The CEOE Foundation will incorporate José María Méndez, General Director of CECA, into its board

The General Director of CECA, José María Méndez, will join the board of the CEOE Foundation to promote public-private collaboration and the commitment of companies to society.

CECA represents nine credit institutions that account for 40 percent of the Spanish banking sector and 32 foundations that together constitute the main private social investment in Spain.

José María Méndez will join as a new member of the board of the CEOE Foundation. The General Director of CECA, an association representing the interests of nine credit institutions (CaixaBank, Kutxabank, Cajasur Banco, Abanca, Unicaja Banco, Ibercaja Banco, Caixa Ontinyent, Colonya Pollença, and Cecabank) and 32 foundations, will be part of the CEOE Foundation’s board to promote public-private collaboration and the commitment of companies to society.

José María Méndez serves as the General Director of CECA and as a council member of the European Association of Savings Banks and Retail Banks (ESBG), a member of the Advisory Committee of the National Securities Market Commission, and of the Managing Committee of the Deposit Guarantee Fund for Credit Institutions. Additionally, he is the CEO of Cecabank, a leading custodian bank in Spain and Portugal specializing in securities services, treasury, and payments.

The appointment of the General Director of CECA as a board member of the CEOE Foundation acknowledges the association’s role in the institutional representation of its credit institutions and foundations. It will also favor the involvement of Funcas in this project, an institution that, within the Social Work of CECA, serves as an independent center for economic and social research, as well as promoting financial education in our country.

The CEOE Foundation is an institution oriented toward society and the business world, collaborating with various social agents to improve social welfare, employability training, and access to culture. In line with the United Nations 2030 Agenda, the Sustainable Development Goals intervene in a transversal and fundamental way in the action lines of the CEOE Foundation, with particular emphasis on SDG 17 “Partnerships for the Goals,” which encompasses the work of promoting and fostering public-private partnerships and civil society.

CECA, committed to society

CECA, chaired by Isidro Fainé, provides advice and support to its member entities in their purpose of offering services that promote financial inclusion and access to credit. This social work of the “CECA entities” is carried out with a sustainable approach, where the Social Work stands out.

The Social Work of the CECA sector complements the contribution of Public Administrations to the welfare state. The Social Work of the “CECA entities” remains at the forefront of private social investment in Spain and is considered one of the main agents in promoting social inclusion. The banks, savings banks, and foundations associated with CECA allocated 778 million euros to Social Work in 2021.

In the past year, the CECA sector has pooled efforts, demonstrating the importance of defining frameworks for public-private collaboration for the recovery of economic and social welfare, highlighting various actions to improve financial inclusion in Spain. Additionally, alongside traditional public-private collaboration, there is an increasing openness to cooperation with third-sector entities that have a multiplying effect in defense of the most disadvantaged, aiming to reduce the economic and social gap.

CECA and CEOE, close collaboration for economic and social growth

CECA and CEOE are two key organizations in the economic and business fabric of Spain that collaborate closely to combine efforts to stimulate economic growth and drive business activity, with particular attention to financing innovation, entrepreneurship, and internationalization.

Furthermore, since CEOE established the Technical Support Office for European Projects in 2020, CECA has been closely monitoring the evolution of the Next Generation EU project through this office, whose implementation is another example of the efficiency that public-private collaboration can generate. This office has been established in the context of the European Recovery Plan, and, from CECA, it has been promoted, in collaboration with CEOE, to recognize the critical role that banking networks can play in the success of this plan.