BBVA CIB reorganises its business in Europe to drive sustainable growth

BBVA Corporate & Investment Banking (BBVA CIB) has announced a reorganisation of its leadership structure in Europe aimed at accelerating its growth in the region, strengthening client proximity and advancing a fully integrated approach to the corporate business.

As part of this strategic drive, the European Commercial Banking segment, which serves mid-sized companies and institutions, will now be integrated into CIB. This integration will enable BBVA to manage its corporate business in Europe on a larger and more unified scale, in line with the bank’s strategic priority of putting the client firmly at the centre (RCP) and supporting enterprises throughout every stage of their growth journey.

“Europe is a strategic pillar for the growth of BBVA CIB. This reorganisation brings us closer to our clients, streamlines our structure and enhances our ability to support enterprises in an increasingly international and sustainability-driven environment,” explains Javier Rodríguez Soler, Global Head of Sustainability and Corporate & Investment Banking at BBVA.

This reorganisation is underpinned by three key objectives:

To deploy a unified, scaled-up approach to the corporate segment, supported by a global sector-based perspective and a focus on sustainable business models. This enhances specialisation, deepens client knowledge and strengthens BBVA’s value proposition across the full spectrum of financial services.

To reinforce the focus on Europe and the United Kingdom as key markets, enabling the bank to capture sustained growth and capitalise on cross-border opportunities.

To streamline strategic alignment and business planning, leading to a more coherent and agile decision-making process in complex, highly competitive environments.

A new structure to accelerate growth in Europe

Under this new model, Leyre Mena, Head of Continental Europe, reporting directly to Javier Rodríguez Soler, BBVA’s Global Head of Sustainability and Corporate & Investment Banking, will expand her remit to include Belgium and the Netherlands, while continuing to oversee business across Continental Europe and the Middle East. With this expanded scope, the region strengthens its execution capabilities and its ability to capture opportunities in high-potential European markets.

Additionally, and as part of BBVA’s efforts to strengthen its footprint across the continent, the United Kingdom will now be led by Daniel Calvo, who will report directly to Javier Rodríguez Soler, Global Head of Sustainability and Corporate & Investment Banking. This leadership change will help step up activity in one of the world’s key financial hubs, support the growth of corporate and institutional business, and enhance cross-border deal flow between the UK and other global markets.

Strengthening BBVA’s presence in the Middle East

In parallel, and aligned with the strategy of expanding physical presence in priority markets, BBVA has recently strengthened its position in the Middle East after securing a preliminary licence from Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) to expand its wholesale banking services in the region. This development will allow the bank to serve corporate and institutional clients more closely in a market that is playing an increasingly significant role in international business and investment flows.

As part of this expansion, Eduardo Ortiz Gross, Head of BBVA Corporate & Investment Banking (CIB) in the Middle East reporting directly to Leyre Mena, has been appointed Senior Executive Officer of the Abu Dhabi office, from where he will lead the bank’s activities in the region.

A strategic evolution backed by strong performance

This organisational shift comes at a time of strong performance for BBVA’s wholesale banking unit, which recorded record revenues of €4.832 billion as of September 2025, up 27% year-on-year, alongside significant progress across all business lines. Attributable profit rose by 32% over the same period, reflecting the strength of BBVA’s sector-focused and internationally diversified model.

Compared with the broader industry, BBVA CIB has outpaced its European peers in revenue growth and is keeping pace with leading U.S. banks, particularly in financing and advisory services, which have become key growth drivers for the business (according to publicly available financial data from international peers).

A model built to accelerate expansion in Europe

With a more integrated structure, a stronger focus on strategic markets, and a client-centric value proposition, BBVA CIB reinforces its ambition to position itself as a trusted partner for corporate and institutional clients in Europe and globally. The bank enters this new phase with a sustainable growth model, underpinned by the financial strength of its business and a long-term relationship-driven approach.

In this context, the CIB business will benefit from the Group-wide strategy to deploy advanced artificial intelligence capabilities, a key lever to drive efficiency and further strengthen client focus.