Bankinter's chairman takes his leave at the Annual General Meeting, emphasising his pride at having had the opportunity to contribute to the “extraordinary progress” made by the bank
- Pedro Guerrero emphasised in his speech that the bank has established “a far more diversified, profitable and resilient business model.”
- María Dolores Dancausa, chief executive officer of Bankinter, emphasised that the bank “has doubled its total assets, and achieved a 5.6-fold” increase in its profits since 2010, in addition to expanding internationally in the Eurozone and strengthening its diversification.
- The CEO dedicated offered her gratitude and recognition to the bank's 6,500 professionals, who are “the true architects” of what the banks represents today, and also to the chairman for his outstanding contribution to the Group over 33 years and his “brilliant career and leadership”.
- Gloria Ortiz is appointed executive director by the Annual General Meeting and appointed by the board as the new chief executive officer.
The chairman of Bankinter, Pedro Guerrero, today rounded off his 17 years as chairman of the bank and another 16 on the board of directors with his final speech to the bank's annual general meeting.
Pedro Guerrero, a key figure at Bankinter, wanted to conclude his farewell by offering words of gratitude. “Gratitude to the bank's customers, who with their loyalty have given meaning to our work and who, with their high levels of expectation, have driven us to continually improve”. And also “gratitude to the people who work at Bankinter”, who “form an exceptional human team, which constitutes our main strength”. And he added that “it has been an honour to have been your chairman for so long”. He also expressed his “gratitude” to our shareholders “for their trust” and pointed out that the bank has a “core of stable shareholders committed to the bank's project in the long term” which is “an extremely valuable” and “unique asset”.
Summing up, Bankinter's chairman emphasised that “over the course of his 17-year tenure we have established a far more diversified, profitable and resilient” business model at Bankinter.
The departure of Pedro Guerrero marks the end of a brilliant stage at the bank and paves the way for a new one, since his departure will be followed by the appointment of María Dolores Dancausa, chief executive officer of Bankinter, as the new chairman of the bank, by the board of directors at a meeting after the annual general meeting.
Guerrero offered some words of praise for María Dolores Dancausa's executive career at the bank, highlighting the “outstanding results” of recent years, “which have made us a benchmark in the international financial system”. He said that her appointment as the new chairman, after serving “as chief executive officer of Bankinter since 2010, is a guarantee for the future”.
He also expressed “his pride at having been able, in accordance with his responsibilities, to contribute to the bank's exceptional development” over the last 17 years.
Our chairman also pointed out that the bank is one of the five most resilient in Europe, as evidenced by the latest stress tests conducted by the European Banking Authority (EBA). And he also highlighted the significant progress of various businesses.
In this regard, he drew attention to the profitability of the bank, whose RoE (return on equity) increased “by an impressive six percentage points to 17.1% in the year”. He also praised the bank's solvency, with a CET1 fully-loaded capital ratio of 12.3%, which stood almost five points above the regulatory minimum required of our bank by the ECB at the end of the year”.
He also dedicated a special section to Sustainability, which is increasingly strategic in the bank and with the progress of which he expressed particular satisfaction. It is with good reason “that it has been recognised by analysts and the leading ESG rating agencies”. In this regard he noted that “we were included for the sixth consecutive year in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index, a distinction afforded to the top-performing companies in the world in this field”.
Pedro Guerrero pointed out that the bank has implemented successive Sustainability plans, the last of which covers the 2021-2023 period and has delivered “significant achievements with a view to fostering good governance, social development and environmental conservation in the countries in which we operate”.
Meanwhile, María Dolores Dancausa, chief executive officer of Bankinter, who will be appointed new non-executive chairman, has overseen a period of more than 13 years of international expansion at the head of Bankinter which has seen it become established as one of the leading financial institutions in the European market.
In her speech, Dancausa stressed that the bank's results are based “on very firm foundations”, which will enable it to continue “increasing its profitability and in size” in various businesses and countries.
She also recalled that the Group's profit after tax in 2023 was 845 million euros, up 51% in year-on-year terms and added that the bank presents “record figures” both on its balance sheet and in its main accounting lines, in addition to having set “record figures” for lendings, retail funds, net interest income and fees and in gross operating income.
She also highlighted the positive performance of corporate banking, commercial retail banking, Bankinter asset management, Bankinter Consumer Finance in the consumer business, Bankinter Investment in investment banking, as well as EVO Banco, and the business in Ireland, Portugal and Luxembourg, the three Eurozone markets in which the bank operates.
She dedicated a few words to summarising her 13 years as chief executive officer, as it is a “period” she described as “absolutely privileged and exceptional” and it ends “with our best ever results”, which is a source of great pride.
María Dolores Dancausa set out how, in this period, Bankinter carried out its international expansion in countries in the eurozone, which began in 2012 with the launch of Bankinter Luxembourg and continued with our establishment in Portugal in 2016 and in Ireland in 2019, simultaneously acquiring EVO Banco in Spain. However, the Group has also had to face historic challenges, from the financial crisis to the global pandemic caused by Covid. “But we overcame normal and exceptional difficulties” and, in that period, the bank “reported an increased profit” every year, and “only on two occasions, in the years related to the aforementioned events, was the annual result lower than the previous year”, Dancausa pointed out.
Thanks to this performance, Bankinter is today “a stronger, more profitable and more efficient bank, which has doubled its total assets in the period, and achieved a 5.6-fold increase in profit”, said our chief executive officer. And she stressed that the aspect that gives her the most pride has been the “consistency” of profit growth, “maintaining the principle of independence, without resorting to mergers”, which cause “many distractions”.
This final profit “is the source of everything”, said María Dolores Dancausa, in the sense that is the source of the dividend that shareholders receive and “of the future investments that will enable Bankinter to remain in the vanguard of the sector”, as well as “of everything that cements the strength of our balance sheet”.
She also recalled the IPO of Línea Directa Aseguradora, whose founding and management team included María Dolores Dancausa, who served as chief executive officer of this company. And she noted the satisfaction generated by the fact that “a banking business that is more vibrant and diversified than ever” by Bankinter replaced “in record time” the contribution to the profit that the insurer had when it was a subsidiary of the bank.
Our CEO expressed her “most sincere recognition and gratitude” for the 6,500 professionals who are part of Bankinter, “who are the true architects of the results“ of the bank and “represent the essence of Bankinter”, with “their commitment, their creativity, their spirit of innovation, and their hard work and daily effort”.
In another special part of her speech, she offered words of gratitude and recognition for his predecessor, Pedro Guerrero, for his contribution to the bank over 33 years and who “has been an exemplary chairman”. She added that succeeding him is “a considerable challenge, since to his knowledge, experience and supreme judgement we must add his enormous prestige in the financial sector”, as well as “his brilliant trajectory and leadership” in all the positions he has held and in the different business initiatives he has developed.
Likewise, she also dedicated a moment of her speech to her successor, Gloria Ortiz, who has been part of the management team since María Dolores Dancausa arrived at Bankinter in 2010 “and is therefore responsible for all the successes we have had at the bank”, of which she has “exceptional knowledge”. Now, she will be “responsible for launching new initiatives and projects that will take Bankinter to new heights of success”.
The Annual General Meeting has approved the appointment of Gloria Ortiz Portero as director of the bank. Ortiz was previously director of commercial retail banking. After her entry to the board, she will be appointed by this administrative body as the new chief executive officer to replace María Dolores Dancausa.
The election by the board of María Dolores Dancausa as non-executive chairman will make the bank the only Ibex 35 company with two women in the main administration and management positions.
The Annual General Meeting has also approved the appointment of Teresa Paz-Ares Rodríguez as a new independent external director following the departure of Fernando Francés since, at his own request, his position is not subject to re-election.
With this appointment, the number of women on the board increases to seven of a total of 11 members. This means women now account for 64% of the board (the figure was 45.5% previously), well above the recommendations of good government and best practices in this area, both nationally and internationally. The number of independent directors remains at 54.6% of the board.
Pedro Guerrero, a key figure at Bankinter, wanted to conclude his farewell by offering words of gratitude. “Gratitude to the bank's customers, who with their loyalty have given meaning to our work and who, with their high levels of expectation, have driven us to continually improve”. And also “gratitude to the people who work at Bankinter”, who “form an exceptional human team, which constitutes our main strength”. And he added that “it has been an honour to have been your chairman for so long”. He also expressed his “gratitude” to our shareholders “for their trust” and pointed out that the bank has a “core of stable shareholders committed to the bank's project in the long term” which is “an extremely valuable” and “unique asset”.
Summing up, Bankinter's chairman emphasised that “over the course of his 17-year tenure we have established a far more diversified, profitable and resilient” business model at Bankinter.
The departure of Pedro Guerrero marks the end of a brilliant stage at the bank and paves the way for a new one, since his departure will be followed by the appointment of María Dolores Dancausa, chief executive officer of Bankinter, as the new chairman of the bank, by the board of directors at a meeting after the annual general meeting.
Guerrero offered some words of praise for María Dolores Dancausa's executive career at the bank, highlighting the “outstanding results” of recent years, “which have made us a benchmark in the international financial system”. He said that her appointment as the new chairman, after serving “as chief executive officer of Bankinter since 2010, is a guarantee for the future”.
He also expressed “his pride at having been able, in accordance with his responsibilities, to contribute to the bank's exceptional development” over the last 17 years.
Our chairman also pointed out that the bank is one of the five most resilient in Europe, as evidenced by the latest stress tests conducted by the European Banking Authority (EBA). And he also highlighted the significant progress of various businesses.
In this regard, he drew attention to the profitability of the bank, whose RoE (return on equity) increased “by an impressive six percentage points to 17.1% in the year”. He also praised the bank's solvency, with a CET1 fully-loaded capital ratio of 12.3%, which stood almost five points above the regulatory minimum required of our bank by the ECB at the end of the year”.
He also dedicated a special section to Sustainability, which is increasingly strategic in the bank and with the progress of which he expressed particular satisfaction. It is with good reason “that it has been recognised by analysts and the leading ESG rating agencies”. In this regard he noted that “we were included for the sixth consecutive year in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index, a distinction afforded to the top-performing companies in the world in this field”.
Pedro Guerrero pointed out that the bank has implemented successive Sustainability plans, the last of which covers the 2021-2023 period and has delivered “significant achievements with a view to fostering good governance, social development and environmental conservation in the countries in which we operate”.
María Dolores Dancausa will be appointed new non-executive chairman by the board
Meanwhile, María Dolores Dancausa, chief executive officer of Bankinter, who will be appointed new non-executive chairman, has overseen a period of more than 13 years of international expansion at the head of Bankinter which has seen it become established as one of the leading financial institutions in the European market.
In her speech, Dancausa stressed that the bank's results are based “on very firm foundations”, which will enable it to continue “increasing its profitability and in size” in various businesses and countries.
She also recalled that the Group's profit after tax in 2023 was 845 million euros, up 51% in year-on-year terms and added that the bank presents “record figures” both on its balance sheet and in its main accounting lines, in addition to having set “record figures” for lendings, retail funds, net interest income and fees and in gross operating income.
She also highlighted the positive performance of corporate banking, commercial retail banking, Bankinter asset management, Bankinter Consumer Finance in the consumer business, Bankinter Investment in investment banking, as well as EVO Banco, and the business in Ireland, Portugal and Luxembourg, the three Eurozone markets in which the bank operates.
She dedicated a few words to summarising her 13 years as chief executive officer, as it is a “period” she described as “absolutely privileged and exceptional” and it ends “with our best ever results”, which is a source of great pride.
María Dolores Dancausa set out how, in this period, Bankinter carried out its international expansion in countries in the eurozone, which began in 2012 with the launch of Bankinter Luxembourg and continued with our establishment in Portugal in 2016 and in Ireland in 2019, simultaneously acquiring EVO Banco in Spain. However, the Group has also had to face historic challenges, from the financial crisis to the global pandemic caused by Covid. “But we overcame normal and exceptional difficulties” and, in that period, the bank “reported an increased profit” every year, and “only on two occasions, in the years related to the aforementioned events, was the annual result lower than the previous year”, Dancausa pointed out.
Thanks to this performance, Bankinter is today “a stronger, more profitable and more efficient bank, which has doubled its total assets in the period, and achieved a 5.6-fold increase in profit”, said our chief executive officer. And she stressed that the aspect that gives her the most pride has been the “consistency” of profit growth, “maintaining the principle of independence, without resorting to mergers”, which cause “many distractions”.
This final profit “is the source of everything”, said María Dolores Dancausa, in the sense that is the source of the dividend that shareholders receive and “of the future investments that will enable Bankinter to remain in the vanguard of the sector”, as well as “of everything that cements the strength of our balance sheet”.
She also recalled the IPO of Línea Directa Aseguradora, whose founding and management team included María Dolores Dancausa, who served as chief executive officer of this company. And she noted the satisfaction generated by the fact that “a banking business that is more vibrant and diversified than ever” by Bankinter replaced “in record time” the contribution to the profit that the insurer had when it was a subsidiary of the bank.
Our CEO expressed her “most sincere recognition and gratitude” for the 6,500 professionals who are part of Bankinter, “who are the true architects of the results“ of the bank and “represent the essence of Bankinter”, with “their commitment, their creativity, their spirit of innovation, and their hard work and daily effort”.
In another special part of her speech, she offered words of gratitude and recognition for his predecessor, Pedro Guerrero, for his contribution to the bank over 33 years and who “has been an exemplary chairman”. She added that succeeding him is “a considerable challenge, since to his knowledge, experience and supreme judgement we must add his enormous prestige in the financial sector”, as well as “his brilliant trajectory and leadership” in all the positions he has held and in the different business initiatives he has developed.
Likewise, she also dedicated a moment of her speech to her successor, Gloria Ortiz, who has been part of the management team since María Dolores Dancausa arrived at Bankinter in 2010 “and is therefore responsible for all the successes we have had at the bank”, of which she has “exceptional knowledge”. Now, she will be “responsible for launching new initiatives and projects that will take Bankinter to new heights of success”.
Appointment of Gloria Ortiz as executive director
The Annual General Meeting has approved the appointment of Gloria Ortiz Portero as director of the bank. Ortiz was previously director of commercial retail banking. After her entry to the board, she will be appointed by this administrative body as the new chief executive officer to replace María Dolores Dancausa.
The election by the board of María Dolores Dancausa as non-executive chairman will make the bank the only Ibex 35 company with two women in the main administration and management positions.
Women account for 64% of the board of directors
The Annual General Meeting has also approved the appointment of Teresa Paz-Ares Rodríguez as a new independent external director following the departure of Fernando Francés since, at his own request, his position is not subject to re-election.
With this appointment, the number of women on the board increases to seven of a total of 11 members. This means women now account for 64% of the board (the figure was 45.5% previously), well above the recommendations of good government and best practices in this area, both nationally and internationally. The number of independent directors remains at 54.6% of the board.
