The US arm of Spanish banking group BBVA has tapped two high-profile technology veterans to help spearhead its efforts to become a role model for digital banking transformation.
Jeff Dennes, who led digital and innovation efforts at SunTrust, Huntington and USAA, will head the new business development and digital transformation division of BBVA Compass, the group's US franchise. Mark Jamison, previously chief digital officer at Capital One Bank, will join BBVA as the director of customer experience and business intelligence, working from Madrid.
Both will report to digital banking head Carlos Torres Vila as part of the bank's newly-created 'digital banking division'.
Says Torres Vila: "We are taking decisive steps in the group's transformation in order to create the best possible experience for current and future customers. The goal is for BBVA to be the best bank of the digital age."
The group announced its new digital banking division in March, with the aim of anticipating the dawning of a new banking landscape, marked by an increase in mobile usage and the entrance of fleet-footed competitors.
This took place a month after BBVA announced it was acquiring Simple, a startup considered a pioneer in digital banking services in the US. BBVA also owns BBVA Ventures, a capital venture arm that identifies startups working on disruptive technology for the financial industry.