 2019 edition of the Euromoney Awards for Excellence. The bank won the award for the ‘World’s best bank for financial inclusion,’ ‘Western Europe’s best digital bank,’ ‘Latin America’s best bank for sustainable finance,’ ‘Latin America’s best bank for transaction services,’ ‘Mexico’s best investment bank,’ and ‘Best bank for corporate responsibility’ in Central and Eastern Europe.

In an interview with the newspaper La República de Colombia, José Manuel González-Páramo, Executive Board Member and the Head of Global Economics, Regulation and Public Affairs at BBVA, stressed the importance of digitization and its impact on people’s well-being.

In this interview, José María Roldán, Chairman of the Spanish Banking Association (AEB), emphasizes the need to make sure that “no one is left out of the digitization process and the opportunities it creates”. Just a few hours before the opening of the third edition of the EduFin Summit – which will be held at Ciudad BBVA, the bank’s corporate headquarters in Madrid, on July 11 and 12 – the AEB Chairman weighs in on the financial sector’s approach to user confidentiality matters: “It is something that is ingrained in our DNA. And this is something that is not that clear in the case of many tech operators, whose main source of income is selling data,” he says.

Garanti BBVA’s Mobile app is a good example of how the bank is making its customers’ lives easier. All these efforts contribute to the bank’s customer-centric focus by ensuring that its tailor-made services are available – any time and any place – to both its individual and corporate customers.

BBVA is holding the leading international event on financial education. The third edition of the 2019 EduFin Summit will take place on July 11th and 12th, with the participation of BBVA Group executive chairman Carlos Torres Vila; Bank of Spain Governor Pablo Hernández de Cos; and Spanish Banking Association (AEB) Chairman and CEO José María Roldán. Over 30 global experts from 16 countries will debate how the digital revolution can contribute to people’s financial well-being.

United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 12 entails using resources and energy efficiently, building infrastructure that doesn’t damage the environment, improving access to basic services and creating green jobs with fair pay and good labor conditions. BBVA helps to attain this SDG with sustainable action and initiatives designed to develop the economy and improve the quality of life life for everyone.

Antonio Herráiz is a firm believer in innovation focused on results, especially if it generates a positive impact for people. Thanks to him, more than 7,000 of the Group’s employees across the globe have attended BBVA’s Process Academy.

Credit rating agency Fitch has upgraded BBVA’s senior preferred debt long-term rating by one notch to A from A-. Fitch has also affirmed the Group’s long-term Issuer Default Rating at A- with a negative outlook, thanks to the strength of the bank in Spain and the resilience of its Mexican franchise.

BBVA and the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) have signed a collaboration agreement to jointly explore the applications of quantum technologies in the financial sector.

The potential of open banking to change the face of financial service provision has been laid bare in a new deal between car-hailing giants Uber and digitally focused global bank BBVA.

BBVA and Uber, leaders in their respective markets in Mexico, announced their alliance, which sees BBVA launching an entirely new financial experience by making its services available in a third party platform for the benefit of Uber driver and delivery partners and their families.

In the formal launch event of BBVA’s new global development center specializing in artificial intelligence, the leaders of the three areas that have worked together to create it – Data, Engineering and Client Solutions – shared with the team their vision and goals to materialize the impact of this technology across the organization.

As part of its digital transformation strategy, the BBVA Group recently introduced a new brand identity and logo that will be used in all countries where the bank has a presence.

At the 2018 EMEA Finance Awards, Garanti BBVA collected a total of 17 awards in 13 different categories for eight projects. EMEA Finance is one of the leading financial publications for Europe, the Middle East and Africa and held its awards ceremony in London on June 12th and 13th.

BBVA has closed the transfer of most of the credits rights that comprise the Anfora portfolio. The transaction was announced in December 2018.

Continuous innovation and the gradual decline of the use of cash are giving way to a new digital monetary system. According to José Manuel González-Páramo, executive director and head of global economics and public affairs at BBVA, central banks must define the new role they will play coming out of this transformation.

“The Sustainable Development Goals and climate change entail a transformation on the same scale as digitization, but, in this case, the stakes are much higher” This is how BBVA Global Head of Responsible Business Antoni Ballabriga described “this present moment and the opportunity and sense of urgency that we are dealing with today as societies” in the face of climate change.

The Legal 500, a leading international legal publication, has named the industrial and intellectual property team of BBVA’s corporate legal services as one of the 100 most relevant legal advisories in Spain and Portugal.  The study lists BBVA under the finance category, along with companies from other sectors such as the utility, hospitality, healthcare and IT industries.

This year, the BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Awards ceremony underscored the need for an increased commitment to sustainability across the globe. “Climate change, the biodiversity crisis and inequality are issues whose future consequences may be much more serious if we fail to act now,” said the President of BBVA Foundation Carlos Torres Vila during his address. The awardees gathered to attend a gala that was held for the first time this year in the city of Bilbao.

Statement from BBVA chairman Carlos Torres Vila at the opening of the course organized by the Spanish Association of Financial Journalists (APIE) at the Menéndez Pelayo International University in Santander.

BBVA’s Group executive chairman announced today that the bank’s goal is for all products to offer a sustainable option – both for large corporations and institutions, and SMEs and individual customers. The bank plans to reach this goal throughout 2020 for its main products sold in Spain.

BBVA and Dufry have launched the first WeChat Pay facilities in Spain, in the travel retail operator’s World Duty Free stores at the Adolfo Suarez Madrid-Barajas airport, in a dedicated bid to make Chinese tourists feel more welcome while on tour.

BBVA is unifying its brand across its footprint. Customers will see this change taking place progressively in the Group’s mobile apps, transactional websites, its almost 8,000 branches across the world and its corporate headquarters.

BBVA Momentum, BBVA’s social entrepreneurship support program, announced the final list of companies that will participate in the 2019 program. The enthusiasm and ambition to surpass previous years’ numbers prevailed during the selection phase, as the final participant numbers attest.

Eren Yardim, a BBVA office manager in Balikesir, Turkey, believes that the motivation to achieve success comes from within. The key is to think big and not be afraid of change.

It was no easy task: to evolve (or revolutionize) BBVA’s logo so that it reflects the Group’s transformation.  The result was just revealed in all countries where BBVA operates. Imanol, Brian and Blanca are three of the designers who – from their area of expertise – participated in this historic project that makes BBVA’s new identity a reality.

BBVA executive chairman Carlos Torres Vila met today with Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador at the National Palace in Mexico City. Torres Vila conveyed BBVA Group’s commitment with Mexico to the Mexican president and announced an investment of 63 billion pesos (about €2.9 billion at today’s exchange rate) for the 2019-2024 period. During that time, BBVA will continue to contribute to Mexico’s economic growth by providing loans to families and businesses.

This Wednesday, BBVA successfully completed its second green bond issue in the wholesale debt market – the first one was in May 2018 – for the same amount, €1 billion, and with the same instrument and maturity. The transaction drew a very positive reaction from investors, with book orders exceeding €2.7 billion, a figure similar to the one reached last year. Excess demand made it possible to lower the price to mid-swap plus 103 basis points, from the initial range set at 120-125 basis points. This price entails a new zero new issue premium, just as in its first green bond issue.

In collaboration with Impact Hub Istanbul, the 10 social entrepreneurs will participate in online and classroom-based learning that will contribute to their business growth plans, and strategic mentoring-support and networking activities that include other entrepreneurs, customers and investors.

BBVA’s new brand  has now been rolled-out across all the countries within the bank’s footprint. The process of deploying the new corporate image will continue for the next six to twelve months, reaching all channels, both physical and virtual, and all customer touchpoints.

BBVA Group Executive Chairman Carlos Torres Vila underscored the Group’s strong commitment to Mexico today. Speaking at the bank’s annual Meeting of Regional Advisors, he noted that the Group has made considerable investments in the country, while sharing its expertise and talent, always focusing on the goal of creating opportunities for Mexican companies, families and its society as a whole. “Mexico has grown with BBVA, and BBVA has grown with Mexico,” he said.

Why a change now? When will I receive a card with the new logo? Will my local branch change? What new services will be offered in my country? Will I see changes in the mobile banking app? If you don’t want to miss out on what the new BBVA brand offers you, keep reading.