BBVA - Press Room

The BBVA Group is the best European company at developing leadership skills according to Fortune magazine’s European ranking. The study rated highly the bank's management using criteria of reputation, leadership culture, behavior, business performance and development of human capital.

For the third year in a row, BBVA is one of the “Top Companies for leaders”, but in 2011 it ranked the best European company in leadership management. In the global ranking it was number 12 out of 25 businesses selected by Fortune from a sample of 500 companies.
The study, published by Fortune magazine in collaboration with Aon Hewitt and The RBL Group, identified the strong relationship at BBVA between its business strategy and its approach to leadership. The ranking recognizes the group's overall style, related to its reputation and its development of leaders.

BBVA's professional model guarantees that it always has the necessary talent and offers its professionals equal opportunities for promotion. This management policy has helped to create a constantly evolving and flexible management team.

Juan Ignacio Apoita, Director of Human Resources and Services at BBVA, says the award is recognition of the whole management of the BBVA team, and the values of the bank.

"At BBVA we aim to ensure the competitiveness of our teams via a model that focuses on professional development, with technology-based processes applied globally throughout the organization," says Mr Apoita.

Aon Hewitt believes that "strong leaders will engage a focus a workforce towards business strategies. The commitment to a holistic program for leadership is a cornerstone in the journey to financial success". 

This research is one of the most comprehensive studies in the market about leadership and its link to financial performance. It includes more than 1,200 survey items are 900 interviews with directors, assessing how organizations evaluate, select and retain executives.

Independent prestigious judges from the academic and specialized journalism worlds from around the globe took part in the study. Fortune is a is a global leader in business journalism known for its unrivaled access to industry leaders and decision makers.

Aon Hewitt is a world leader in human capital consulting and outsourcing solutions, with more than 29,000 professionals in 90 countries. Founded by widely recognized HR and leadership experts Dave Ulrich and Norm Smallwood, The RBL Group is a global professional services firm committed to creating value through the effective management of people and organizations.

Appendix: – Ranking “Top companies for leaders 2011”

European Ranking

1. BBVA
2. L'Oréal
3. Unilever 
4. ArcelorMittal 
5. Siemens AG
6. Raiffeisen Bank International AG
7. Novartis

Global Ranking

1. IBM
2. General Mills, Inc.
3. The Procter & Gamble Company
4. Aditya Birla Management Corporation
5. Colgate-Palmolive Company
6. Hindustan Unilever
7. ICICI Bank Limited
8. McDonald's Corporation
9. Whirlpool Corporation
10. PepsiCo, Inc
11. General Electric Company
12. Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria (BBVA)
13. Natura Cosmeticos S.A
14. Deere & Company
15. 3M Company
16. Eli Lilly and Company
17. McKinsey and Company
18. L'Oreal
19. Unilever plc
20. Siemens AG
21. Intel Corporation
22. China Vanke Co., Ltd.
23. Wipro Ltd.
24. Bharti Aritel
25. Novartis AG