Francisco Luzón facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Francisco Luzón
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| Born |
Francisco Luzón López
1 January 1948 |
| Died | 17 February 2021 (aged 73) Madrid, Spain
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| Nationality | Spanish |
| Occupation | Banker Economist |
Francisco Luzón López (born January 1, 1948 – died February 17, 2021) was an important Spanish banker and economist. He helped change banking in Spain and Latin America for over 30 years. He led big banks like Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria and Banco Santander. In 2013, Francisco Luzón was diagnosed with ALS. He then started the Fundación Francisco Luzón to help fund research for this disease.
Contents
Life and Early Career
Francisco Luzón was born into a regular family in El Cañavate, a town in Spain. He got a special scholarship to study at the College of Business and Economics. This was at the University of the Basque Country.
His banking career started in 1972 at Banco de Vizcaya. He worked in many different branches across Spain. He moved up to high-level international jobs within the bank. In 1987, he became a Director.
Leading Major Banks
In 1988, he helped with a big merger. Banco de Vizcaya and Banco de Bilbao joined together. This created the Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria. Francisco Luzón became its first director.
In 1989, a government minister named Carlos Solchaga chose Luzón to lead Banco Exterior de España. This was because of his great experience. In 1991, he became President of Argentaria. This company brought together six different banks in Spain. From 1993 to 1998, Argentaria became a private company. Its value grew a lot during this time.
In 1996, he became a Director at Banco Santander. He worked closely with its President, Emilio Botín. In 1999, Banco Santander merged with Banco Central Hispano. This formed Banco Santander Central Hispano. While at Banco Santander, Luzón helped the bank grow a lot in Latin America. It opened branches in 10 different countries and took over many other local banks.
Support for Education and Research
Throughout his career, Francisco Luzón was very active in helping foundations. These groups supported research and education. He believed this would help society grow and improve.
He was President of the Fundación Banco Exterior de España and the Fundación Argentaria. He also helped lead other important foundations. From 1996 to 2008, he was President of the Social Council of the University of Castilla–La Mancha.
Expanding Education in Latin America
As Banco Santander grew in Latin America, Luzón helped start Universia. This was a network for Spanish-speaking universities. He signed over 700 agreements within this network. This connected more than 19 million students and teachers.
At the same time, he promoted Fudis. This program helped train talented professionals in Latin America. It helped 350 students get high-level jobs.
Later Career and Awards
Francisco Luzón retired from Banco Santander Central Hispano in 2013. After retiring, he focused on the academic world. He became a professor at the China Europe International Business School in Shanghai.
He also served as Vice-President of the Biblioteca Nacional de España. He was President of the Catholic Institute of Business Administration. He was part of important councils at Georgetown University and Yale University. He also advised the Inter-American Development Bank and the European Stability Mechanism. He even advised the Government of Puerto Rico.
Recognitions and Honors
On November 14, 2011, he received the Medal of Merit in Labour. This award honored his 40-year career. On June 21 of that year, he received an honorary doctorate from the University of Castilla–La Mancha. This was for his contributions to education.
In 2016, he was recognized by Empresarial de América Latina. This was for his work in both public and private areas in Latin America. On December 9, 2016, he received the Grand Cross of the Civil Order of Alfonso X, the Wise. This award recognized his work in education and research.
Francisco Luzón passed away from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in Madrid on February 17, 2021. He was 73 years old.
Images for kids
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Francisco Luzón
See also
In Spanish: Francisco Luzón para niños
