BBVA USA January Recap: Workplace equality, industry recognitions, and renewed sponsorship

HOUSTON, Feb. 25, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- In January, BBVA USA received a perfect score of 100 on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation's 2020 Corporate Equality Index, marking the third consecutive year that the bank has been listed among top U.S. businesses leading in LGBTQ workplace equality.

BBVA USA was also recognized in January by financial magazine Global Finance as the best treasury and cash management service provider in southwest U.S. for the second year in a row.

Last month, BBVA USA announced that its President and CEO Javier Rodríguez Soler was featured as one of the most notable national financial executives in The Business Journal's 2019 Influencers: Finance list, an annual feature which spotlights 100 executives who are having an impact on business being done in communities across the U.S.

Also, in January, BBVA USA recommitted to University of Alabama Athletics in a new three-year marketing agreement, continuing as an exclusive sponsor of the Crimson Tide through 2023.

Ending the month, BBVA USA released its fourth quarter and full-year earnings results for 2019.

Presented below are articles and news from January 2019 that were posted on the bank's online newsroom and global media platform, bbva.com.

Corporate News

BBVA USA reports fourth quarter and full-year 2019 results
For full-year 2019, BBVA USA reported a net income of $153 million. "Despite the challenging interest rate environment, we were able to post positive revenue growth, control expenses and achieve record operating income of $1.3 billion in 2019," said Javier Rodríguez Soler, president and CEO of BBVA USA.

BBVA USA earns 100 percent on Human Rights Campaign Foundation's Annual Scorecard on LGBTQ Workplace Equality
BBVA USA received a perfect score of 100 on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation's 2020 Corporate Equality Index, the nation's premier benchmarking survey and report on corporate policies and practices related to LGBTQ workplace equality. The bank joins the ranks of over 680 major U.S. businesses that also earned top marks this year.

BBVA USA President and CEO listed as a notable financial executive in the USA by The Business Journals national network
Javier Rodríguez Soler, BBVA USA President & CEO, has been listed by The Business Journals as one of the most influential financial executives in the U.S. The publication's list spotlights executives who are impacting business being done in communities across the nation and "are positioned to have an impact on matters of business and finance in myriad areas."

BBVA USA recommits to University of Alabama Athletics in new three-year exclusive sponsorship agreement
BBVA has announced a new three-year marketing agreement with University of Alabama Athletics, continuing as an exclusive presenting and supporting sponsor of multiple student-athlete initiatives through 2023. The bank and the university have been in a sponsorship agreement for the past eight years.

Barth appointed to the BBVA USA Bancshares, Inc. board of directors
Carin Marcy Barth has become the newest member of BBVA USA Bancshares, Inc. Board of Directors. With a career spanning ? both in the private and public sectors ? more than 33 years, Barth brings a vast depth of experience to the board.

BBVA Wealth Solutions, Inc. names Jorge Unda its Chief Investment Officer
BBVA USA has appointed Jorge Unda as Chief Investment Officer of its asset management units. In his new role, Unda is responsible for overseeing the asset management functions of both the bank's Asset Management & Trust division and those of BBVA Wealth Solutions, Inc., a registered investment adviser affiliate of the bank.

Market Spotlight

BBVA USA promotes Luis Ramirez to Corporate Banking Manager in the Denver area
BBVA USA has appointed Luis Ramirez to Corporate Banking Manager in the Denver area, adding to a growing operation in the bank's Colorado commercial team. The promotion places Ramirez, a veteran banker with 21 years of experience in commercial and corporate banking, in a thriving market that saw 163 new startups form in downtown Denver alone this past year.

Business Unit Spotlight

Customer Net Promoter Scores continued upward growth for BBVA USA's Global Wealth team in 2019
From 2018 to 2019, BBVA USA's Global Wealth team saw a more than nine point rise in Net Promoter Score via its client experience program, which consistently measures and aims to improve client satisfaction.

Bustillo: "We're always looking at ways to create a better customer experience"
For 30-plus years, BBVA USA Head of Commercial and Wealth Rafael Bustillo has been instrumental in the bank's transformation. In this interview, he looked ahead and gave his thoughts about the challenges and opportunities facing his team in 2020.

Wealth management in the 2020s: "It will be necessary...to push for innovation through analytics"
In 2018, Hector Chacon took the helm of BBVA USA's Global Wealth team. Now a year into his position, he has been able to reflect upon 2019 and share his outlook for his team and the wealth management sector in the 2020s.

BBVA.com From small potatoes, literally, to BBVA USA Houston CEO: The Path of Dillan Knudson
Dillan Knudson has taken somewhat of a circuitous route throughout his career in the financial industry ? and beyond ? leading to his recent appointment as BBVA Houston CEO. However, it's this background, he claims, that has helped him formulate the way in which he works, serves his clients, and how he leads a team.

Working for our Customers: Branch Retail Executives
In this article, we highlighted the Branch Retail Executive position at BBVA and shared the importance of the role with insight from BBVA USA Branch Retail Executive Kyle Taylor.

Digital Banking & Innovation

Working for Our Customers: Data Decoders
BBVA is on the leading edge of the data analysis field, deploying data and analytics professionals across its global footprint to better serve and amaze its customers.

Working for Our Customers: Cybersecurity experts work to serve and protect
As part of the bank's cybersecurity team, BBVA USA IT Security Analyst Shawn Sharp shared why safeguarding BBVA's operations from wrongdoers is critical to protecting customers and their assets, as well as the bank's brand.

Responsible Business

Bryan-College Station community organizations granted a total of $22.5K from the BBVA USA Foundation
A total of six community organizations in the Bryan-College Station area were awarded a sum of $22,500 in grants from the BBVA USA Foundation. The grants are part of the bank's overall commitment to community development across its U.S. footprint. In October 2019, BBVA USA pledged to put nearly $15.5 billion in lending, investments and services toward supporting its communities over the next six years.

BBVA USA highlights focus on financial education at Boston College Corporate Citizenship Film Festival
BBVA USA highlighted the work its employees do to share knowledge and empower community members through financial education in its recent submission to the Boston College Corporate Citizenship Film Festival.

Economic Research

American Bankers Association reports economists expect continued economic growth, stable interest rates
BBVA Chief U.S. Economist Nathaniel Karp, a member of the American Bankers Association Economic Advisory Committee, joined the group's other 14 economists in providing a detailed forecast for the coming year. The committee expects the U.S. economy to continue to grow, add jobs and support wage gains in coming years, though they say that rate is moderating.

BBVA Research shares U.S. Economic Pulse for January 2020
In January, BBVA Research shared its publication, U.S. Macroeconomic Pulse, noting baseline growth of 1.8% in 2020 and highlighting model-based recession projections around 30% over the next 24 months.

Resource Articles

The Mind Bank: Sports app evolution is intense - but so is the sports world
In this article, BBVA explored how sports apps are transforming the sports entertainment industry ? a quickly-evolving business that seemingly takes its digital operations to a new level each year.

For more BBVA news visit, www.bbva.com and the U.S. Newsroom.

Additional news updates can be found via Twitter and Instagram.

For more financial information about BBVA Compass, visit bbvausa.investorroom.com.

About BBVA

BBVA Group
BBVA (NYSE: BBVA) is a customer-centric global financial services group founded in 1857. The Group has a strong leadership position in the Spanish market, is the largest financial institution in Mexico, it has leading franchises in South America and the Sunbelt Region of the United States. It is also the leading shareholder in Turkey's Garanti BBVA. Its purpose is to bring the age of opportunities to everyone, based on our customers' real needs: provide the best solutions, helping them make the best financial decisions, through an easy and convenient experience. The institution rests in solid values: Customer comes first, we think big and we are one team. Its responsible banking model aspires to achieve a more inclusive and sustainable society.

BBVA USA
In the U.S., BBVA is a Sunbelt-based financial institution that operates 641 branches, including 330 in Texas, 89 in Alabama, 63 in Arizona, 61 in California, 44 in Florida, 37 in Colorado and 17 in New Mexico. The bank ranks among the top 25 largest U.S. commercial banks based on deposit market share and ranks among the largest banks in Alabama (2nd), Texas (4th) and Arizona (6th). In the U.S., BBVA has been recognized as one of the leading small business lenders by the Small Business Administration (SBA) and ranked 8th nationally in terms of dollar volume of SBA loans originated in fiscal year 2018.

SOURCE BBVA USA