María Abascal, Director General of the Spanish Banking Association (AEB), has been appointed Chair of the Executive Committee of the European Banking Federation (EBF) for a two-year term starting January 1, 2025.
She will succeed Eelco Dubbeling, Director General of the Dutch Banking Association, whose two-year term ends in December 2024. The appointment was agreed upon at the EBF Executive Committee meeting held today in Frankfurt.
This committee is the EBF’s governing body that sets strategic priorities and lines of action, and reports to the Board of Directors. It is composed of the directors, secretaries general, and CEOs of the national banking associations of 32 European countries.
According to the new Chair of the EBF Executive Committee, “Europe is facing a critical moment amid growing geopolitical uncertainty. Action is essential. We need to focus on growth and competitiveness to continue playing a relevant role in the world.”
In this context, “European banks are key to promoting social and economic progress and are essential for financing our future. To achieve this, Europe must adopt a forward-looking approach, fostering an environment that drives growth as an objective while safeguarding financial stability.”
María Abascal has an extensive 20-year career in banking and finance, in both the public and private sectors, and joined the AEB in 2021. She has spent much of her professional career at BBVA, where she was Global Director of Public Affairs and Chief Economist for Regulation and Public Policy.
Previously, she worked for five years at the Spanish Treasury as Deputy Director General for Financial and Strategic Analysis. Prior to that, she worked at the Spanish Institute for Foreign Trade (ICEX). In 2005, Abascal joined the General State Administration as a member of the Senior Corps of State Economists and Trade Experts. She holds a degree in Economics from the Complutense University of Madrid.
The European Banking Federation is the voice of the European banking sector and brings together national banking associations from across Europe. The Federation is committed to a thriving European economy supported by a stable, secure, and inclusive financial ecosystem, and to a prosperous society where financing is available for families, businesses, and innovation worldwide.
