BBVA appoints Jacobo de Nicolás as global legal chief
BBVA has appointed Jacobo de Nicolás as its new global head of Legal, replacing María Jesús Arribas as part of a wider renewal of the bank’s leadership team aimed at driving its transformation in a business environment increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence.
The changes, which are generally effective from 1 September, are designed to simplify BBVA’s organisational structure and strengthen the integration of related functions. All the new executives come from within the group.
Wider leadership reshuffle
The appointment forms part of a broader reorganisation led by BBVA chairman Carlos Torres Vila and chief executive Onur Genç.
Other changes include Gonzalo Rodríguez becoming Group CFO, replacing Luisa Gómez Bravo, while Victoria del Castillo will lead Talent & Culture and Roberto Albaladejo will take over Strategy & M&A.
In addition, Mario Pardo will lead a newly created Institutional Engagement area, while José Luis Elechiguerra will become Country Manager of BBVA Mexico and Pablo Pastor will take over Global Risk Management.
The profile
De Nicolás joins the bank’s global leadership team after serving as Director General of Legal Services at BBVA Mexico, a position he has held since 2023.
He joined BBVA in 2004 as a lawyer within the Investment Banking Legal Services team and has since held several senior positions across the legal function, including Director of Legal Services for Financial and Regulatory Areas and Director of Corporate Legal Services.
Before joining BBVA, de Nicolás worked as a lawyer at Uría Menéndez. He succeeds María Jesús Arribas, who is among the senior executives concluding their executive careers at BBVA following the leadership reshuffle. The bank said Arribas, together with other departing executives, is expected to remain linked to BBVA through initiatives of interest to the Group and, in some cases, through board positions at subsidiaries, subject to the applicable appointment processes.
