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BBVA vs Morgan Stanley: Founders, CEOs and History

BBVA was founded in 1857 by Bilbao Board of Trade and is led by Onur Genç. Morgan Stanley was founded in 1935 by Henry S. Morgan, Harold Stanley and is led by Ted Pick.

Company facts

BBVA

Founded
1857
Headquarters
Madrid, Spain
Current CEO
Onur Genç
Employees
127,174

Morgan Stanley

Founded
1935
Headquarters
New York, New York, United States
Current CEO
Ted Pick
Employees
83,000

Founders

BBVA

  • Bilbao Board of Trade

    No individual is recorded as the founder of BBVA's oldest institution. Banco de Bilbao was created in 1857 after the Bilbao Board of Trade, the body representing the port city's merchants, promoted a bank that could issue banknotes and discount commercial bill…

BBVA founders in full

Morgan Stanley

  • Henry S. Morgan

    Henry S. Morgan co-founded Morgan Stanley in 1935 after the Glass-Steagall Act required J.P. Morgan & Co. to separate its securities business from commercial banking.

  • Harold Stanley

    Harold Stanley (1885-1963) co-founded Morgan Stanley in 1935 alongside Henry S. Morgan. Following the passage of the Glass-Steagall Act, which forced banks to separate commercial and investment banking, Stanley left J.P. Morgan & Co.

Morgan Stanley founders in full

CEOs and their tenures

BBVA

  1. Pedro Luis Uriarte1999–2001

    Chief Executive Officer

    Chief executive and vice chairman of BBV from September 1994 and of the merged BBVA until he retired at the end of 2001.

    Source
  2. Francisco Gonzalez2000–2018

    Executive Chairman

    Chaired Argentaria before its 1999 merger with BBV and then BBVA until December 2018, 22 years at the head of the group in total. He drove the bank's technology rebuild and the 2007 purchase of Compass Bancshares in the United States.

    Source
  3. Jose Ignacio Goirigolzarri2001–2009

    Chief Executive Officer

    Chief executive of BBVA from 2001 to 2009, the period that covered the USD4.1 billion buyout of the rest of BBVA Bancomer in 2004 and the USD9.6 billion purchase of Compass Bancshares in 2007. He later chaired Bankia and CaixaBank.

    Source
  4. Angel Cano2009–2015

    Chief Executive Officer

    Appointed chief executive in September 2009, replacing Jose Ignacio Goirigolzarri.

    Source
  5. Carlos Torres Vila2015–2018

    Chief Executive Officer

    Chief executive from May 2015 until December 31, 2018, when he became executive chairman and Onur Genc took over as CEO. He had joined BBVA in 2008 to run strategy and corporate development and led digital banking from 2014.

    Source
  6. Onur Genc2018–present

    Chief Executive Officer

    Took over as CEO on December 31, 2018, the day Carlos Torres Vila became executive chairman.

    Source
BBVA CEO history in full

Morgan Stanley

  1. James Gorman2010–2023

    Former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

    Gorman's tenure moved Morgan Stanley toward recurring fee revenue. He became executive chairman after stepping down as CEO and left the board at the end of 2024.

    Source
  2. Ted Pick2024–present

    Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

    Under Pick, Morgan Stanley reported record 2025 net revenues of $70.6B and record Q2 2026 results.

    Source
Morgan Stanley CEO history in full

Timeline: BBVA and Morgan Stanley side by side

  1. 1857BBVA

    Banco de Bilbao is created

    Bilbao's Board of Trade promotes the creation of Banco de Bilbao as a bank of issue and discount for the city's merchants. It is the oldest institution in BBVA's corporate line.

  2. 1901BBVA

    Banco de Vizcaya is founded

    Banco de Vizcaya is founded in Bilbao and grows alongside Banco de Bilbao as the second large Basque bank, financing regional industry.

  3. 1935Morgan Stanley

    Morgan Stanley Founded

    Henry S. Morgan and Harold Stanley officially launch the top investment bank following the historic Glass-Steagall split.

  4. 1988BBVA

    Banco de Bilbao and Banco de Vizcaya merge

    The two Basque rivals merge to form Banco Bilbao Vizcaya (BBV), one of the largest banks in Spain ahead of the European single market.

  5. 1996Morgan Stanley

    Acquired Van Kampen American Capital

    Morgan Stanley acquired Van Kampen American Capital in 1996.

  6. 1997Morgan Stanley

    Merged with Dean Witter Discover & Co

    Morgan Stanley merged with Dean Witter Discover & Co in February 1997.

  7. 1999BBVA

    BBV merges with Argentaria to create BBVA

    BBV merges with Argentaria, the group Spain had assembled from state-owned lenders such as Banco Exterior, Banco Hipotecario and Caja Postal, forming Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria.

  8. 2000BBVA

    BBVA takes control of Bancomer in Mexico

    BBVA capitalizes Bancomer with USD1.4 billion and merges it with BBV-Probursa to create Grupo Financiero BBVA Bancomer, the largest bank in Mexico.

  9. 2004BBVA

    BBVA bids for the rest of BBVA Bancomer

    BBVA offers USD4.1 billion in cash for the roughly 41 percent of BBVA Bancomer held by minority investors, ending with about 99 percent of the Mexican group.

  10. 2007BBVA

    Compass Bancshares purchase builds a US franchise

    BBVA buys Compass Bancshares of Birmingham, Alabama for USD9.6 billion, creating a Sunbelt retail bank that later traded as BBVA Compass and BBVA USA.

  11. 2008Morgan Stanley

    Bank Holding Company Conversion

    Facing total catastrophic collapse, the firm converts into a traditional bank holding company to survive the global financial crisis.

  12. 2009Morgan Stanley

    The Smith Barney Acquisition

    then-CEO James Gorman masterminds the acquisition of Smith Barney, instantly creating a dominant retail wealth management leader.

  13. 2010BBVA

    BBVA agrees to buy 24.9 percent of Garanti

    BBVA agrees to pay ~$4.74 billion (EUR4.195 billion), about USD5.84 billion, for 24.9 percent of Turkiye Garanti Bankasi, funded with a rights issue of about $5.65 billion (EUR5 billion).

  14. 2014BBVA

    BBVA wins the auction for Catalunya Banc

    BBVA bids ~$1.34 billion (EUR1.187 billion) for Catalunya Banc, with 1.5 million customers and ~$71.2 billion (EUR63 billion) of assets, in the auction run by Spain's bank restructuring fund. The deal closed in 2015.

  15. 2018BBVA

    Onur Genc is named CEO

    BBVA's board designates Onur Genc as chief executive from December 31, 2018, the date Carlos Torres Vila replaces Francisco Gonzalez as executive chairman.

  16. 2018Morgan Stanley

    Acquired Mesa West

    Morgan Stanley acquired Mesa West in March 2018.

  17. 2019BBVA

    BBVA unifies its brand worldwide

    The group drops local names such as BBVA Bancomer, BBVA Francés, BBVA Continental and BBVA Compass and operates as BBVA in every market.

  18. 2020Morgan Stanley

    E*TRADE Acquisition

    Morgan Stanley dominates the self-directed brokerage market by acquiring E*TRADE for $13 billion.

  19. 2021BBVA

    BBVA closes the transfer of BBVA USA to PNC

    BBVA completes the transfer of BBVA USA Bancshares to PNC Financial Services on June 1, 2021, receiving about USD11.5 billion, equivalent to ~$10.8 billion (EUR9.6 billion), in cash.

  20. 2021Morgan Stanley

    Acquired Eaton Vance

    Morgan Stanley acquired Eaton Vance for $7 billion. Morgan Stanley acquired Eaton Vance for about $7B, completed in March 2021, adding Parametric, Calvert, and Atlanta Capital.

  21. 2022BBVA

    Tender offer lifts the Garanti stake to 85.97 percent

    A tender offer at 15 Turkish lira per share closes in May 2022 and raises BBVA's holding in Garanti BBVA to 85.97 percent.

  22. 2024Morgan Stanley

    Ted Pick Appointed CEO

    Following a competitive internal succession, Ted Pick takes the helm to heavily drive the integration strategy.

  23. 2025BBVA

    The offer for Banco Sabadell lapses

    Shareholders representing 25.47 percent of Sabadell's voting rights accept BBVA's all-share offer, short of the minimum BBVA required, and the bid lapses on October 16, 2025.

  24. 2025BBVA

    Record net attributable profit of ~$11.9B (EUR10.511B)

    BBVA reports gross income of ~$41.7B (EUR36.931B) and net attributable profit of ~$11.9B (EUR10.511B) for 2025, with ROTE of 19.3 percent and an efficiency ratio of 38.8 percent.

  25. 2026BBVA

    BBVA is ordered to stand trial in the Villarejo case

    Spain's National Court orders BBVA, former chairman Francisco Gonzalez and 14 other defendants to stand trial over work commissioned from former police commissioner Jose Manuel Villarejo between 2004 and 2016.

Acquisitions

BBVA

  • Turkiye Garanti Bankasi tender offer (Turkey)2022Undisclosed
  • Catalunya Banc (Spain)2014Undisclosed
  • Turkiye Garanti Bankasi 24.9 percent stake (Turkey)2010$5.8B
  • Compass Bancshares (United States)2007$9.6B
  • BBVA Bancomer minority shares (Mexico)2004$4.1B
  • Grupo Financiero Bancomer (Mexico)2000$1.4B
All BBVA acquisitions

Morgan Stanley

  • Eaton Vance2021$7B
  • E*TRADE2020$13B
  • Smith Barney2009Undisclosed
All Morgan Stanley acquisitions

Questions about BBVA vs Morgan Stanley

Who is the CEO of Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria, S.A. and Morgan Stanley?

Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria, S.A. is led by Onur Genç and Morgan Stanley is led by Ted Pick. Both serve as the top executive responsible for the company's strategy, operations, and financial performance.

When was Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria, S.A. founded vs Morgan Stanley?

Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria, S.A. was founded in 1857 — 78 years before Morgan Stanley, which was founded in 1935. Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria, S.A.'s longer operating history gives it a deeper track record but also potentially more institutional inertia compared to the younger Morgan Stanley.

How many employees does Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria, S.A. have compared to Morgan Stanley?

Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria, S.A. employs approximately 127,174 people, while Morgan Stanley employs approximately 83,000. Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria, S.A. has the larger workforce at 127,174 employees, compared to Morgan Stanley's 83,000. A higher headcount does not necessarily imply greater efficiency — it often reflects differences in business model (e.g., manufacturing vs. software).

Where are Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria, S.A. and Morgan Stanley headquartered?

Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria, S.A. is headquartered in Spain and Morgan Stanley is headquartered in United States. Their different home markets mean they may face different regulatory frameworks, tax regimes, and currency exposure.

Who founded Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria, S.A. and Morgan Stanley?

Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria, S.A. was founded by Bilbao Board of Trade. Morgan Stanley was founded by Henry S. Morgan, Harold Stanley.

Which company has a longer operating history — Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria, S.A. or Morgan Stanley?

Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria, S.A. has been operating for approximately 169 years, making it the more established of the two companies. Morgan Stanley has been in operation for around 91 years. A longer operating history often signals greater institutional resilience and brand recognition, though it can also mean slower adaptation to new market conditions.

Figures come from each company's filings and the sources linked beside them. Amounts reported in another currency are shown in US dollars at an approximate rate and marked with ~. Back to the BBVA vs Morgan Stanley overview

Content is for informational purposes only. Not financial advice. Data sourced from SEC filings, annual reports, and public records. See our full disclaimer and methodology.