BBVA, which recently launched its line of business ‘Quantitative Investment Strategies’ (QIS) for institutional investors, has augmented its first QIS index family specialized in sustainability, with the incorporation of two pioneering climate indexes of its own creation: ‘Solactive BBVA Climate Action PAB Europe’ and  ‘Solactive BBVA Climate Action CTB Europe’.

BBVA’s CEO was interviewed by a university publication where he did his MBA, Carnegie Mellon University (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.). Onur Genç shares his view of leadership and the importance of teamwork. “In my view, there are three main aspects that define good leaders: entrepreneurship, empowerment and accountability,” he says.

By Alexis Barton

As integration planning efforts continued—and almost one month after PNC’s acquisition of BBVA’s U.S. subsidiary was announced— BBVA USA team members across the bank began to be introduced to PNC’s leaders and structure in a series of virtual town halls. The events kicked off the week of Dec. 14 and are scheduled to continue through January.

World Finance magazine has given two awards to Garanti BBVA in the 2020 edition of its Digital Banking Awards. BBVA’s Turkish unit has thus become the Best Digital Bank for the fourth consecutive year and was named as having the Best Mobile Application in the Turkish market.

The emergence of technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning and blockchain has exponentially multiplied the volume of data used, putting current computer systems to the test. Despite the fact that the arrival of 5G promises an improvement in these limitations, it is not enough to respond to the performance demands of this latest generation technology. An alternative to this is edge computing.

Yesil Science was created with the objective of developing innovative solutions to healthcare, combining medicine, art, and technology. In addition, it is a company that has participated in the Garanti BBVA Partners program.

BBVA is a global brand. As our tagline says, the bank works to “bring the age of opportunity to everyone.” And in these times, more than ever, a world of opportunities are in the digital world. That is where we navigate trying to tell the best stories of a journey that BBVA.com began five years ago. During the months of March and April 2020, BBVA’s corporate website broke its record for monthly users thanks to a new content section on COVID-19, which signaled the enormous audience interest in information related to the pandemic.

Central bank-backed digital currencies, such as the potential digital euro and digital yuan, may become a reality in the coming years. Unlike cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and Ethereum, these currencies promise less volatility and greater security. In addition, they will have the support of their respective monetary institutions, responsible for ensuring financial stability.

Pressure to get on board with remote working, adapting to the changes in a market revolutionised by the pandemic, and dealing with customers who have new and urgent needs. Startups have faced unprecedented challenges in 2020, but their digital DNA has helped them make fast decisions to handle these tests.

Under the agreement with EBRD, Garanti BBVA will prioritize its investments with high sustainability performance for those who want to improve their performance while financing the investment projects.

BBVA has appointed José Luis Elechiguerra, current Head of Client Solutions in the United States, as Global Head of Engineering & Organization, replacing Ricardo Forcano who, after a successful decade at BBVA, is leaving the bank to start an academic research project.

The Garanti BBVA Partners Acceleration Program is looking for new candidates. This project aims to promote the development of entrepreneurial initiatives and ensure their sustainable growth.

In an interview posted on BBVA’s corporate website, Carlos Torres Vila takes stock of 2020 and offers his vision for next year. The Chairman assures that, despite its complexity, “it has been a year of relevant strategic achievements” and “we face 2021 with an unparalleled position of strength to invest in growth and to increase shareholder distributions.” In this sense, and after the recent sale of the franchise in the U.S. and the ECB decision on dividend payments, BBVA considers “a sizeable share buyback¹ as a very interesting option.”

In an interview posted on BBVA’s corporate website, Carlos Torres Vila takes stock of 2020 and offers his vision for next year. The Chairman assures that, despite its complexity, “it has been a year of relevant strategic achievements” and “we face 2021 with an unparalleled position of strength to invest in growth and to increase shareholder distributions”.

The pandemic and the subsequent health protection measures have forced the bank to adapt the actions planned for its employees this Christmas. The traditional Christmas festivities have been replaced by global digital celebrations and a donation to three NGOs that provide support to the sectors of society that have suffered the most during the crisis.

Garanti BBVA offers its clients an advanced long-term currency transaction service through its Forward product, available on its website’s business section.

The NOS group and BBVA formalized the first sustainable financing agreement for a company in Portugal´s telecommunications sector. The €100-million line of commercial paper -with maturity in June 2026- will cover the company’s global financing needs.

Garanti BBVA has been included in the CDP’s Global ‘A List’ thanks to its successful work raising awareness and managing environmental risks.

BBVA and Anthemis are participating in the second $3.4 million funding round that Cledara recently held. The startup now has 150 clients thanks to its innovative SaaS (Software as a Service) solution to centralize payment systems in a single platform.

Once the pertinent regulatory authorizations have been obtained, BBVA Allianz Seguros – Allianz and BBVA’s new bancassurance joint venture that was announced in April this year – will begin to operate in Spain. BBVA Seguros has contributed around 1.18 million insurance policies to the new company, representing approximately €300 million in premiums issued by the end of 2019. The new company combines BBVA’s distribution capacity in physical and digital channels with Allianz’s innovative knowledge to develop simple, digital non-life insurance.

Users without a bank or credit card can easily receive a new password by logging on to Garanti BBVA Mobile with their new ID.

The tokenisation of assets via blockchain could facilitate new financing pathways, guarantee secure investments and programme digital money so that it can only be used for certain purposes, although the associated regulations have not yet materialised.

Contact Center World, one of the most prestigious call center associations in the world, presented Garanti BBVA first prize in the categories for the best call center and best customer service in the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region.

BBVA has begun to roll out the trials of what will become its first commercial service for the trading and custody of digital assets. The new service, which is to be offered through BBVA Switzerland, will make it possible to manage bitcoin transactions and have deposits in this cryptocurrency.

On Thursday, BBVA Chairman Carlos Torres Vila attended the meeting of the Carolina Foundation Board of Trustees, which was presided by King Felipe VI, at the Royal Palace in El Pardo. The Carolina Foundation, of which BBVA has been a trustee since its inception, celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2020.

BBVA and Xiaomi have signed a strategic agreement so that the technology company’s smartphones launched in the Spanish market have the financial institution’s mobile banking application pre-installed exclusively. This is Xiaomi’s first alliance in Europe with a bank.

As part of its commitment to sustainability, BBVA has become the first institution in Argentina to launch recycled plastic cards, 85.5 percent made of PVC (polyvinyl chloride), produced from recycled plastic.

BBVA’s Turkish unit renews its syndicated loan in international markets as part of its international debt program.

Movistar Money will offer consumer loans to Telefónica customers in Colombia, both individuals and companies. The deal could expand to other countries in South America where both companies have a presence.  The company plans to begin operations in the second quarter of 2021 following a successful commercial pilot carried out by BBVA and Telefónica several months ago.

Between October 2019 and June 2020 women lost jobs at a greater rate than men, while the employment recovery rate in the third quarter of 2020 was slightly higher for men, widening the gender gap. These are some of the key takeaways of BBVA Research’s ‘Gender diversity and training’ paper. According to the report, published on the occasion of BBVA’s diversity workshop (Diversity Days), training is one of the essential factors to reversing this situation and boosting women’s participation in the digital economy, a sector that’s recovering at a faster pace.

On December 18, 2020, Turkey will start the use of FAST instant payments systems. In this line, Garanti BBVA is committed to these solutions and will roll out its easy linking services that will enable instant transfers anytime without the need for IBAN.

Following the relevant event released on November 16, 2020, BBVA announces on another relevant event filed with Spanish regulator CNMV that the conversations in relation to a potential merger transaction with Banco de Sabadell have come to an end without any agreement.

Garanti BBVA maintains its presence on the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) for the sixth consecutive year. BBVA’s Turkish franchise was included in this index for the first time in 2015 and since then has effectively integrated sustainability into all of its activities and business strategies.

BBVA has launched a service in Spain that allows customers to instantaneously and securely pay for lottery tickets and bets and collect winnings using their mobile phone. By going to the bank’s app, customers can use Bizum to generate a QR code that allows them to pay or collect money at 11,000 Loterías y Apuestas del Estado retailers. This is the first time that people have been able to pay in physical stores using Bizum and a QR code.

‘Opportunity’ is a new tool that provides employees with the instruments to independently design their training, development and ultimately, their career within the company. Based on advanced analytics, big data and visualization tools, it advises employees on the skills they must acquire to aspire to positions of interest and allows them to create alerts about tailored job opportunities.

The most popular and innovative credit card in Turkey, Garanti BBVA’s Bonus, has launched the service ‘Bonus Check-up’. This service informs customers of their finances and offers guidance when their credit card applications are denied.

BBVA has developed Global Commercial Cards, a solution which allows companies to have greater control of employees’ use of commercial cards simplifying the processes of expense submission and approval.

The mass closure of schools, colleges and universities in the 2019-2020 academic year proved that not all schools, teachers, students and families were ready to teach and learn online. One in ten households with school-age children have no Internet access, according to the Instituto Nacional de Estadística, Spain’s national statistical institute. Due to the pandemic, technological resources and training in using them effectively is more important than ever. The risk surrounding the digital divide is serious.

Access to technology and financial education improvement for the entire population, especially the most vulnerable, is essential to achieving an inclusive recovery. These have been the main conclusions from the latest edition of EduFin Talks, a space for reflection and debate on financial education’s challenges organized by the BBVA Center for Financial Education and Capability in a 100 percent digital format.

The sale of the U.S. subsidiary is “an extraordinary agreement” for everyone, as it “creates enormous value for shareholders and gives us a wide range of strategic options,” BBVA CEO Onur Genç said during his presentation this Wednesday at the 27th Financial Sector Meeting organized by Deloitte, Spanish daily ABC and Sociedad de Tasación. In this regard, he noted that “we will only participate in operations that create value for shareholders.” “We aren’t in a rush,” he added.

According to a report by Smartme Analytics, BBVA’s app has the largest share of users at 22.6%. BBVA’s country manager for Spain, Peio Belausteguigoitia, stressed that “investment in technology in recent years enabled a rapid reaction to the crisis.” Peio made these comments at the 27th Meeting of the Financial Sector, with the theme ‘Building the Future’, hosted by Deloitte and ABC (a leading Spanish newspaper), while speaking about the role of the financial sector in the crisis and its future challenges.

News of the sale of the US subsidiary to PNC strongly boosted BBVA’s stock market performance. The market warmly received the deal with a rise in the stock price of 15.3% at close on November 16, the third highest in the bank’s stock market history and a new record in outperformance by the European banking sector: the Dow Jones index for US banks scored just 3.3% in the session, 12 percentage points behind.

BBVA has agreed to sell to PNC its subsidiary in the U.S. for $11.6 billion (€9.7 billion¹) in cash, an amount that represents 19.7 times the unit’s 2019 earnings², and that is almost 50% of BBVA’s current market capitalization, creating significant value for shareholders. The transaction will have a positive impact on BBVA’s fully loaded CET1 ratio of c.300 basis points, or €8.5 billion of CET1 generation.

BBVA has ranked first among European banks 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 largest companies by market cap. The BBVA Group also took third place in the world ranking. The announcement was made on Friday, at the closing of the stock market in New York.

Onur Genç participated in ‘The Global Boardroom: Shaping the recovery’ forum organized by the Financial Times, where he shared his vision of the pandemic’s effect on the banking sector. The BBVA CEO pointed out that this crisis has accelerated certain dynamics, such as the digitization of banks’ business models, although this trend “was already in place.” For example, he explained that customer interactions in the bank’s app have multiplied by fivefold in the last year.

This award recognizes BBVA Next Technologies’ commitment using technology to face COVID-19 crisis.

The European Banking Federation recently organized a conference on innovation and cybersecurity where the role of banks in the digital economy and platform economy was discussed, among other topics. According to BBVA, the key to ensuring that financial services benefit from this economy is the creation of a framework for the different types of participating companies to compete fairly.

The Navarra-based company Veridas has experienced solid growth since its creation in 2017 and has established itself as a global leader in the field of biometrics and digital identity verification. Its two founding partners, BBVA and Das-Nano, have carried out a financing round of four million euros in the company that will serve to continue expanding their business in new markets.

Green bonds have been building a solid reputation among investors. Since December 2019 green bonds can be traded openly and transparently online. This is how the Nasdaq Sustainable Bond Network (NSBN) – the first electronic marketplace where professional traders can buy and sell sustainable, social and green bonds – works.

BBVA has joined the (Nasdaq Sustainable Bond Network (NSBN). It is the only Spanish bank on the platform, which consists of the various sustainable debt issuers in the world and is a clear reference point for socially responsible investors. The giant screens on the Nasdaq tower in New York City’s Times Square displayed BBVA’s logo to welcome the bank to this market.

For yet another year, BBVA renewed its commitment to diversity and inclusion and is named one of the Top 30 Spanish companies with the best practices in the field. It was reported in the 2021 VariableD Report from Intrama’s ECDI Network, comprised of companies committed to diversity and inclusion. The organization presented its conclusions at the 2020 FactorW Diversity Summit which is the largest national congress on this matter.

Nearly half of Spanish millennials (the generation born between 1978 and 1999) think that when they retire there will be no social security pension waiting for them, according to the BBVA pension institute’s ninth annual survey. This helps to explain why three quarters (76%) of millennials believe the pension system needs a rethink. Only one in six respondents had started saving for retirement. Of those few, most use individual pension plans.

New challenges and opportunities in financial education and inclusion will be the main topic of the third edition of EduFin Talks. The BBVA’s Center for Financial Education and Capability presents the new edition of EduFin Talks, a space to reflect on and discuss the challenges of financial education. This year it will be held fully online.

BBVA has announced its progress in its climate change strategy with the publication of its sustainability policy and its first report on the risks and opportunities associated with climate change according to the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) standard. This report entails the incorporation of climate risks in the management of all of BBVA’s businesses and the entity’s commitment to accompany its clients in the journey toward a more sustainable future.

Out of all of BBVA’s customers in Spain, 67% are digital and 61% use their cell phones to engage with the bank. This means that the vast majority of BBVA customers in the country opt for the website or the app to connect with the entity. The pandemic has driven the digitization of customers who, until now, were not familiar with the use of these channels. All this, together with the fact that BBVA’s app is the most used in Spain among all banking applications according to a report by Smartme Analytics, places BBVA as a leader in digital banking in Spain, with a market share of 22.2%.

BBVA expands its market activity with ‘Quantitative Investment Strategies’ (QIS), a business which focuses on the design, manufacturing and distribution of investment strategies that materialize in self-created indices intended for end investors. The organization will debut this new line of business with the launch of its first index ‘Solactive BBVA ixESG Global Leaders Index’.

It’s a challenge to find out what society thinks about a company or brand, especially when you have 40 million followers spread across 10 countries and 190 social media profiles, like BBVA. Even so, the winners of the BBVA Hackathon 2020 accomplished it in only three days, developing a tool to measure users’ feelings about the bank on social media, using machine learning techniques.

Smart transactions allow Garanti BBVA customers and clients to streamline their daily banking activities and keep their personal finances under control using the bank’s mobile app.

The Glasgow Climate Change Conference, which was planned for November, will have to wait until 2021 due to the pandemic. The global problems that existed prior to the arrival of COVID-19, which are still affecting the planet and will have an impact in the future, have not disappeared. The climate crisis cannot wait and remains a central topic on the agenda of all main actors – from governments and non-profits to the private sector. The upcoming preparatory meetings in London and Paris are proof that the organization is continuing its roadmap to remind us of just how much the planet has at risk.

BBVA strengthens its solutions for small and medium sized enterprises across its footprint, thanks to a strategy that prioritizes the relationship model, product distribution and the use of technology as a competitive advantage. BBVA was recently recognized as the best global bank for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) at the 2020 SME Finance Forum Awards.

BBVA, in collaboration with Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Bloomberg, has developed a new cloud-based technology for the equity markets area of its Corporate & Investment Banking unit. The bank has created ‘BBVA C-fit’, a platform built around AWS and Bloomberg technologies, to provide its equity trading team with one of the most cutting edge platforms available in the financial markets sector.

In the last twenty years, Garanti BBVA has distributed more than 135,000 million free airline miles for Miles&Smiles credit cards holders, which is enough to travel the world a million times.

The Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation has awarded BBVA the Special Mention in Design, in the Company category, of the Spanish Innovation and Design Awards 2020. The jury has chosen BBVA for “its ability to build solid bridges between traditional business areas and the world of strategic design.”

BBVA´s CEO presented this year´s third quarter results on Friday, October 30. At the press conference, Onur Genç affirmed that BBVA’s leadership in transformation has a “true competitive advantage” and reiterated the institution´s focus on organic growth. In the first nine months of 2020, “we have attracted 350,000 clients in Spain”, something that is especially relevant in the current context marked by the COVID-19 crisis. “We have shown that we can grow using digital channels in Spain,” he said.

The BBVA Group’s results have been improving throughout 2020. The bank earned €1.14 billion in the third quarter (-6.8 percent in current euros, +4.1 percent at constant rates). This result is 79.5 percent higher than this year’s second quarter results in current euros (+83.4 percent at constant rates).  In addition, the strength of recurring revenues and cost containment efforts helped to boost operating income compared to the third quarter of 2019. “Net attributable profit grew significantly in the third quarter compared to previous quarters. This positive performance was the result of our resilient recurrent income, coupled with our focus on cost control and a better evolution of impairments, thanks to the significant provisioning effort in the first half of the year,” said BBVA CEO Onur Genç.

BBVA earned €1.14 billion in the third quarter of 2020. It is the best quarterly result of the year and far exceeds the figure for 2Q20 (+79.5 percent in current euros, +83.4 percent at constant rates). Compared to the same period a year earlier, the 3Q20 result is 6.8 percent lower (+4.1 percent at constant rates). The strength of recurring revenues and cost containment efforts drove quarterly operating income to grow 13.5 percent yoy at constant exchange rates. In a challenging context marked by the pandemic, BBVA has shown a solid capacity to generate capital, with risk indicators having a positive performance. BBVA’s quarterly results also beat market expectations by 48 percent, as analysts’ consensus expected a result of €773 million.

Onur Genç, BBVA CEO:

With data as of September 2020, BBVA has 35.6 million digital customers, double the number four years ago, and 32.8 million mobile customers, three times more.

BBVA’s chairman participated this Tuesday in the first edition of the Expansión International Economic Forum, organized by the financial newspaper Expansión and the international forum, the European House-Ambrosetti, in Alcalá de Henares, Madrid.  “Public-private collaboration can leverage private initiatives to make investment decisions and generate prosperity,” said Carlos Torres Vila. In this regard, he feels that “the work of the public sector is to attract private investment with appropriate incentive schemes that manage to multiply European funds,” and in this process, “banks can play a key role” to channel the funds, analyze the projects being financed and strengthen their effect on the economy with their financing.

Biometric advances are already being used in a multitude of financial sector processes. Artificial intelligence can analyse speech and facial characteristics to create a digital identity that allows for a much more secure online setting, where there’s a proliferation of apps from customised services to health care.

Türkiye Garanti Bankası A.Ş., recently reported its financial results as of September 30, 2020. Based on the consolidated financials, the bank’s net income in the first nine months of the year was 5.24 billion Turkish lira. Assets totaled 525.91 billion Turkish lira, and the bank’s contribution to the economy through cash and non-cash loans was 400.38 billion Turkish lira. Deposits continued to be the main source of funding, as 66 percent of assets were funded via deposits.

Sponsored by Garanti BBVA, the Turkish technology company Kodluyoruz has developed Alchemist, a series of 15 podcasts on technology and artificial intelligence.

Over the course of the last decade, a number of global financial banks – including BBVA- have aligned with the recommendations on non-financial reporting and disclosures issued by different international organizations. Including, the Financial Stability Board and its recommendations through the Climate-Related Financial Disclosures Working Group (TCFD), the UN Environment Programme – Financie Initiative (UNEP FI), or the different national legislations . These suggestions are intended to help companies raise awareness about their environmental commitment by including and disclosing information on climate related risks and opportunities.

Both organizations have announced a global collaboration agreement to promote equality among girls and young people with a focus on female role-models. “We are convinced that we can curb the impact of gender stereotypes in a simple and effective way, by teaching girls about successful women that can help them become aware of all the opportunities within their reach”, said BBVA global head of Talent and Culture Carlos Casas.

The World Health Organization promotes Breast Cancer Day every October 19 to  raise awareness about the commitment of society as a whole to the fight against the most common form of cancer in women. For yet another year, BBVA is organizing a fundraising campaign via Bizum, the leading instant payments solution in Spain, to encourage customer donations in support of the Spanish Association Against Cancer. As an additional gesture of solidarity, this morning, the bank lit up its headquarter buildings in Madrid, La Vela, in pink.

The judge underlines that BBVA has contributed all relevant results for the preliminary investigation, accepts the bank’s offer to make documents available and dismisses all requests from other parties.

BBVA chairman gave the opening presentation at the national meeting of regional bank directors in Mexico today. This year, the meeting took place virtually, where the chairman reaffirmed the group’s commitment to the country. “Mexico will continue to play a fundamental role in our bank’s results thanks to our leading position and the strength of our business model in the country,” he said.

Garanti BBVA Leasing has consistently offered the best financial solutions. It is now moving to strengthen its solar energy service offering by signing a partnership agreement with Başarı Enerji, one of the leading companies in the sector.

Onur Genç participated this Monday in the 11th Financial Meeting, organized by KPMG and financial newspaper Expansión. In this forum, the BBVA CEO said that “our expectation is that the supervisor’s dividend restrictions will be lifted in 2021”.

This Friday, BBVA chairman Carlos Torres Vila participated in the Institute of International Finance’s (IIF) annual meeting, in which he underscored banks’ role in channeling investments from the Next Generation EU recovery plan. “Banks can play a key role in channeling and multiplying European public funds,” he noted.  “What is really important to ensure the most effective use of European funds is to increase the multiplier effect through the private sector, including the banks.” He also indicated that emerging markets could be the most interesting for sustainable investments. “What we need are mechanisms in carbon markets to channel the funds to these countries so that the impact over time is mitigated while promoting the development of poor societies,” he said.

The Women Entrepreneurs Meeting, organized by Garanti BBVA in collaboration with KAGİDER, the Turkish Women Entrepreneurs Association, has been held virtually for the first time. The event which brought together thousands of female entrepreneurs, was attended by Turkey’s Trade Minister, Ruhsar Pekcan, who came to show her support for one of the most important groups within the Turkish economy.

The teams will have 40 uninterrupted hours to solve one of the 12 programming challenges posed by BBVA.

BBVA remains committed to this global network, participating in a new pilot project with which it has managed to integrate payments from the SWIFT gpi network with the U.K.’s national instant payment system. Progress that makes it possible to break away from the time zone restrictions in the process, going one step further in the exploration of this kind of payment.

BBVA has launched Aqua, a new line of pioneering credit cards in Spain which feature a dynamic CVV code and do not contain card numbers (PAN) or expiration dates printed on them. This reinforces security both for its digital and physical versions since not having this data prevents possible fraudulent use of them. In addition, BBVA´s app has renewed the entire payment experience to make it easier for the customer to manage their expenses and order the services it offers based on their use. The bank is already working to launch this mobile experience in other countries.

BBVA Corporate & Investment Banking (CIB) has decided to boost its equities capability for corporate clients, issuers and institutional clients along two vectors: on one hand, developing its equity investment products factory and digital platforms for product distribution; and, on the other, expanding its ECM (Equity Capital Markets) execution capabilities through a strategic alliance with Oddo BHF, one of Europe’s leading equity research and distribution entities.

BBVA Asset Management has announced the 27 winning projects of the second round of awards granted by the BBVA Sustainable Future SRI fund. In total, the fund manager will donate more than one million euros to NGOs throughout Spain.

BBVA is partnering with technology companies to be closer to its clients, who are starting to turn to third party digital vendors to cover their financial needs. “We see these partnerships as a way of growing our customer base,” stated Carlos Torres Vila, Group Executive Chairman of BBVA, speaking at a virtual panel discussion with Marcelo Claure, CEO of Softbank, that took place on the last day of South Summit.

Garanti BBVA launches Bonus Diji, a rewards credit card that is extremely secure, as it does not include any numbers or codes that can be copied.

The role of banks in the financial crisis caused by the pandemic and their role in funneling resources and funds towards a green recovery where the two key takeaways from a panel presentation devoted to sustainability that took place at the South Summit event, which is taking place this week in Madrid. “Everything is changing. We are living in a very challenging time. We are living in a global pandemic situation and also in a global economic crisis at this moment after the pandemic, so, it’s time to act,” said Head of Global Innovation & Analytics at BBVA CIB (Corporate Investment Banking) and Global Sustainability Office Ricardo Laiseca.

BBVA’s educational project ‘Aprendemos juntos’ (We learn together) was launched on January 22, 2018 in collaboration with Spanish daily El País. Since then, it has met with one success after another. Over two and half years, more than 200 experts have worked on the ‘Aprendemos Juntos’ initiative, it has accumulated over one billion views, and it has brought together a community of four million people. On May 23rd of this year, ‘Aprendemos Juntos’ went one step further and premiered on the Spanish TV show ‘A mi yo adolescente’ (To My Teenage Self), a nine-episode series on TVE’s channel 2 that looks at what young people think about issues such as friendship, fear and love.

On the occasion of the United Nations’ 75th anniversary, Garanti BBVA signed the Declaration of Business Leaders, sealing its commitment towards creating a fairer, more sustainable and more inclusive world, as well as to take on current global challenges.

The COVID-19 pandemic has provoked a global disruption that has severely impacted the world’s health, as well as a multitude of aspects of economic and social life. Since the beginning, the scientific community has embarked on the complex, multidisciplinary challenge of looking for solutions to the various areas that have been affected.

Garanti BBVA is betting on technology and innovation to continue leading the payment system and credit card sector. Now customers can complete the credit card application and authorization process on Bonus’ website and start enjoying all of the benefits immediately.

Garanti BBVA earned three Stevie awards, the prestigious prize conferred to the most successful enterprises and executives from the international business community.

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. It is also the leading shareholder in Turkey’s Garanti BBVA.

In an interview with ‘La Linterna’ de COPE, BBVA’s Group Executive Chairman said that the EU funds to face the health crisis represent “a great opportunity”. In his opinion, if invested “productively in long-term growth and combined in combination with structural reforms”, they can help tackle key problems of the Spanish economy, such as structural unemployment. “We also need to invest in education, focusing on the world of the future: the digital world, the world of data and addressing the transition to a more sustainable world, socially and environmentally.”

BBVA has launched a new sustainability training program for the Group’s more than 125,000 employees around the world. It is the first major bank in the world to give mandatory sustainability training to all employees. The new training modules will be available from September 28, coinciding with the fifth anniversary of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

BBVA illuminated the main building at its company headquarters in Madrid—La Vela—to mark the fifth anniversary of the launching of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). BBVA opted for the color blue of the United Nations flag to commemorate the date on which 193 countries adopted the 2030 Agenda at UN headquarters in New York.

Organized by Garanti BBVA, the Ekonomist magazine and the Turkish Association of Women Entrepreneurs (KAGIDER), the event marks the start of the process to present candidacies for this new edition.

In a presentation for investors organized by Bank of America (BoFA) and in which BBVA CEO took part this morning, BBVA raised the Group’s guidance for 2020, thanks mostly to an improvement in its business activity in Mexico. At Group level, recurring revenues in constant euros will grow in 2H20 compared to the previous half of the year thanks to a recovery in new retail loan production and focus on price management. Furthermore, BBVA expects to beat its expectations regarding cost reductions for 2020, and improves its cost of risk expectations for 2020, to a range between 1.5 and 1.6 percent in cumulative terms for the year, thanks to a better performance in Mexico. The Group plans to close 2020 with a fully-loaded CET1 capital ratio above the target range. BBVA’s intention is to resume dividend payments once the existing supervisory recommendation is eliminated and COVID-19 uncertainties dissipate.

Garanti BBVA was named the winner of a Gold Stevie Award in the “Best Annual Report” category for its 2019 Integrated Annual Report published under the tagline, “The Next Decade.” The Stevie International Business Awards is the only global awards program that recognizes well-known international companies and executives for their achievements.

Carlos Casas, Global Head of Talent and Culture at BBVA, was tasked with delivering the closing speech at the latest edition of Sondersland Fest, a virtual event that brought together in Madrid top talent experts to share their insights on the latest trends on this matter with the thousands of young professionals that participated. “We are currently living a key moment where industries that are experiencing powerful transformations, such as ours, must transmit to younger generations what it takes to build the talent that the market professionally demands,” explained Casas.

More than a third of the global banking industry has signed the Principles for Responsible Banking, which this month celebrates its one-year anniversary. This milestone demonstrates the sector’s commitment to sustainability and aligning its business activity to the promises made in the Paris Agreement and the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.

Garanti BBVA Leasing continues to build on its support for renewable energy development. Most recently, the bank has signed a partnership agreement with Elin Enerji, one of Turkey’s most important energy companies

Today, international banks BBVA, BNP Paribas, ING, Société Générale and Standard Chartered (also known as ‘the Katowice Banks’) published a report on the application of the PACTA methodology, designed to steer their credit portfolios towards the objective of the Paris Climate Agreement. This report aims at helping banking peers to quickly understand and apply this methodology and thus publish comparable results.

Blue is a virtual assistant that uses various artificial intelligence tools to help BBVA customers use the mobile application to complete tasks as well get detailed, personalized information about their accounts. This is how it works.

The BBVA Garanti securities unit has received the Turkish Markets Capital Association’s Social Value award for its ground-breaking digital initiative, ‘A Different Race’ delivered together with the foundation for children with autism, Tohum Otizm Vakfı.

BBVA Mexico reports that it successfully concluded the issuing of $500 million of unsecured senior notes in international markets, with a five year maturity and an interest rate of 1.875 percent.

Speaking at IIF Digital Interchange meeting, BBVA Group Executive Chairman Carlos Torres Vila said that the lockdown as a result of the pandemic boosted pre-existing trends toward the adoption of new technologies, towards digital. In his opinion, digital inclusion suppports all types of inclusion: educational, social and economic. That is why society needs to make an effort to ensure that no one’s left behind. “I think what stands out is the need for a more sustainable and a more inclusive economy. For this, we need a policy and regulatory environment that fosters innovation,” he noted.

BBVA placed on Thursday a $2-billion issue of senior preferred debt filed with the U.S. SEC. The issue consists of two tranches, with a maturity of three and five years: The three-year tranche accounted for $1.2 billion, while the five-year one reached $800 million. Demand topped a maximum of $5 billion, with 210 orders, and the book closed with orders of $4.5 billion: $2.5 billion for the three-year tranche and $2 billion for the five-year tranche. Investors’ appetite allowed for the starting price to be set lower. The interest rate has been set at the U.S. Treasury rate plus 75 basis points spread for the three-year tranche (versus a starting spread of 100 bps) and a 100 bps spread for the five-year tranche (vs. a starting spread of 125 bps).

The Banker has named BBVA Best Transaction Bank in Latin America for second year in a row. The U.K. magazine, a Financial Times group publication, underscored the bank’s innovative approach in the region, which allowed customers to continue accessing the bank’s services seamlessly during the pandemic.

• BBVA invested €40.6 million in sustainable and social programs in Latin America in 2019
• In its 13 years of service, the BBVA Microfinance Foundation has helped more than five million people
• BBVA delivers innovative financial education programs in Mexico
• BBVA Argentina is the first private bank to launch a line of personal eco-loans
• BBVA in Colombia closes a line of green guarantees to build the Bogota metro
• In Peru, BBVA leads the way in using the Environmental Ministry’s carbon footprint tool
• Sustainable finance in the region: BBVA, breaking new ground with deals in the wholesale market

In order to bring relevant solutions to investors in solar energy projects, Garanti BBVA Leasing announced the signing of a partnership agreement with Elseroof Enerji and Heran Enerji, two leading companies in this sector.

The World Tourism Organization and the innovation hub Wakalua, working in collaboration with companies like BBVA, have launched a competition for startups in the world of tourism to find technological and innovative solutions that respond to the sector’s sustainability challenges.

BBVA and the Korean energy company, SK Innovation, have signed a working capital loan of €100 million to expand the company’s electric vehicle battery manufacturing facilities in Europe. This transaction is the first working capital loan certified by BBVA in Asia in compliance with its sustainable transaction banking framework.

BBVA Group Executive Chairman Carlos Torres Vila participated in the Plenary Session of the Spanish Chamber of Commerce, where he emphasized that the recovery in Spain may open up an opportunity to “quickly embrace” a more digital economy. For this, he considers that digitization should be a priority for businesses – especially SMEs – and any progress in this sense will greatly depend on public investments and the amplification effect derived from private initiatives. He also noted that “the role of banks has been pivotal, not only amplifying the impact of public money, but also aligning targets.”

The British Safety Council (BSC), one of the leading organizations in promoting occupational health and safety, has recognized BBVA’s Turkish unit for the occupational safety measures rolled out at its Pendik HQs, near Istanbul.

The world of work and professional environments are in the midst of a full blown transformation process, especially in the wake of the COVID-19 lockdown. According to Ophelie Richard, BBVA global head of Talent Acquisition, “the value of assigning workstations to specific individuals based on their hierarchy within the organization has been completely redefined.” And this, in her opinion, “opens up great opportunities, from hiring employees regardless of their geographic location to workstation virtualization.”

As part of its collaborative framework with Turkey’s Notary Association, Garanti BBVA has created the Safe Selling System for the buying and selling of second-hand vehicles. Thanks to this new system, Garanti BBVA customers will no longer need to bring the cash amount of the purchase with them and they will be able to complete the deal online or using their smartphone in a process that is simple, fast, and safe.

The Business Monitor of Corporate Reputation (MERCO) recognized BBVA Mexico for fourth year running as the country’s most reputable bank. The lender also took sixth place in the overall ranking of companies. In addition, BBVA Mexico vice president and CEO Eduardo Osuna Osuna took sixth in the list of ‘Mexico’s 100 Most Reputable Executives’ published by the same consultancy.

Through a proof of concept, BBVA and Spanish startup Multiverse have tried out and benchmarked different quantum technology platforms to solve a classic problem of finance: The optimization of investment portfolios with real market data. Thanks to this analysis, published in a scientific paper, the authors have elucidated new formulas that could help speed up this type of calculation, maximizing profitability and minimizing risk.

The bank launches a global program in order to contribute to its employees’ professional development, to promote the acquisition of new skills, and widen the network of contacts within the company. The initiative empowers mentors and mentees from across the Group’s footprint to connect, transforming the process into one that puts the employee in control of his or her own development.

BBVA Group will gradually roll out the next generation of wireless connection technology — WiFi 6 — across its corporate offices in Spain and Portugal. The bank thus becomes one of the first Spanish financial companies to adopt the technology, which will provide faster browsing speeds and greater coverage to complement 5G.

BBVA Garanti has become the first bank worldwide to complete integration of the new SWIFT GPI pre-validation service, an international money transfer service developed by SWIFT. Controlled testing of the service is ongoing.

The bank — which has committed to securing €100 billion in sustainable financing between 2018 and 2025 as part of its contribution in the fight against climate change — reached 40 percent of its sustainable financing target in June 2020. This figure includes transactions in green and social financing (62 percent of the total), social entrepreneurism and financial inclusion (13 percent), sustainable infrastructure and agribusiness (11 percent), and other sustainable sources (14 percent).

– INFOGRAPHIC: Here you can see the breakdown of the BBVA Commitment 2025

BBVA secures more than €40 billion in sustainable finance, supporting the fight against climate change. The bank — which has committed to securing €100 billion in sustainable financing between 2018 and 2025 as part of its contribution in the fight against climate change — reached 40 percent of its sustainable financing target in June 2020. This figure includes transactions in green and social financing (62 percent of the total), social entrepreneurism and financial inclusion (13 percent), sustainable infrastructure and agribusiness (11 percent), and other sustainable sources (14 percent).

Euromoney has named Garanti BBVA ‘Best Bank in Central and Western Europe in Sustainable Finance’. The bank is a known leader in sustainable development thanks to its innovative practices.

Within the framework of its Global Eco-efficiency Plan 2016-2020, BBVA recently signed an agreement in Argentina to buy electricity from wind farms, a clean source of electricity that uses wind turbines to transform wind energy into electric power.

CW Enerji, Europe’s largest solar power system manufacturer, has signed an agreement with Garanti BBVA Leasing, one of the industry’s leading leasing companies. As part of the framework agreement, tailored financial support will be offered to clients for the installation of solar-powered electric energy stations.

BBVA keeps making strides in its sustainability commitment. The bank, in coordination with Caixabank, has signed the first ever sustainable loan with a pharmaceutical company in Spain. The scheme is divided into three tranches: a long-term loan, a revolving line and a credit line for acquisitions, subject to a six-year maturity term.

Capital Finance International has recognized BBVA as ‘Best Sustainable Bank in Spain 2020’. The London-based publication highlights the bank’s sustainability and climate change-related initiatives, as well as the way the bank defines a roadmap with opportunities and obligations linked to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Internet sales have soared in recent months, resulting in growth in the ecommerce sector. But if new purchasing habits are to truly take root and survive in the post COVID-19 reality, businesses will have to carefully nurture the customer buying experience. Against this backdrop, artificial intelligence (AI) is not only a tool to help improve the user experience and increase customer satisfaction, it can also facilitate payment management and detect potential fraud.

British magazine, ‘The Banker,’ which is part of the Financial Times Group, has announced the results of its digital innovation in banking awards. BBVA emerged as the winner in both Europe and Latin America.

BBVA’s chief executive officer presented the media with 2020’s second quarter results. Onur Genç expects the bank to “certainly beat our capital target by the end of the year,” given that in June the bank had already hit the high end of its target range. He therefore believes that “in 2021, we will return to paying dividends,” as per recommendations the supervisory authority may make.

The BBVA Group earned €636 million in the first half of the year – more than double the results from January through March, excluding the impact of the goodwill adjustment in the U.S. This was possible thanks to the bank’s efforts to anticipate impairments related to the COVID-19 crisis in the first quarter of the year. In a highly complex context due to the pandemic, the BBVA Group has demonstrated the strength of its profit before provisions in the second quarter of 2020, with operating income up 17.6 percent year-on-year in constant euros. “We are facing this crisis from a position of strength, thanks to the resilience of our revenues, our diversified business model and our digital capabilities. Likewise, our solid capital generation stood out during the quarter,” said BBVA CEO Onur Genç.

Onur Genç, BBVA CEO:

Thanks to the bank’s efforts to anticipate impairments related to the COVID-19 in 1Q20, BBVA earned €636 million in the second quarter, doubling the underlying profit from the first quarter. This quarterly figure is on top of extraordinary provisions of €644 million due to the pandemic. In a complex environment, BBVA has once again demonstrated the strength of its operating income, which grew 17.6 percent at constant exchange rates, and its outstanding ability to generate capital. In the first half of the year, net attributable profit excluding one-offs was €928 million (-57.8 percent yoy in constant euros). Including the U.S. goodwill adjustment –recorded in 1Q20– the bank swung to a €-1.16 billion loss between January and June.

Turkey’s Garanti BBVA announced its financial results for the first half of the year. Based on the consolidated financials, the bank’s net income in the first six months of the year totaled TL 3.33 billion (approximately €407.61 million). Asset size reached TL 486.67 billion and the bank’s contribution to the economy through cash and non-cash loans was TL 367.14 billion. Actively managing the funding base, deposits continued to be the main source of funding, with 63 percent of assets funded through deposits. The total deposit base reached TL 306.88 billion with 11 percent growth in the first six months of the year. Preserving its strong capital position, the bank’s capital adequacy ratio stood at at 17.4 percent.* The bank’s ROAE (Return on Average Equity) was 13.1 percent and ROAA (Return on Average Assets) was 1.6 percent.

BBVA has granted CAF Development Bank of Latin America a $200 million loan that will finance CAF’s assistance programs designed to address the social and economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic in Latin America. The negotiation and documentation of the loan were fast tracked in order to expedite support for the region.

BBVA’s Turkish unit has been recognized as the ‘Best Retail Bank’ in the country for six consecutive years. It has also been named ‘Europe’s Best Retail Bank’ for the third time.

How do cybercriminals think? What techniques do they use and how do they set up to implement them? What are their goals? There’s nothing better than putting yourself inside the bad guy’s mind so you will be ready to react. We tell you how these criminals behave.

BBVA is the first bank in Spain to allow zero-touch cash withdrawals from its ATMs, called ‘contactless ATMs’. This new way of accessing cash not only streamlines the process, it also provides additional protection to customers during times of pandemic.

Vestel Şirketler, a part of the Zorlu Group, is making progress in its sustainability strategy with Turkey’s first issuance of a green bond in Turkish Lira. With the issuance, the Group moves closer to fulfilling its strategy as integrated in its Smart Life 2030 initiative (Akıllı Hayat 2030).

Acceleration programmes, like Open Innovation from BBVA helping startups from the fintech ecosystem, are an opportunity to offer tailored support that helps entrepreneurs to refine their model, boost their growth and access investment. In the case of the BBVA programme, the project is bringing to a close nine months of workshops, mentoring and support. For the bank and entrepreneurs, the initiative has provided an opportunity to learn together.

The sixth generation of WiFi delivers faster connectivity, expands its reach, and supports a greater density of connected devices. This technology, which goes hand-in-hand with 5G, will facilitate the rollout of sensors for the Internet of Things (IoT) and the creation of immersive and augmented virtual reality experiences.

Many families are struggling under the economic impact of the pandemic, especially those affected by joblessness. Financial vulnerability refers to the ability of individuals or households to cope with a ‘shock’ that entails the loss of their main source of income.

“Hello, I’m Blue, the BBVA virtual assistant. What can I do for you today?” This is how the first virtual assistant developed entirely by BBVA introduces itself. The newly launched virtual assistant responds to more than 100 customer requests among the 800 features that are integrated in the BBVA app. This makes Blue the most comprehensive virtual assistant on the market. The new tool takes advantage of natural language processing (NPL) and machine learning, which facilitates both voice activated and text-based customer interaction with the app.