Here, it is worth noting the creation of the #BBVAatHome website, an initiative that was originally designed to be the global meeting point for employees. An employee communication and engagement plan was implemented.Ensure the operation and service level of the call centers across the Group.Provide the Group with the necessary technological infrastructure to ensure that the majority of BBVA's employees can work from home, and reinforce customer transactions through digital channels.Three specific lines of action were established: In April, once most of the employees were working remotely, the war room trained its efforts on ensuring the bank's operational continuity and customer service. In this regard, branches were equipped with hand sanitizer dispensers, protective screens, and disinfection kits to help employees protect themselves. The bank established the necessary health guidelines and individual preventive measures. A remarkable feat of foresight, taking action even before health and labor authorities started issuing their recommendations. In just a few days, more than 90 percent of the employees in the central services and 60 percent of the employees in the branch network across the group were working from home. In the second half of March, the war room's efforts were initially aimed at coordinating the implementation of remote work and ensuring that the necessary resources were available. To meet these objectives, the measures adopted by the war room have evolved as the situation triggered by the pandemic unfolded. The priority: to protect the health of employees and customers and ensure operational continuity This continuous coordination with the different countries - as well as reporting to the Group's management and governing bodies, along with the Board of Directors and its delegated bodies - has facilitated the bank's ability to quickly adopt the measures required at any given moment. Since the beginning of the pandemic, weekly videoconferences have been held with 14 countries, progress has been shared, and the measures to be adopted and best practices have been coordinated. They have remained in continuous contact through videoconferences and multiple daily conversations, working according to the Agile methodology.Ĭoordination with the countries has also been very intense. Under normal conditions, the members of the war room would have been sitting in the same room, but because of the safety measures implemented by the bank, each of its members has managed and coordinated the crisis from their homes.

Over the last two months, the war room has played a pivotal role in the operational management of the crisis, led by an empowered team, with a global vision of what is happening, and with the capacity to make timely and agile decisions. In this context, BBVA has anticipated events in all the markets in which it operates to meet two primary objectives: protect the health of all BBVA's employees and customers, and ensure business continuity and customer service. Since the beginning of the pandemic, the measures that were initially seen as excessive have sometimes proved to be insufficient. If there is one thing that the COVID-19 health crisis has shown us, it is that anticipation is key.

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