News | 11 June 2026
The future of financial services: Insights from BBVA’s Financial Institutions Conference
BBVA held the 13th edition of its Financial Institutions Conference, bringing together leaders from banking, insurance, payments and financial infrastructure to discuss the forces shaping the future of the industry.
The gathering highlighted how rapid technological change and shifting macroeconomic conditions are increasingly interconnected, requiring a more integrated and forward-looking approach from financial institutions.
Juan Blasco, Global Head of Institutional Business at BBVA and Chair of the Board of AFME, opened the conference by highlighting three key themes: AI, enhanced connectivity across Europe and beyond, and BBVA’s role in driving this transformation.
The following session explored the multifaceted nature of today’s global landscape. Jorge Sicilia, Chief Economist of BBVA Group and Director of BBVA Research, noted that the global economy faces a combination of broadly usual near-term cyclical volatility with longer-term structural shifts such as geopolitical conflicts, trade tensions-tariffs, regulation and search of choke points - and Artificial Intelligence - that are having an impact on the economic outlook in the short term.
A panel discussion featuring representatives from Oliver Wyman and S&P explored the need to integrate dynamic risk models into standard business practices. Speakers highlighted how these models are becoming essential for anticipating, measuring and navigating today’s economic and structural adjustments.
A fireside chat with UNESPA (Spanish Association of Insurers) examined how Europe can address the growing pension gap through structural reforms, drawing lessons from successful international models such as the UK’s auto-enrolment scheme.
AI was also a key focus. Álvaro Martín, Head of AI Transformation for Commercial Client Solutions, BBVA, delivered a keynote on the bank’s AI strategy and transformation journey. He traced the evolution from early chatbots to generative AI and its impact on the economics of knowledge work, highlighting how the technology is reshaping corporate workflows and enabling more scalable, collaborative operating models.
The final panel, featuring speakers from Visa, Swift and Wise, discussed how financial connectivity is evolving to prioritize predictability, speed and transparency. This shift is being driven by changing client expectations and requires greater collaboration between new market participants and traditional financial infrastructures. Meeting these real-time demands will require both to adapt while maintaining trust, control and resilience.
In her closing remarks, Eva Rubio, Head of Global Transaction Banking at BBVA, highlighted that the main challenge for financial institutions is to continuously create value for clients in a rapidly evolving ecosystem. As market demands shift toward agility, cost efficiency and transparency, fostering trust across the industry will be essential to delivering long-term value.
The conference reinforced BBVA’s commitment to supporting clients through this transformation by fostering innovation, strengthening connectivity across the financial ecosystem and helping them navigate an increasingly complex environment.