BBVA Compass Announces the Appointment of Eduardo Aguirre, Jr. to Board of Directors

BBVA Compass today announced that it has appointed Eduardo Aguirre, Jr. to the board of directors of Compass Bancshares, Inc. Mr. Aguirre most recently served as the U.S. Ambassador to the Kingdom of Spain and the Principality of Andorra. In addition, Mr. Aguirre will also serve as a member of the board of directors for BBVA USA and Compass Bank.

“I am very pleased to be adding someone with the caliber of Eduardo Aguirre’s diplomacy and veteran banking experience to our board of directors. Eduardo is an accomplished leader with outstanding experience both in the U.S. and abroad, and our organization will benefit greatly from his expertise and counsel. I look forward to working with Eduardo as we continue to build our franchise in the U.S.,” said José Maria García Meyer, BBVA Country Manager-U.S. and Chairman of Compass Bancshares.

Aguirre recently retired from U.S. Government service after having served for seven and one-half years in three, Senate confirmed, senior-level executive positions under the appointment of President George W. Bush. Prior to serving as U.S. Ambassador to the Kingdom of Spain and the Principality of Andorra, Aguirre served as Director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration (USCIS) and acting Chairman and CEO of the Export-Import Bank of the United States.

Aguirre is also a veteran of the banking industry, having served in a number of increasingly responsible positions during a 34 year career. He started his career in 1964 with National American Bank, moving to Texas Commerce Bank in 1969 as a banking officer – Mexico City Representative Office. In 1972, Aguirre joined First Union National Bank as assistant Vice President – Head of Latin America Department. In 1977, he joined Bank of America in Houston in the Commercial Banking unit and retired in 2001 as President – International Private Bank.

Aguirre is a graduate of Louisiana State University and the American Bankers Association’s National Commercial Lending Graduate School. He has received Honorary doctor “Honoris Causa” from the University of Connecticut, University of Houston and Universidad Technologica de Santiago. Active in community and civic organizations, Aguirre currently serves as a member of the board of directors for Texas Children’s Hospital and Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. Past board memberships include: University of Houston System Board of Regents (Chairman 1996-1998), Texas Bar Foundation (Chairman 2002), Bankers Association for Finance and Trade, Houston chapters of the American Red Cross and Salvation Army, and the Sam Houston Area Council for the Boy Scouts of America

Compass Bancshares, Inc. is a Sunbelt-based bank holding company that operates 577 branches in Texas, Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Colorado and New Mexico. Compass is among the top 25 largest banks in the U.S. based on deposit market share and ranks among the largest banks in Texas (4th) and Alabama (3rd).

Compass Bancshares, Inc. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of BBVA (NYSE: BBV) (MAD: BBVA). BBVA is a financial services group with more than $750 billion in total assets, 47 million clients, 8,000 branches and approximately 112,000 employees in more than 30 countries. BBVA provides its customers around the world with a full range of financial services, including commercial and wholesale banking, retail banking services, consumer loans, mortgages, credit cards, securities brokerage, wealth management, pension plan management and insurance. The BBVA Group maintains a leadership position in Spain, Mexico, Latin America and the Sunbelt Region of the United States as well as operations in China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, Singapore, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.

Editor's Note:

BBVA CompassSM is a trademark of Compass Bancshares, Inc.