BBVA appoints Catalina Laurens as new Head of Corporate & Investment Banking in Colombia

With over 20 years of experience in wholesale banking, Laurens will lead the expansion of BBVA CIB in one of the Andean region’s key markets.

BBVA has named Catalina Laurens as the new Head of Corporate & Investment Banking (CIB) in Colombia, reinforcing the Group’s commitment to the country and to Latin America as a strategic growth engine for its wholesale banking operations. Laurens succeeds Carlos Alberto Rodríguez, who stepped down at the end of August after seven years of successful leadership to pursue new professional opportunities.

With a career spanning more than two decades in the financial sector, Laurens has held leadership positions at institutions such as Banco Santander, where she previously led CIB Colombia, as well as senior roles at HSBC and Citibank Colombia. Her in-depth knowledge of the Colombian and regional markets will be key to strengthening BBVA CIB’s value proposition in this strategically important environment.

Colombia, where BBVA has built a robust banking franchise, represents a vital growth platform for the Group in South America, thanks to the country’s macroeconomic stability, its strategic location within the Andean region, and the growing international footprint of its corporate sector. In this context, BBVA aims to position itself as the go-to partner for corporates and institutional investors operating in Colombia and across the region.

A regional vision to drive growth

South America remains a strategic priority for BBVA CIB, both for its contribution to the Group’s global business and for the dynamism of key sectors such as infrastructure, energy, telecommunications, and sustainable finance. In line with BBVA’s 2025–2029 Strategic Plan, the wholesale banking model in the region is built on four core pillars:

Delivering a best-in-class client experience, rooted in close, personalized relationships with large corporates and mid-sized companies with international ambitions.

Offering a comprehensive and innovative suite of services, spanning structured finance, transaction banking, capital markets, and M&A advisory.

Embedding sustainability criteria across all solutions, positioning it as a key driver of business transformation.

Operating under a global banking model, leveraging multi-geography capabilities to support clients in their international expansion.

Verónica Incera, Head of BBVA CIB South America, explains: “Our focus is on supporting companies and institutions in executing their growth strategies through sophisticated solutions, deep local expertise, and a global perspective, while placing sustainability at the core of the value we deliver. Catalina’s extensive experience will be a tremendous asset to our CIB team in Colombia as we continue to strengthen our value proposition and consolidate our position as a leading franchise across the Southern Cone.”