Dr Marcos Eguiguren Appointed Executive Director of Global Alliance for Banking on Values

ZEIST, the Netherlands, May 12, 2015 /PRNewswire/ --

Signalling a growing appetite for the values-based banking movement  

The Global Alliance for Banking on Values (GABV) has announced the appointment of Dr Marcos Eguiguren as its inaugural Executive Director. Dr Eguiguren will assume responsibilities on June 1, 2015 in a newly created role that marks the expansion of the GABV and its goal to partner with some of the world's leading values-based banks, credit unions, microfinance and community banks to accelerate the growth of a positive, viable alternative to the current financial system.

Dr Eguiguren, a native of Barcelona, Spain, brings a wealth of experience to the GABV including banking, consulting, management, research, and training and development in the corporate, banking and telecom sectors. As an entrepreneur and co-founder of SingularNet, a professional services firm focused on helping organizations incorporate sustainability in their business operations, Professor of Business Administration at Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (Spain), and Supervisory Board member of Triodos Bank, Marcos is known for his ability to lead the strategic delivery of profitable, sustainable, values-based business models.

"Since the financial crisis, there has been a growing awareness of the need for a paradigm shift in the banking and financial industry. My passion for values-based banking began in 1998 when I joined the founding team of Proyecto Trust, which had a goal to become the first ethical bank in Spain," says Marcos. "In 2008 I joined the Supervisory Board of Triodos Bank where I learned about the challenges and opportunities to create impact through our banking models. That's when I came across the GABV, a not-for-profit foundation working to change the world of finance."

Commenting on the appointment, Peter Blom, Chair of the Board of the GABV said, "The GABV has member banks located across Asia, Africa, Australia, Latin America, North America and Europe, serving more than 20 million customers. Although our members have diverse business models they share a common mission to use finance to deliver sustainable economic, social and environmental development. As the GABV marks its five-year anniversary, much in the world has changed, but our collective mission has not. I'm delighted to welcome Marcos to the GABV team as we prepare to build the values-based banking movement and grow our work with members, partners, experts and policy makers to influence the banking system so that it is more transparent, ethical, robust and real-economy focused."

About Dr Marcos Eguiguren: Marcos's professional career spans entrepreneurship, banking, education and writing. He's held senior management positions in BBVA and Barclays Bank, and has worked in consulting in Spain and internationally. Marcos is married with children and has recently welcomed a granddaughter into his family. His languages include: Catalan, Spanish, English, Italian and French, and a basic knowledge of German.

Career highlights include: Professor of Business Administration at Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (2002 to present); Entrepreneur and cofounder of SingularNet (2013 to present); Supervisory Board member of Triodos Bank (2008-2015); Partner and Managing Director of Grupo Empresarial Inmark, S.A., a large professional services firm with subsidiaries in eight countries in the Iberian Peninsula and Latin America (2006-2011); Supervisory Board member of Proyecto Trust, S.L., the seed of the first sustainable bank in Spain (1998-2004), now Triodos Bank Spain; Professor in the fields of Organization and Finance in: Les Heures-Universitat de Barcelona; Idec-Universitat Pompeu Fabra; and Escola Superior de Comerc Internacional-Universitat Pompeu Fabra; Director of the Business School of Les Heures - Universitat de Barcelona (1999-2002).

Qualifications include: PhD in Business Administration, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (2000); Postgraduate Diploma in IT in Business Management, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (1984); Postgraduate Diploma in Business Management and Planning, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (1983); Bachelor in Economics, Universitat de Barcelona (1981).

About the GABV: The Global Alliance for Banking on Values (GABV), founded in 2009, is a growing network of independent financial institutions with a shared mission to use finance to deliver sustainable economic, social and environmental development. Members include 25 financial institutions operating across 30 countries in Asia, Africa, Australia, Latin America, North America and Europe; serving more than 20 million customers with up to USD 100 billion of combined assets under management; and powered by a network of 30,000 co-workers.

* Press kit for this release is available here (incl. press release and photos in English and Spanish)

* New Fund with $1 Billion Ambition to Provide Growth Capital for New Banking Paradigm

* Real Economy - Real Returns: The Business Case for Sustainability-focused Banking

Media enquiries:
Linda Ryan, Global Alliance for Banking on Values
T: +31-(0)65-201-2976
E: Linda.Ryan@gabv.org