Navigating towards sustainable growth – the role of the financial sector in driving Europe's competitiveness
Fireside chat with Ana Botín, Group Executive Chair, Banco Santander
January 22, 2024, 5:30 p.m.
ESMT Berlin, Schlossplatz 1, 10178 Berlin
This event will take place in person. To attend the event on campus, please register using the form below.
As we enter 2024, Europe faces some major challenges. How to support an ageing population. How to finance the green transition. How to service mounting public sector debts. These disparate challenges have one common theme: without a competitive European economy driving growth, it will be difficult, if not impossible, to finance these needs.
In this ESMT fireside chat, Ana Botin, executive chair of Banco Santander, will discuss how Europe’s financial sector is playing a vital role in driving and supporting economic growth. With Dr. Andreas Dombret, former board member of Deutsche Bundesbank, she will discuss the changes in the global economy since the COVID pandemic and the 2024 horizon, including critical themes such as the transition to a more sustainable energy system and the transformative impact of technology in finance.
| 5:00 p.m. | Registration |
| 5:30 p.m. | Welcome by Jörg Rocholl, President, ESMT Berlin |
| 5:35 p.m. | Fireside chat with Ana Botín and Andreas Dombret |
| 6:05 p.m. | Interactive Q&A |
| 6:15 p.m. | Networking reception |
Speakers
Ana Botín was appointed executive chair of Banco Santander in September 2014. Today, Santander is one of the largest and most efficient banks in the world, serving more than 166 million customers across Europe, North America, and South America. She began her career at JPMorgan in New York and joined Santander in 1988 to lead the Group’s expansion in Latin America. In 2002, she became chief executive of Banesto in Spain, before becoming CEO of Santander UK in 2010.
In 2023 Ana was appointed chair of the Institute of International Finance (IIF) and chair of the World Economic Forum International Business Council (IBC). She is a board member of the Coca-Cola Company and a member of the MIT CEO Advisory Board. She is also the founder and chair of both Fundación CyD, which supports Spanish universities’ contribution to economic and social development, and Empieza por Educar, the Spanish affiliate of Teach for All.
Ana Botín earned her BA in Economics from Bryn Mawr College and is married with three sons.
Dr. Andreas Dombret has been a board member of Deutsche Bundesbank as well as a supervisory board member of the European Central Bank. Andreas is well known for his contributions to the banking industry and financial regulation. His central banking career has been marked by his expertise in bank supervision and regulatory affairs. He played a crucial role in shaping monetary policy and financial stability within the Eurozone. His expertise and leadership were instrumental in addressing challenges posed by the global financial crisis and its aftermath. Dr. Andreas Dombret received his PhD in economics from the University of Nürnberg and is senior research scholar at Columbia University.