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Javier Rodríguez Soler, head of sustainability and corporate and investment banking (CIB) at BBVA, takes the long view when it comes to investing. "Sustainability is no longer a political theme; it is an economic one," he said. "Investment decisions in sectors such as energy, infrastructure or industry are not made with a five- or 10-year horizon, but with a 30- or 40-year perspective." Over time, he said, "sustainability will be fully embedded in financial products, risk frameworks and capital allocation."
Over the past year, under Rodríguez Soler's leadership, BBVA CIB has grown its own sustainable finance initiatives through digital innovation and partnerships. Projects involve sustainability-linked supply chain finance and tools that let clients assess their environmental impact in real time. A partnership with global investment firm KKR aims to develop digital tools that support energy transition, and another with global trade solutions firm Olea enables the digitization of supply chain finance for multinational clients.
Rodríguez Soler has also been a key supporter of technological transformations such as BBVA's AI Banker; CIB has been among the first of the bank's divisions to use the platform. "We are deploying AI both to enhance relationship managers' capabilities, helping them anticipate client needs and structure solutions more effectively, and in wholesale underwriting, where AI supports faster and more consistent credit decision processes," he said.
Adoption of the tool has been strong, he added, "because our professionals understand that AI enhances their expertise rather than replaces it."
Rodríguez Soler also led infrastructure and analytics upgrades at BBVA, helping to boost the bank's sector-based coverage model for global clients by using digital tools and market data to support investment opportunities and risk management. The model helped power a record 2025 for CIB, which posted $7.41 billion in revenues (+29% YoY) and $3.47 billion in attributable profit (+32%).
Rodríguez Soler, based in Houston and directly overseeing a team of 25 senior leaders across key global markets, acknowledges that managing cross-border initiatives can be challenging. "Geopolitical fragmentation and regulatory divergence have made cross-border banking more complex," he said. "But for BBVA, cross-border is structural; around 44% of our CIB activity involves more than one country." With core markets in Spain, Mexico, Turkey and South America, and a CIB presence in 25 countries and financial hubs including New York and London, he said, "we originate business locally, with deep client relationships and balance sheet capacity, and execute globally through a single integrated platform."
