The Bilbao native José Ignacio Berroetapresident of the financial institution Bilbao Bizkaia Kutxa (BBK) between 1990 and 2003when it was still a savings bank, has died, as sources from Kutxabank, the bank that emerged from the integration process of the Basque savings banks, have confirmed to Efe.
In the thirteen years in which he directed the former Biscayan savings bank, the entity experienced significant growth.
Berroeta (Bilbao, 1939) was degree in Economics, and, among other positions he held, he was vice president of the Spanish Confederation of Savings Banks (CECA) on two occasions, in 1992 and in 2002.
He arrived in the financial sector in 1978after working for fourteen years in the industry, first as a manager at General Eléctrica Española and later at the appliance company Fabrelec-Westinghouse.
at sbanking sector arrived in 1978 hand in hand with Banco de Vizcaya, where in the first stage he dedicated himself to the purchase of banks undertaken by Vizcaya under the direction of Pedro Toledo, CEO since 1978.
In 1984 he was appointed deputy general director of Vizcaya and then represented the entity in the negotiations with the Bank of Bilbao that led to the merger of both in 1988. He was appointed deputy director of the new Banco Bilbao-Vizcaya (BBV), but he only remained in office for a few months.
With the integration of the two banks still unfinished, in 1989 Berroeta left as general director deputy to the presidency to the Caja de Ahorros Vizcaína, which was also in the process of merging with the Caja Municipal de Bilbao.
On May 7, 1990, he was appointed president of the resulting entity, Bilbao Bizkaia Kutxa (BBK), which he directed until his retirement in 2003.
During his tenure, the old Bizkaia savings bank successfully completed the merger, experienced significant growth both inside and outside the Basque Country and consolidated an industrial portfolio with stakes in different companies.
