LatinFinance - Special Edition - August 2013 - 89

they are local companies that have understood that the markets are global and they
have prepared for that – they’ve been able
to maintain a leadership position in spite of
the arrival of foreign competition.”
Growth worries
Globalization – and the commodities boom
that has come with it – has been the most
important development for latin american
economies over the past quarter century,
says Bojanini. and while the commodities
supercycle is waning, the conditions for
latin growth are likely to remain – although
his view cannot be entirely characterized as
“bullish”, he says. indeed, one of his biggest concerns is that those conditions for
growth will fall away.
the region must take advantage of opportunities to advance further, by diversify-

DaviD Bojanini

“It’S ImportAnt to
InnovAtE, to fInd A
wAy to fAcILItAtE
thESE trAnSActIonS for mIddLE
cLASS cLIEntS So
thAt thE coStS
don’t Shoot up”
ing away from a reliance on commodities.
it also must make sure that the gains are
equally shared, he says. “that’s one of the
worries: that the growth is sustainable, and
that it’s equally distributed,” he says.
Political risk also remains a concern.
many countries have made great strides in
cementing strong institutions and fomenting stable regulations. colombia boasts a
solid, strong electoral system, he says.
“However, no country is exempt from
political risk. above all in countries where
there is poverty and difficult conditions, it
cannot be said that they will not fall into the
hands of a leader who will destabilize the
regulatory or macro-economic system.
“But in those countries that have a record
of being stable and supporting development, it’s more unlikely that this would
materialize. i think that, for colombia, that
risk is under control.” LF

Latin America will continue to bolster Spain’s Banco Santander, as
it has already for over two decades, says its chairman Emilio Botín.
By Katie Llanos-Small

Emilio Botín
No home advantage
at its height in 2012, Spain’s financial crisis
prompted a $50 billion eU-led bailout of the
country’s banking sector. amid the chaos,
it was hard to find any positive news for or
about Spanish lenders, a handful of which
went bust.
the two largest, BBVa and Banco
Santander, however, had something their
peers lacked: a global reach which had
succeeded in keeping them profitable, even
while they were forced to scale back on
their international operations.
Banco Santander traces its origins in
latin america to the 1950s, when it opened
offices in argentina, cuba, mexico and
Venezuela. its first latin acquisition was
Banco el Hogar argentino, which it bought
in 1963, and over the following decades it
deepened its engagement by picking up
local lenders in the Dominican Republic,
ecuador, and costa Rica among other
countries.
in the mid-1990s, Santander launched
an aggressive acquisition phase in latin
america. led by its chairman emilio Botín,
the Spanish lender picked up stakes in numerous counterparts across the region. as
the highest-profile participant in a broader
trend for global banks to acquire latin
operations, Santander’s expansion earned
Botín LatinFinance’s man of the Year award
in 1998.
“latin america has been one of the main
drivers of growth for Banco Santander for
the last 20 years and i am sure it will continue to be in the coming decades,” Botín
tells LatinFinance, adding that he is “optimistic” about the outlook for the region and
its banks.
Growing populations increase the opportunities for banks in the region, he says, noting that the combined population of mexico
and Brazil – 317 million – is approaching that
of the eurozone, which has 331 million.
But other demographic shifts are playing
a part. Botín points to stronger economic

resilience across the region: more diversified exports, stronger internal markets,
better-balanced government budgets, and
record-high international reserves.
“latin america has developed solid
and stable political and economic institutions,” he says. “these in turn foster the
emergence of the middle classes, which are
increasingly accessing financial services.”
Still, despite the opportunities available
away from home, Spain’s banking crisis has
pushed lenders to trim their international
holdings to boost capital ratios. Since 2011,
Santander has sold stakes in its Brazilian,
chilean and mexican subsidiaries, and
dropped all of its colombian assets. the
sale of a quarter of its mexican unit through
a $4.1 billion iPo was the largest of its kind
in that market.

emilio BotÍn

“compEtItIon In thE
rEgIon IS hIgh. SomE
of ItS BAnkS ArE
Among thE BESt In
thE worLd”
Despite scaling down operations abruptly, there is little question that Santander will
continue its presence in latin america.
the interplay between local and global
banks in latin america is symbiotic, says
Botín, describing it as a “two-way street”.
latin and Spanish banks can each learn
from best practice risk management, crisis
prevention, and commercial strategy, he
says.
that’s not to say the rivalries are not
fierce. “competition in the region is high,”
he says. “Some of its banks are among the
best in the world.” LF
August 2013 - 25 Years - l atinfina nce.com 89


http://LATINFINANCE.COM

LatinFinance - Special Edition - August 2013

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of LatinFinance - Special Edition - August 2013

Latin Finance - Special Edition - August 2013
The Evolution of the Markets 1988-2013
The Future of Latin Finance
"Twenty-five Years Ago, LatinFinance Was Launched With One simple, if Well-worn, Belief: That Crisis Inevitably Gives Way to Opportunity"
Evolution of the Markets & Deals of the Quarter Century
Turnaround Time, for Some
Rising Champions
Locals Wanted
Gaining Pace
A Question of Depth
The Public-Private Balance
Cheaper Borrowing
Keeping It Simple
Local Banks Are Increasingly Stepping Up the Latin League Tables
LatinFinance Charts a Quarter Century of Change for the Biggest Banks in Latin America
LatinFinance Picks Out the Major Turning Points in the Region’s Political, Economic and Financial History Over the Past 25 Years
Governance & Reform
President, Mexico
Former President, Brazil
“the Government Has Not Given Up on What Is Fundamental. but When It Comes to Improving The Lives of Brazilians, There Are Signs It Has Started To Weaken"
Former President, Colombia
Opposition Leader, Venezuela
Former Us Treasury Secretary
Stability & Regulation
Governor, Bank of Mexico
“Latin America Did Very Well During the 2008 Crisis. but It’s Also True That a Lot of Ammunition Was Used”
Chairman, Grupo Financiero Banorte
Former Vice-Chairman, Citigroup
Partner, Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton
Former Governor, Central Bank of Brazil
Former Governor, Central Bank of Venezuela
Former Governor, Central Bank of Argentina
Professor of Economics, Columbia University
Corporates & Capital
CEO and co-CIO, Pimco
CEO, Gávea Investimentos
Founder, Celfin Capital
With Joyce Chang, Richard Frank, Hari Hariharan, Hans Humes, Will Landers, Mark Mobius and Martin Schubert
CEO, Itaú-Unibanco
CEO, Grupo Sura
Chairman, Santander
CFO, América MóVil
Former CEO, Vale
Chairman, Roubini Global Economics
Growth & Development
Former President, Chile
President, CAF
President, IDB
Former President, IDB
Former President, Caribbean Development Bank
President, Centennial Group Latin America
A Look Into the Future With Alternate Visions of Latin America a Quarter Century From Now
LatinFinance - Special Edition - August 2013 - Latin Finance - Special Edition - August 2013
LatinFinance - Special Edition - August 2013 - Cover2
LatinFinance - Special Edition - August 2013 - The Evolution of the Markets 1988-2013
LatinFinance - Special Edition - August 2013 - The Future of Latin Finance
LatinFinance - Special Edition - August 2013 - 3
LatinFinance - Special Edition - August 2013 - "Twenty-five Years Ago, LatinFinance Was Launched With One simple, if Well-worn, Belief: That Crisis Inevitably Gives Way to Opportunity"
LatinFinance - Special Edition - August 2013 - 5
LatinFinance - Special Edition - August 2013 - Evolution of the Markets & Deals of the Quarter Century
LatinFinance - Special Edition - August 2013 - 7
LatinFinance - Special Edition - August 2013 - Turnaround Time, for Some
LatinFinance - Special Edition - August 2013 - 9
LatinFinance - Special Edition - August 2013 - 10
LatinFinance - Special Edition - August 2013 - 11
LatinFinance - Special Edition - August 2013 - Rising Champions
LatinFinance - Special Edition - August 2013 - 13
LatinFinance - Special Edition - August 2013 - 14
LatinFinance - Special Edition - August 2013 - 15
LatinFinance - Special Edition - August 2013 - Locals Wanted
LatinFinance - Special Edition - August 2013 - 17
LatinFinance - Special Edition - August 2013 - Gaining Pace
LatinFinance - Special Edition - August 2013 - 19
LatinFinance - Special Edition - August 2013 - 20
LatinFinance - Special Edition - August 2013 - 21
LatinFinance - Special Edition - August 2013 - A Question of Depth
LatinFinance - Special Edition - August 2013 - 23
LatinFinance - Special Edition - August 2013 - 24
LatinFinance - Special Edition - August 2013 - 25
LatinFinance - Special Edition - August 2013 - The Public-Private Balance
LatinFinance - Special Edition - August 2013 - 27
LatinFinance - Special Edition - August 2013 - Cheaper Borrowing
LatinFinance - Special Edition - August 2013 - 29
LatinFinance - Special Edition - August 2013 - Keeping It Simple
LatinFinance - Special Edition - August 2013 - 31
LatinFinance - Special Edition - August 2013 - LatinFinance Charts a Quarter Century of Change for the Biggest Banks in Latin America
LatinFinance - Special Edition - August 2013 - G2
LatinFinance - Special Edition - August 2013 - G4
LatinFinance - Special Edition - August 2013 - G5
LatinFinance - Special Edition - August 2013 - 34
LatinFinance - Special Edition - August 2013 - 35
LatinFinance - Special Edition - August 2013 - 36
LatinFinance - Special Edition - August 2013 - 37
LatinFinance - Special Edition - August 2013 - 38
LatinFinance - Special Edition - August 2013 - 39
LatinFinance - Special Edition - August 2013 - 40
LatinFinance - Special Edition - August 2013 - 41
LatinFinance - Special Edition - August 2013 - 42
LatinFinance - Special Edition - August 2013 - 43
LatinFinance - Special Edition - August 2013 - 44
LatinFinance - Special Edition - August 2013 - 45
LatinFinance - Special Edition - August 2013 - 46
LatinFinance - Special Edition - August 2013 - 47
LatinFinance - Special Edition - August 2013 - Governance & Reform
LatinFinance - Special Edition - August 2013 - 49
LatinFinance - Special Edition - August 2013 - President, Mexico
LatinFinance - Special Edition - August 2013 - 51
LatinFinance - Special Edition - August 2013 - “the Government Has Not Given Up on What Is Fundamental. but When It Comes to Improving The Lives of Brazilians, There Are Signs It Has Started To Weaken"
LatinFinance - Special Edition - August 2013 - 53
LatinFinance - Special Edition - August 2013 - 54
LatinFinance - Special Edition - August 2013 - 55
LatinFinance - Special Edition - August 2013 - Former President, Colombia
LatinFinance - Special Edition - August 2013 - 57
LatinFinance - Special Edition - August 2013 - Opposition Leader, Venezuela
LatinFinance - Special Edition - August 2013 - 59
LatinFinance - Special Edition - August 2013 - Former Us Treasury Secretary
LatinFinance - Special Edition - August 2013 - 61
LatinFinance - Special Edition - August 2013 - Stability & Regulation
LatinFinance - Special Edition - August 2013 - Governor, Bank of Mexico
LatinFinance - Special Edition - August 2013 - 64
LatinFinance - Special Edition - August 2013 - B1
LatinFinance - Special Edition - August 2013 - B2
LatinFinance - Special Edition - August 2013 - 65
LatinFinance - Special Edition - August 2013 - Chairman, Grupo Financiero Banorte
LatinFinance - Special Edition - August 2013 - 67
LatinFinance - Special Edition - August 2013 - Former Vice-Chairman, Citigroup
LatinFinance - Special Edition - August 2013 - Partner, Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton
LatinFinance - Special Edition - August 2013 - Former Governor, Central Bank of Brazil
LatinFinance - Special Edition - August 2013 - Former Governor, Central Bank of Venezuela
LatinFinance - Special Edition - August 2013 - Former Governor, Central Bank of Argentina
LatinFinance - Special Edition - August 2013 - 73
LatinFinance - Special Edition - August 2013 - Professor of Economics, Columbia University
LatinFinance - Special Edition - August 2013 - Corporates & Capital
LatinFinance - Special Edition - August 2013 - CEO and co-CIO, Pimco
LatinFinance - Special Edition - August 2013 - 77
LatinFinance - Special Edition - August 2013 - 78
LatinFinance - Special Edition - August 2013 - 79
LatinFinance - Special Edition - August 2013 - CEO, Gávea Investimentos
LatinFinance - Special Edition - August 2013 - Founder, Celfin Capital
LatinFinance - Special Edition - August 2013 - With Joyce Chang, Richard Frank, Hari Hariharan, Hans Humes, Will Landers, Mark Mobius and Martin Schubert
LatinFinance - Special Edition - August 2013 - 83
LatinFinance - Special Edition - August 2013 - 84
LatinFinance - Special Edition - August 2013 - 85
LatinFinance - Special Edition - August 2013 - CEO, Itaú-Unibanco
LatinFinance - Special Edition - August 2013 - 87
LatinFinance - Special Edition - August 2013 - CEO, Grupo Sura
LatinFinance - Special Edition - August 2013 - Chairman, Santander
LatinFinance - Special Edition - August 2013 - CFO, América MóVil
LatinFinance - Special Edition - August 2013 - Former CEO, Vale
LatinFinance - Special Edition - August 2013 - Chairman, Roubini Global Economics
LatinFinance - Special Edition - August 2013 - Growth & Development
LatinFinance - Special Edition - August 2013 - Former President, Chile
LatinFinance - Special Edition - August 2013 - 95
LatinFinance - Special Edition - August 2013 - President, CAF
LatinFinance - Special Edition - August 2013 - 97
LatinFinance - Special Edition - August 2013 - President, IDB
LatinFinance - Special Edition - August 2013 - Former President, IDB
LatinFinance - Special Edition - August 2013 - Former President, Caribbean Development Bank
LatinFinance - Special Edition - August 2013 - 101
LatinFinance - Special Edition - August 2013 - President, Centennial Group Latin America
LatinFinance - Special Edition - August 2013 - 103
LatinFinance - Special Edition - August 2013 - A Look Into the Future With Alternate Visions of Latin America a Quarter Century From Now
LatinFinance - Special Edition - August 2013 - Cover3
LatinFinance - Special Edition - August 2013 - Cover4
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/latinfinance/0319QMR
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/latinfinance/1218JYM
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/latinfinance/paraguay_2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/latinfinance/8320YTM
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/latinfinance/8465TBM
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/latinfinance/1476YBW
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/latinfinance/7835THM
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/latinfinance/8655TGL
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/latinfinance/0614IJP
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/latinfinance/ecuador_20170910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/latinfinance/2713KNP
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/latinfinance/4982CFT
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/latinfinance/7803HWE
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/latinfinance/3829THA
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/latinfinance/7891MDD
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/latinfinance/7714JCR
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/latinfinance/5619CMK
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/latinfinance/6939ASL
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/latinfinance/1364ASF
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/latinfinance/0453DAS
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/latinfinance/0453DAS_supp
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/latinfinance/1304APV
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/latinfinance/7234GSD
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/latinfinance/1643XGS
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/latinfinance/9511JKM_supp
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/latinfinance/9511JKM
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/latinfinance/8745TNV
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/latinfinance/3629PBC
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/latinfinance/7466TBC_HSBC
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/latinfinance/7466TBC_supp
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/latinfinance/7466TBC
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/latinfinance/9463RVB
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/latinfinance/7345GPY
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/latinfinance/6398TVB
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/latinfinance/4899EXM_supp
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/latinfinance/4899EXM
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/latinfinance/3885CWS
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/latinfinance/45923GBC
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/latinfinance/67449NBD
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/latinfinance/46733NLP
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/latinfinance/78456HCL
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/latinfinance/89456RBM
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/latinfinance/22278HBL
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/latinfinance/2895YBM
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/latinfinance/9033TBM
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/latinfinance/8934TNP
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/latinfinance/costarica20130304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/latinfinance/4672PNB
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/latinfinance/9377BKL
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/latinfinance/drmtest
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/latinfinance/drmtest2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/latinfinance/5532LMC
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/latinfinance/9044TBM
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/latinfinance/4877RBC
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/latinfinance/3008JHV
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/latinfinance/3728YBC
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/latinfinance/9337KLM
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/latinfinance/5674GNJ
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/latinfinance/8330KMC
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/latinfinance/7663HCM
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/latinfinance/2319ZMB
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/latinfinance/7110MKL
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/latinfinance/8599FHG
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/latinfinance/4517HJK
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/latinfinance/7813GHB
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/latinfinance/1564FBM
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/latinfinance/8884HGV
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/latinfinance/7863SVB
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/latinfinance/5233SFB
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/latinfinance/5899SML
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/latinfinance/4311PMN
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/latinfinance/1366FBB
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/latinfinance/9355AXC
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/latinfinance/8559EBN
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/latinfinance/8244QXC
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/latinfinance/1779BBN
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/latinfinance/7144XVB
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/latinfinance/8971QGH
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/latinfinance/200805
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/latinfinance/200804
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/latinfinance/200803
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com