Banco Santander has hired Ignacio Juliá, until now CEO of ING for Spain and Portugal, as the next CEO for Spain, replacing Ángel Rivera, as the bank reported this Friday in a press release.
Rivera, who was appointed to his current position at the end of 2022, will leave his position on October 1, once regulatory approvals have been obtained for Juliá’s appointment. After that date, Rivera will remain at the bank until the end of the year to support the transition. He will then leave the group with the aim of developing his professional career in other areas of the corporate world.
Santander stressed that Rivera was leaving his position having exceeded the objectives set for him when he was appointed CEO of Santander Spain, with more than a million customers acquired and “recurring and profitable” growth.
Juliá’s appointment “will help accelerate the process of transforming the business model to provide better customer service and, at the same time, generate greater growth and efficiency,” explains Santander.
Rivera joined the group in April 2013 as head of distribution of the office network in Spain. He was also general manager of the group’s commercial banking division between 2015 and 2017 and played a key role in the bank’s commercial transformation in Mexico. In 2020, he rejoined Santander Spain.
“We are delighted to announce the incorporation of Ignacio Juliá as CEO of Santander Spain. He is a young professional, with extensive experience in the banking model that we want to be. I am convinced that his experience and profile will help us accelerate the implementation of global platforms and drive Santander’s growth in Spain,” said Banco Santander Executive Chairwoman Ana Botín.
Vacant position at ING
The position left vacant by Juliá at ING will be filled on an interim basis by Almudena Román, who left the retail banking department in June to become general manager of Business Development.
Juliá has been CEO of ING since January 2021. The Dutch bank highlighted that during his tenure, the company in Spain achieved “significant growth”, tripling its profits and driving the transformation of the company.
Almudena Román has been with ING since 1999 and was part of the team that launched the bank in Spain. In 2008, she joined the bank’s management committee, as Director of Marketing and Brand Management and since November 2013, she has led ING’s retail banking activities.
Alongside the announcement of the signing of ING’s CEO, the Dutch bank announced the appointment of Michael John Bredorede as ING’s new CFO for Spain and Portugal. The change will take effect on October 1, succeeding Sara González, who is also leaving the entity.
