Strategy: BBVA’s transformation

In 2019, BBVA carried out a strategic review process to continue going in depth into its transformation and adapting itself to the major trends that are reshaping the world and the financial services industry:

• A challenging macroeconomic outlook, characterized by a rising uncertainty at a global level, lower economic growth, low interest rates, increasing regulatory requirements, geopolitical tensions and the emergence of new risks (cybersecurity, etc.).
• An evolution in clients’ behaviors and expectations. Clients demand more digital, simple and personalized value propositions, based on greater advice to make the best decisions.
• A strong competitive environment, where digitization is already a common priority for banks and the role of BigTech companies and ecosystems is rising as they are offering financial services within their global solutions with an excellent customer experience.
• The general concern in society is to achieve a sustainable and inclusive world. Climate change is a reality and all the stakeholders (consumers, companies, investors, regulators and public institutions) have set achieving a more sustainable world as a priority. The transition towards that sustainable world has major economic implications and the financial sector must play a very active role to ensure success of this evolution.
• Data has become a key differentiation factor and data management generates solid competitive advantages as it enables offering a customized value proposition, improves processes’ automation to enhance efficiency and reduces operational risks. Data also entails the management of new risks with relevant implications (privacy, security, ethics, etc.).

BBVA’s purpose is “To bring the age of opportunity to everyone”, which is summed up by the tagline “Creating opportunities”.

We aim to help our customers to achieve their life goals. More than a bank, we want to be an engine of opportunities, and to have a true impact on people’s lives and businesses.

BBVA has defined six strategic priorities, which are aligned with its purpose: ‘To bring the age of opportunities to everyone‘.

BBVA is engaged in an open process to identify the Group’s Values, which took on board the opinion of employees from across the global footprint and units of the Group. These Values define our identity and are the pillars for making our Purpose a reality:

Customer comes first

BBVA has always been customer-focused, but the customer now comes first before everything else. The Bank aspires to take a holistic customer vision, not just financial. This means working in a way which is empathetic, agile and with integrity, among other things.

• We are empathetic: we take the customer’s viewpoint into account from the outset, putting ourselves in their shoes to better understand their needs.
• We have integrity: everything we do is legal, publishable and morally acceptable to society. We always put customer interests’ first.
• We meet their needs: We are swift, agile and responsive in resolving the problems and needs of our customers, overcoming any difficulties we encounter.

We think big

It is not about innovating for its own sake but instead to have a significant impact on the lives of people, enhancing their opportunities. BBVA Group is ambitious, constantly seeking to improve, not settling for doing things reasonably well, but instead seeking excellence as standard.

• We are ambitious: we set ourselves ambitious and aspirational challenges to have a real impact on people’s lives.
• We break the mold: we question everything we do to discover new ways of doing things, innovating and testing new ideas which enables us to learn.
• We amaze our customers: we seek excellence in everything we do in order to amaze our customers, creating unique experiences and solutions which exceed their expectations.

We are one team

People are what matters most to the Group. All employees are owners and share responsibility in this endeavor. We tear down silos and trust in others as we do ourselves. We are BBVA.

• I am committed: I am committed to my role and my objectives and I feel empowered and fully responsible for delivering them, working with passion and enthusiasm.
• I trust others: I trust others from the outset and work generously, collaborating and breaking down silos between areas and hierarchical barriers.
• I am BBVA: I feel ownership of BBVA. The Bank’s objectives are my own and I do everything in my power to achieve them and make our Purpose a reality.