Onur Genç

Onur Genç
Birthplace	Turkey
Nationality	Turkish
Occupation	Banking executive
Title	Chief Executive Officer
Employer	Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria (BBVA)
Known for	CEO of BBVA

Onur Genç is a Turkish banking executive who serves as the chief executive officer (CEO) of Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria (BBVA), one of Europe's largest financial institutions. He is the first non-Spanish national to lead the Spanish banking group, a distinction that has attracted significant attention in international finance circles. Genç rose through the ranks of the BBVA Group, first serving as CEO of BBVA Compass (later BBVA USA), the group's American subsidiary, before being elevated to lead the global organization. His tenure at BBVA has been marked by a focus on digital transformation, sustainable finance, and strategic growth, including the high-profile pursuit of a takeover bid for Banco Sabadell. Before joining BBVA's U.S. operations, Genç held a senior position at Garanti Bank (now Garanti BBVA), the Turkish bank in which BBVA held a major stake. His ascent to the top of BBVA represents a notable chapter in the globalization of European banking leadership.

Early Life

Onur Genç was born in Turkey. Details regarding his exact date of birth and early upbringing have not been widely documented in available public sources. He is of Turkish nationality and has been identified in international media as the first Turkish citizen and first non-Spaniard to hold the position of CEO at BBVA, one of Spain's two largest banking groups.

His background in Turkey would eventually prove instrumental in his career trajectory within the BBVA Group, as it was through the group's Turkish affiliate, Garanti Bank, that Genç first entered the BBVA orbit. Garanti Bank was one of Turkey's largest private banks, and BBVA had been building its ownership stake in the institution as part of a broader emerging-markets strategy. Genç's experience at Garanti positioned him as a candidate for leadership roles within the wider BBVA organization.

Career

Garanti Bank

Prior to his appointment at BBVA Compass, Onur Genç served in a senior executive capacity at Garanti Bank (later rebranded as Garanti BBVA), one of Turkey's leading private commercial banks. BBVA had acquired a significant stake in Garanti Bank as part of its strategy to expand into high-growth emerging markets, and the Turkish bank became one of the cornerstones of the Spanish group's international portfolio. Genç's role at Garanti Bank brought him into close contact with BBVA's global leadership and operational culture, providing him with experience across the group's international framework.

CEO of BBVA Compass (BBVA USA)

In early 2017, BBVA Compass announced the appointment of Onur Genç as its new CEO. The announcement, made via a press release, identified Genç as coming from Garanti Bank and described the appointment as part of the broader leadership pipeline within the BBVA Group. BBVA Compass, headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, in the historic Daniel Building, was the principal banking subsidiary of BBVA in the United States. The bank operated across several states, including Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, New Mexico, and Texas, and represented a significant component of BBVA's international operations.

During Genç's time leading the U.S. subsidiary, BBVA undertook a significant rebranding initiative. In 2019, as part of a global brand unification strategy, BBVA Compass was renamed simply "BBVA USA," dropping the "Compass" name that had been in use since the bank's earlier incarnation as Compass Bancshares. This rebranding was part of a wider effort by BBVA to consolidate its identity across all markets under a single, unified brand, aligning the U.S. subsidiary more closely with the parent company's global image.

Genç's tenure at the helm of the U.S. operations provided him with extensive experience managing a large retail and commercial banking franchise in one of the world's most competitive banking markets. The U.S. subsidiary had a complex history, having evolved through a series of acquisitions and name changes — from Central Bank and Trust Company to Central Bank, Central Bancshares of the South, and then Compass Bancshares before being acquired by BBVA in 2007.

In 2018, BBVA announced that Genç would transition out of the U.S. CEO role, with Javier Rodríguez Soler named as his successor at BBVA Compass and as country manager for the United States. This transition signaled Genç's elevation within the broader BBVA Group structure.

The U.S. subsidiary itself would later be sold. In 2021, BBVA USA was acquired by PNC Financial Services, effectively ending BBVA's direct retail banking presence in the United States.

CEO of BBVA

Onur Genç was appointed as CEO of the BBVA Group, succeeding Carlos Torres Vila, who had served as CEO since May 2015. Torres Vila subsequently became chairman of the group. As CEO, Genç assumed responsibility for one of Europe's largest banks, with operations spanning Spain, Turkey, Mexico, South America, and other international markets.

At the 2025 Annual General Meeting, BBVA shareholders showed strong support for the bank's management, including the re-election of both Carlos Torres Vila as chairman and Onur Genç in his executive role. The shareholder vote demonstrated broad approval for the strategic direction being pursued under their leadership.

Banco Sabadell Takeover Bid

One of the defining initiatives of Genç's tenure as CEO has been BBVA's pursuit of a takeover of Banco Sabadell, another major Spanish bank. The proposed transaction, which would create a significantly larger combined entity, has been a central focus of BBVA's strategic communications under Genç's leadership.

In March 2025, speaking at the Morgan Stanley European Financials Conference in London, Genç made a public case for the transaction, stating that "Sabadell shareholders will find a better 'home' at BBVA." He outlined BBVA's long-term value proposition and argued that the combined bank would offer superior returns and growth opportunities compared to Sabadell operating independently.

In September 2025, Genç presented to investors at the 2025 Barclays Annual Global Financials Conference in New York, where he underscored the appeal of the Banco Sabadell transaction to the international investor community. His remarks at the conference reiterated the strategic rationale for the deal and BBVA's confidence in its execution.

By October 2025, Genç expressed confidence that the acceptance period for BBVA's takeover bid for Banco Sabadell was progressing ahead of expectations. He stated that he was confident take-up would "easily exceed 50 percent" and considered a second bid at the same price "highly unlikely," signaling BBVA's firm stance on the terms of the offer.

The Sabadell bid has been one of the most closely watched banking deals in Europe, with implications for the consolidation of the Spanish banking sector and the broader European financial landscape.

Sustainable Finance and Cleantech

Under Genç's leadership, BBVA has articulated a public commitment to financing the transition to a low-carbon economy. In April 2025, Genç stated that Europe "needs large banks to finance clean technologies, or 'cleantech,' on a greater scale," arguing that decarbonization requires "massive" capital investments. He positioned BBVA as a bank prepared to play a central role in channeling capital toward sustainable technologies and climate-related projects.

This emphasis on sustainable finance reflected a broader trend among major European banks to integrate environmental, social, and governance (ESG) considerations into their strategic planning and lending practices. Genç's public advocacy for cleantech financing placed BBVA among the European banks most vocally engaged in the sustainability agenda.

Significance as a Non-Spanish CEO

Genç's appointment as CEO of BBVA has been noted as a milestone in the history of Spanish banking. Media reports have characterized him as the first foreign-born chief executive to lead BBVA, and more broadly, as a notable example of a non-national ascending to the top of a major European bank. His Turkish background, combined with his experience across BBVA's operations in Turkey and the United States before taking the global role, has been cited as representative of the increasingly international character of European banking leadership.

The Daily Sabah described Genç as being "at the helm of one of Europe's largest banks at a moment of profound change in global finance," noting both his nationality and the broader context of transformation in the banking industry during his tenure.

Recognition

At the 2025 BBVA Annual General Meeting, shareholders demonstrated strong support for the bank's leadership, including Genç's continued role, with overwhelming approval for all items on the meeting's agenda. His appearances at major international financial conferences, including the Morgan Stanley European Financials Conference and the Barclays Annual Global Financials Conference, have positioned him as one of the more prominent banking CEOs on the global stage.

Genç's profile has been the subject of feature coverage in international media, including the Daily Sabah and PressReader, which have examined his career trajectory and his significance as a Turkish national leading a major Spanish bank.

Legacy

As of 2026, Onur Genç's legacy remains in active formation. His most consequential strategic decisions — particularly the proposed acquisition of Banco Sabadell — are ongoing and their long-term outcomes have yet to be fully determined. His elevation to the CEO role at BBVA nonetheless represents a significant development in the internationalization of European banking leadership, and his tenure has coincided with a period in which BBVA has pursued an ambitious agenda encompassing digital transformation, sustainable finance, and strategic consolidation within the Spanish banking market.

His earlier role at BBVA Compass (later BBVA USA) also placed him at the center of a significant chapter in U.S. banking history, as the subsidiary was subsequently sold to PNC Financial Services in 2021, marking the end of BBVA's direct retail banking operations in the United States.

Genç's career path — from Garanti Bank in Turkey, to leading BBVA's U.S. subsidiary, to the global CEO role — illustrates the internal mobility within large multinational banking groups and the extent to which experience across multiple geographic markets has become a criterion for top leadership positions in global finance.