Carlos Casas: “Banks’ role is to become a key actor in the development and creation of opportunities”
The Global Head of Talent and Culture at BBVA, Carlos Casas, stressed that in a rapidly changing environment like the one we are facing, where technology and demand patterns transform quickly, “talent management has to focus on training and guiding our employees so they can take advantage of the professional opportunities they are going to find at BBVA.” In this regard, he believes that “banks’ role is to become a key actor in the development and creation of opportunities.”
“One of the fundamental challenges we face is putting the focus on leadership - not understood as the leadership among bosses, rather each employee’s responsibility and commitment,” he said during his presentation at the 26th Financial Meeting organized by ABC, Deloitte and Sociedad de Tasación.
The changes taking place in the banking industry are reflected in the way banks manage talent. For the Global Head of Talent and Culture at BBVA, managing human capital is crucial in this new environment. “In the previous model, talent management was very predictable and professional development expectations were clearly defined.” This situation has radically changed and in this new paradigm, “talent management has to focus on preparing our employees for the new skills they will need to take advantage of the opportunities they encounter.”
The introduction to agile methodologies has contributed to this transformation. For Casas, “what you used to be able to plan annually no longer works. Going from rigid planning cycles to a live agenda of projects and initiatives that we can reposition and redirect has drastically changed the way we work at the bank.” He also recalled that over 30,000 people are working in “agile” at BBVA - an exponential change “that is helping us meet our objectives and a process that we continue to learn from.”
Attitudes and new skills
Casas underscored the importance of training and finding talent with these new technical skills the industry is demanding (design, programming, advanced data analytics), but “without forgetting attitudes: ambition, energy, continuous learning and values.” He cited some examples such as the Datathon initiative to bring in young talent through a programming and advanced data analytics challenge, or by training more than 5,000 employees in “design thinking”.
This new reality also has an impact on the sales network. The digital transformation has changed the way the bank interacts with customers. Therefore, determining the future role of the sales network is fundamental. “Our job as a bank is to give our customers all the information they need to make the best financial decisions. In order to achieve this, the advice the sales network can provide is fundamental,” he noted.
After reiterating the bank’s commitment to its customers and employees, Carlos Casas spoke of the bank’s responsibility with society as a whole. “As a financial actor, we have the role of financing the future - a sustainable future,” he emphasized. Examples such as the BBVA Microfinance Foundation in Latin America or Pledge 2025 are proof of this. “BBVA is one of the European leaders in green banking - with initiatives that pursue a more just and equal society,” he concluded.