BBVA, the top Spanish bank in the Financial Times ranking, ‘Europe’s Diversity Leaders’

The ranking includes 850 companies, and is based on a survey of more than 100,000 employees, in which they ranked their employer on various components of diversity and equality, specifically issues related to age, gender, ethnicity, disabilities and sexual orientation.

In addition to the survey, indicators on all companies’ commitment to diversity were also taken into account, such as the percentage of women in management positions and communication encouraging diversity.

“The diversity challenge is a transformative pillar for any company. At BBVA, we are committed to diversity as one of the key components of creating a better work environment, offering our employees opportunities for development and meeting our customers’ needs more effectively,” explained Cristina Gabriel, Head of Diversity, Inclusion and Equity.

In 2024, the bank vamped up its initiatives related to gender diversity, LGBTIQ+ inclusion, generational diversity, ethnicity and the integration of people with disabilities; recognizing that each person contributes valuable perspectives that enrich both the organization and society as a whole.

In terms of gender diversity, the bank held the second edition of the program ‘Yo Soy Talento Feminino’ (I am female talent) across the Group. In Mexico, BBVA continued to make strides in the ‘Journey de maternidad’ (Maternity journey) with the aim of improving the experience of employees planning to take maternity leave, and has also created 418 nursing rooms so far. In Turkey and Argentina, new protocols for action were developed for situations of domestic violence with a series of mandatory training sessions and talks.

When it comes to LGBTIQ+ inclusion, the report ‘Managing LGBTIQ+ Diversity in Spain’ was presented, co-authored by REDI. Furthermore, BBVA’s commercial branches were identified in Google as ‘LGBTIQ+ friendly’. In Mexico, a ‘reverse mentoring’ program was launched to raise awareness of the real stories experienced by members of the LGBTIQ+ community, and a partnership was signed with Pride Connection.

Regarding generational diversity, BBVA collaborated with the Transforma Foundation to hold the third edition of the ‘Added Value Awards’. And in terms of ethnic diversity, Colombia organized a self-recognition campaign for ethnic minority employees so they can identify themselves as such in the bank’s systems.

Finally, in terms of the integration of people with disabilities, a pilot program was created in collaboration with the Prodis Foundation to incorporate people with intellectual disabilities in various areas of BBVA. The partnership with the company Specialisterne also remains in place to include people with autism spectrum disorder in the bank. And in Peru, BBVA received the recognition of ASISEP for its accessibility in communication with deaf people through sign language.