Spain's BBVA has poached Barclays chief design and digital officer Derek White, appointing him to the role of global head of customer solutions.
Based in Madrid and reporting to president and COO Carlos Torres when he joins on 1 March, White will "drive the transformation of the customer value proposition, including global product and design, customer experience, launching new products and services and leveraging big data and customer analytics," says a statement.
White joined Barclays in 2004 through the acquisition of Juniper Bank, where he was an early member of the start-up internet bank. Most recently he has led the UK bank’s digital initiatives, overseeing the design and launch of a host of applications, platforms and services.
Like Barclays, BBVA has a reputation as a digital pioneer, an avowed disciple of the transformational power of mobile to overturn established business models. In recent times the bank has acquired US neo-bank Simple, taken a 29.5% stake in UK challenger Atom, set up a $100 million venture fund to invest in fintech startups and established a digital banking and data analytics unit.
Says White: "BBVA is a global institution that is transforming banking and creating the future of financial services. I can’t wait to join the team."