The BBVA board of directors met this Tuesday in Barcelona on a day marked by the entity’s commitment to innovation and business transformation. The Catalan capital also hosts the corporate banking sessions organized by the bank, a meeting that brings together more than a hundred client companies from all over Spain and has AI as one of its main topics.
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During the board meeting, the entity addressed the projects it is currently developing in Catalonia, as well as the promotion of AI within the organization and progress in other strategic priorities of the group. The bank also highlighted its commitment to Catalan companies and its willingness to strengthen its presence in the territory.
The Board bets on AI as a driver of business growth
BBVA president Carlos Torres Vila has stated that companies are one of the bank’s strategic priorities. As he explained, the entity wants to become a key partner for its clients, not only through financing but also by offering support at every stage of their growth and development.
The commitment to Catalan companies is also reflected in the financing data. During the first quarter of 2026, the entity granted nearly 5 billion euros in new financing to SMEs and large companies in Catalonia, representing an increase of 16.8% compared to the same period of the previous year. In addition, more than 8,000 companies in the territory chose BBVA as their new bank in the first months of the fiscal year.
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The business sessions, held over two days, include different sessions focused on some of the main challenges companies currently face. Among them are the adaptation to the emergence of artificial intelligence, digital transformation, and the current international economic and geopolitical context, marked by uncertainty and slowdown in some markets.
The panel seeks to strengthen the relationship between client and company
Within the framework of these sessions, a panel on innovation and AI applied to business stands out, where the entity sees “a driver of business growth.” Antonio Bravo, global head of data at BBVA; and Matt Weaver, from OpenAI, owner of ChatGPT and with whom BBVA has an agreement to integrate generative artificial intelligence into banking business and transform both the relationship with clients and the bank’s internal operations, will participate.
The meetings will also feature the participation of José García Casteleiro, head of corporate and institutional banking at BBVA in Spain, and Jaime Sáenz de Tejada, global head of corporate and institutional banking at BBVA. Also participating will be Rafael Doménech, head of economic analysis at BBVA Research; economist and board member of the Bank of Spain Judith Arnal; and professor of the department of operations management, innovation, and data science at Esade, Xavier Ferràs.
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