Garcia Meyer Passes U.S. Leadership Reins to Sanchez

BIRMINGHAM, Ala., Sept. 29 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- BBVA Compass announced today that Manuel "Manolo" Sanchez, current president and CEO, will assume the role of BBVA U.S. Country Manager, accepting the reins from Jose Maria Garcia Meyer whose leadership has provided a strong foundation for BBVA's U.S. operations. As BBVA's U.S. Country Manager, Sanchez will serve as a member of the BBVA Group's Executive Committee, reporting to BBVA's president and COO, Angel Cano. Financial services industry veteran and current board member Lawrence "Larry" R. Uhlick will serve as the Chairman of the BBVA Compass and Compass Bancshares Boards of Directors.

Under the direction of Garcia Meyer, BBVA began its expansion in the U.S. in 2004. It acquired its first Texas bank, Laredo National Bank, in 2005. In November 2006, BBVA continued its expansion in the Lone Star State with the acquisition of Texas State Bank and State National Bank. The addition of Compass Bank in September 2007 significantly expanded BBVA's banking presence in the U.S., and provided a solid platform in the Sunbelt region. In 2009, BBVA Compass solidified its presence as Texas' fourth largest bank while gaining a toehold in California through the purchase of Guaranty Bank from the FDIC.

"After 11 years working overseas, I am pleased to begin an exciting new chapter in my career with the Group, knowing that BBVA's U.S. franchise is in good hands. I have had the privilege to work closely with Manolo for many years," said Jose Maria Garcia Meyer. "He has the vision, leadership skills and experience to guide our efforts as we embark upon this next stage in our development. In addition, Larry's extensive background will serve BBVA Compass well given the rapidly changing regulatory environment."

As BBVA U.S. Country Manager, Sanchez will be responsible for the operations of BBVA Compass, BBVA Puerto Rico, Bancomer Financial Holdings, and the Group's Global Markets and Corporate & Investment Banking interests in the U.S.

"As I step into my new role, I am mindful of the responsibility and privilege I have to further strengthen and develop BBVA's U.S. operations," said Manolo Sanchez. "Incredible opportunities exist to extend BBVA's recognized customer centric value proposition to more U.S. stakeholders. I look forward to working closely with Larry and all of our BBVA USA units and teams as we build upon the legacy and vision left by Jose Maria."

Sanchez began his career with BBVA in 1990 in the International Correspondent Banking area. His career advanced with a number of management positions and in 1999 he was appointed Director of the BBVA New York branch. In 2002, Sanchez joined the BBVA Bancomer team as Chief Risk Officer. Returning to the U.S. in 2005, he has held a number of increasingly responsible and strategic positions, including a lead role in the merger and integration of BBVA's four U.S. subsidiary banks. In December 2008, Sanchez assumed the helm of BBVA Compass.

In his new capacity, Uhlick will chair the companies' boards of directors, while also utilizing his extensive background to advise the company on policy, legislative, and regulatory matters and developments. Uhlick will also represent BBVA Compass in a variety of industry associations, working groups and boards. Uhlick became of a member of the BBVA Compass and Compass Bancshares boards of directors in January 2010.

Since 1987, Uhlick has held the position of Chief Executive Officer of the Institute of International Bankers (IIB), an association which represents internationally headquartered banking/financial institutions in the United States. Before joining the Institute, Uhlick worked at Morgan Guaranty Trust Company as Vice President and Assistant Resident Counsel. Prior to that, Uhlick was Vice President and Counsel of the New York Clearing House Association and practiced law with the international law firm of Davis Polk & Wardwell.

Leveraging his diverse market knowledge and years of experience, BBVA recently named Garcia Meyer to head its newly created Global Unit: Personal Financial Services (Consumer and Private) & Commercial Banking. This unit establishes a coordinated approach to consumer and commercial banking across all of BBVA's franchises (Spain & Portugal, Mexico, South America, U.S., and Asia). This area will develop and define business strategies and models that support the unique product needs of these important segments, particularly personal banking and small and mid-size commercial banking. Additionally, Garcia Meyer will be responsible for the establishment of global policies and procedures and the promotion of synergies and best practices across the Group. Functional reporting of BBVA franchises to this newly created global unit will be established. In his new role, Garcia Meyer will continue to serve as a member of BBVA's Executive Committee and report to BBVA's president and COO, Angel Cano.

Garcia Meyer is a 30 year veteran of BBVA. While his career began in Spain, he has had extensive experience abroad. In 1999, Garcia Meyer joined BBVA's efforts in Mexico, playing a decisive role in the development of its operations there. Today, BBVA Bancomer is the leading financial services company in Mexico. Since 2004, he has led BBVA's U.S. efforts, establishing a solid foundation for BBVA's customer centric business model in the U.S.

ABOUT BBVA COMPASS

BBVA Compass is a Sunbelt-based financial institution that operates 717 branches including 382 in Texas, 92 in Alabama, 65 in California, 77 in Arizona, 45 in Florida, 36 in Colorado and 20 in New Mexico. BBVA Compass is the 15th largest U.S. commercial bank based on deposit market share and ranks among the largest banks in Texas (4th), Alabama (3rd) and Arizona (5th). For the second consecutive year, BBVA Compass was named as a "Lender of the Year" by the Small Business Administration (SBA). Additional information concerning BBVA Compass can be found on our website www.bbvacompass.com.

BBVA Compass is a subsidiary of Compass Bancshares, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of BBVA (NYSE: BBVA) (MAD: BBVA). BBVA is a financial services group with approximately $755 billion in total assets, 48 million clients, 7,400 branches and approximately 104,000 employees in more than 30 countries. BBVA ranks among the top seven largest financial institutions in the world based on market capitalization and 21st in Global Finance magazine's list of the "World's 50 Safest Banks" for 2010. BBVA provides its customers around the world with a full range of financial services, including commercial and wholesale banking, retail banking services, consumer loans, mortgages, credit cards, securities brokerage, wealth management, pension plan management and insurance. The BBVA Group maintains a leadership position in Spain, Mexico, Latin America and the Sunbelt Region of the United States as well as operations in China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, Singapore, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.

Editor's Note: BBVA Compass is a trade name of Compass Bank. Compass Bank, member FDIC.

SOURCE BBVA Compass