At the age of 30 he founded his company, sold it to Globant and now seeks to change banks in the region.

Maite Barrera has known for two decades what the banks of the future look like. 17 years ago. When he was almost 30 years old, he put aside his experience in the corporate world to dare to start a business: created Bluecap, a boutique consultancy which manages to bring digital change to come to the world, in the financial sector.

This Spanish woman two years ago, in the midst of a pandemic, took another step: she interviewed via video call the Argentine founder of Globant, Martín Migoya, who convinced her that sell your business. It wasn’t a traditional sale, at this stage Barrera joined the local unicorn’s executive committee to lead the transformation of clients into the company’s financial world.

Barrera considers the data to be “the oil of this century” and the challenge for organizations, but especially for banks.knows how to manage them: “There’s so much data, you have to understand it and see how it moves into the business. There are no more non -customers for banks, because anyone can be a customer with all the information people available.”

The 17 years that have passed since Bluecap was created have witnessed a total change in the way business is done. Barriers led the transformation of European world -related entities such as Santander, Caixabank and Sabadell. However, he insists that changes in this sector are not yet sealed: “Banking needs to reinvent itself. There is no choice,” he assured from Globant de Retiro’s offices in speaking to Clarion.

“Both in Argentina and in the rest of Latin America, the level of banking is high. The impression it gave me was that it was made up of people who were very clear about the challenges that awaited and the main one of these challenges. knows how to acquire the talent that will make these changes possible, ”said the entrepreneur, stressing that these changes must be implemented “with the customer in the middle”.

Among the challenges for the banking sector, Barrera listed: “Banks there are cost problems, they must find ways to be better, and at the same time they must find new ways to do business and generate income. That’s why I think that in fintech they will fight and they will also work together. Find other ways to serve customers. Banking has social value: without banking, the economy will not work. “

“There is banking challenges, they have challenges in open markets to generate other types of income, they also have sustainability challenges. Banks must play an active role in the transition of the economy to a more sustainable economy. Many banks want to stop being technological, ”he added. “The customer demands answers all the time and anywhere.”

For Barrera, these changes will take place around the world: “Banks are already working on the technology behind cryptocurrencies, which is the blockchain. Banks by definition are very cautious, but because of the “curiosity, a lot of people are already investigating this world. and I’m also getting questions. about how to position yourself in the Metaverse,” he said.