The Institute of International Finance (IIF) today held its first Regtech Innovation Lab, hosted by BBVA, bringing together IIF member firms and public sector officials to connect with regtech firms offering new technology solutions to growing regulatory and compliance challenges for financial institutions.

BBVA’s Innovation Center in Madrid hosted today the first global RegTech event,organized by the Institute of International Finance (IIF). The event was devised to foster interaction between regulators, financial institutions and technology firms specializing in the development of solutions aimed at supporting the regulatory compliance efforts of the banking industry. The meeting was attended by prominent members of the IIF, including BBVA’s Executive Chairman.

Regtech is the new concept that is revolutionizing financial technology. Regtech is paving the way for a new wave of startups that, leveraging technologies such as cloud computing or big data, are looking to save banks a lot of the time and resources they devote to ensure regulatory compliance.

Spain’s corporate sector is the most endebted in Europe, and for most companies, banks have traditionally been the main source of funding.  For many this continues to be the case – particularly as in the current cero interest rate environment banks have become more competitive and less expensive. However, for those corporates looking to diversify their funding sources, or in search of longer tenors, a high yield bond issuance may be a good alternative.

BBVA Compass announced that José ‘Pepe’ Olalla has been tapped as its Head of Business Development, an interim post he has held since December 2015 and one that plays a key role in the bank’s ongoing digital transformation in the face of changing consumer demands.

Investors, customers and society in general are demanding increasingly higher levels of transparency. There is also regulation accompanying these new demands, as illustrated by the EU directives on non-financial information that will become applicable in 2017.

The financial sector is the biggest investor in technology. But to be able to continue doing so and increase that competitive advantage it must be up to date. The event on computing technologies in the financial sector held at the BBVA Innovation Center in Madrid addressed the different technological paths that the financial ecosystem needs to follow to make the most of innovation.

The potential resolution of a bank could have major ramifications on the economies where it operates. During the recent financial crisis, authorities have had to pump funds to prevent some institutions from collapsing.  Having learned their lesson, they are taking steps to prevent taxpayers from having to foot the bill of eventual bank insolvencies in the future. This means that, from now on, the ailing bank’s shareholders and investors will shoulder part of the bailout. And the key to who pays first lies in a bank’s balance sheet. Therefore, banks with robust balance sheets, i.e., which have the resources to assume unexpected losses, will become more attractive both for investors and savers.

A bank is not like any other company. Its main activity consists of using money from savers to lend to those requesting credit. This means that a bank’s balance sheet is somewhat different from a company that is not a financial institution. To be sure you’ve got it clear, we have summarized the main characteristics of a bank’s balance sheet below.

Eduardo Ávila is one of those Cordovans without a discernible accent… until the high speed train reaches the Caliphal city station. We sit before him, ready to listen to someone who knows the tempestuous world of banking regulation like the back of his hand. Right from the start, it is clear he has a keen sense of humor.

He studied at the University College of Financial Studies (CUNEF) and holds a Master’s degree from the University of Reading (U.K.). He has worked for BBVA since 1992, starting as an intern in Argentaria. Since then, he left Spain to continue his professional growth in BBVA in Portugal, Peru and Mexico.

Married with three children, he enjoys his family and biking. An avid reader, books pile up on his night stand because of “the amount of materials you have to review nowadays to stay up to date.”

He vacations in the south, in his childhood hometown of Cordoba, with the exception of the few days he spends in Rota, Cadiz.

He reviews the recent changes in financial regulation with us, how BBVA deals with these changes and how the bank complies with very different regulations in so many countries.