The Essentials of BBVA (Part II) : the Wholesale Banking Team
The COVID-19 healthcare crisis has changed all of our lives, both personally and professionally. The situation in the financial markets has not been easy; it has required new ways of doing things and has forced us to rapidly adapt to a context where both client demand and the type of products they need has changed. Many corporate clients have needed liquidity and have looked to banks to take exceptional steps to help their businesses weather the crisis. BBVA has been there for our clients the whole time. In a new installment from the series ‘The Essentials of BBVA,’ Cristina, Sandra, and Maria tell us about their experiences during the crisis, what kind of support they have provided their clients, and how they have faced the unique challenges of this situation.
Featured in this video, Cristina Boboc, Sandra Crespo, and María Martínez work in different areas of BBVA’s wholesale banking unit. The three women each normally work out of the bank's Madrid headquarters, but because of the situation — and like everyone else in the Corporate & Investment Banking unit (CIB) — they have had to work remotely from home over the past weeks.
Despite the difficult situation, the wholesale business has been 100 percent operational from the onset of the crisis, thus able to respond to its corporate clients’ and institutional investors’ financial needs. In the video, Sandra Crespo, from CIB’s client area, explains how they were able to successfully and efficiently close a complex syndicated financing deal: “In these challenging, uncertain times it is paramount that we are are very close to the clients so that we can fully understand their needs and be able to offer solutions, proactively and quickly.”
Cristina Boboc, from the international trade operations team, highlights the important role that banks play in the import and export of goods. The daily coordination between teams across different geographic regions has been fundamental to overcoming hurdles, to continuing to provide quality service to clients, and ensuring they have financing for their international commerce.
María Martínez, a trader on our equity team has already returned to her office in BBVA’s trading room. Despite the stress that market uncertainty causes her job, she feels especially proud of the fact that she has been able to support her clients when they needed her most. “Thanks to the products that are created in the global markets area, many clients have the opportunity to invest in the stock market, better and more safely, and thus place themselves in a better position to self-finance, kick off new projects, and create employment,” she says.
Our colleagues at CIB are yet another clear example of how the BBVA team has risen to the occasion and been able to help improve the financial health of our clients.