BBVA Appoints Jürgen von der Lehr as Head of Its Digital Bank in Germany
BBVA is strengthening its commitment to growth in Germany with the appointment of Jürgen von der Lehr as Head of its Digital Bank in the country, a key role in adapting the bank’s value proposition in one of Europe’s largest and most competitive financial markets.
With extensive experience in banking, strategy, digital transformation, and business development, Jürgen von der Lehr joins as Head of BBVA’s Digital Bank in Germany, reporting directly to Murat Kalkan, Global Head of Digital Banks. His appointment marks a further step in BBVA’s expansion strategy in Europe, aimed at accelerating profitable growth in large-scale markets through a fully digital model. Until now, the business has been successfully led by Luis Fiestas de Fuentes, who played a key role in establishing BBVA in the German market and laying the foundations for its next phase of growth. He will continue within BBVA's Digital Bank in Germany as Head of Daily Banking & Lending, reporting to Jürgen von der Lehr.
Most recently, von der Lehr served as Head of Strategy, Business Development, and Sustainability at ING Germany, where he also held the position of General Manager. During this time, he led the execution of corporate strategy, transformation programs, innovation initiatives, fintech partnerships, and end-to-end digitalization projects. His experience combines strategic vision, customer insight, and strong execution capabilities in complex, fast-changing environments.
“Jürgen von der Lehr’s experience in the German market and his expertise in digital banking, transformation, and strategy will be key to the continued development of our offering in Germany with a long-term, profitable growth vision,” said Murat Kalkan.
Previously, von der Lehr led Daily Banking at ING, served as CEO of the Austrian business, and held the role of CTO in Luxembourg. Before ING, he spent a significant part of his career at Deutsche Bank, where he held senior roles in digital innovation and the investment and savings business. He was also a partner at Oliver Wyman and worked at firms such as A.T. Kearney, focusing on retail banking, private banking, technology, and growth in new markets.
Jürgen von der Lehr, new Head of BBVA’s Digital Bank in Germany.
His international profile, combined with his experience in payments, accounts, digital products, operational transformation, and the development of new value propositions, makes him a key executive in consolidating BBVA’s development in Germany, a priority market in the bank’s European strategy.
“Germany is a huge market with great potential for a digital banking proposition that combines simplicity, an outstanding customer experience, and a strong product offering. BBVA has a differentiated proposition to meet the evolving expectations of German customers and empowers customers to manage their finances with confidence, supporting their everyday needs while helping them build long-term financial security,” said Jürgen von der Lehr.
Germany: a key market for digital growth
Germany represents a strategic opportunity for BBVA within its European growth roadmap. It is the largest banking market on the continent and a highly relevant environment for developing a scalable, competitive, and customer-centric digital model.
With this appointment, BBVA reinforces its ambition to continue building a digital bank in Germany based on a simple experience, competitive pricing, human customer service, and a universal banking offering. The addition of Jürgen von der Lehr will help accelerate the adaptation of this proposition to the specific context of the German market and advance it into a new phase of growth.
This move is part of BBVA’s Digital Banks strategy, aimed at driving growth with a focus on profitability and scalability. To achieve this, the division has aligned its organizational structure to generate synergies in technology and product, strengthen local oversight, and streamline decision-making in new European markets.