On April 2nd, 2025, Mirai RiskTech — a leader in integrated balance sheet management solutions — held the second edition of its Executive Breakfast in Madrid, an exclusive gathering designed for senior professionals in banking risk management. Under the theme “Strategic Balance Sheet Management for Banks,” and in partnership with our technology partner Amazon Web Services Spain, the event explored the main challenges and opportunities facing financial institutions in an increasingly complex economic and regulatory landscape.
Hosted in a private room at Amazon’s headquarters in the iconic Torre Foster, the session offered a privileged setting for exchanging ideas and experiences among industry leaders.
With over 50 attendees and a full house, the event proved an excellent platform for connecting, reflecting, and sharing perspectives on critical topics such as liquidity optimization, capital management, and financial risk management.
The event opened with a welcome address from our CEO, Olmo Vázquez, followed by a presentation and two expert roundtables focused on the major challenges of strategic balance sheet management.
Moderated by Miguel Ángel Penabella, Strategic Advisor at Mirai RiskTech and former Head of Market and Structural Risks at Banco Santander, the sessions brought together renowned industry experts who provided in-depth analysis and valuable insights into the latest regulatory and technological developments.
In his keynote, Eduardo Ávila delivered a realistic and expert take on the evolving relationship between financial institutions and supervisory authorities.
He noted that, in recent years, supervisors have significantly raised their technical expectations while simultaneously showing greater openness to dialogue and a more empathetic stance toward institutions.
Regarding the regulatory landscape, he emphasized that simplification is unlikely in the short term, but there is growing awareness of the need to apply proportionality. This shift could pave the way for frameworks better aligned with each institution’s size, complexity, and risk profile.
On international supervisory coordination — across the ECB, PRA, or the Fed — Ávila highlighted persistent differences in interpretation, pace of implementation, and supervisory intensity. These disparities continue to create frictions and significant challenges for cross-border groups.
He also stressed the importance of building transparent, collaborative relationships during key processes such as on-site inspections and deep dives.
Ávila closed with practical recommendations for strengthening relationships with supervisors: promote internal transparency and consistency, anticipate key topics, maintain rigorous documentation, and adopt a proactive, communicative stance in day-to-day operations and regulatory development.
Panelists:
The first roundtable explored how today’s volatility is reshaping interest rate risk in the banking book (IRRBB) and liquidity frameworks.
Since the pandemic, markets have shifted dramatically — from a prolonged period of historically low rates to abrupt hikes aimed at containing inflation. Added to this are geopolitical tensions, renewed protectionist policies, armed conflicts, and diverging rate trajectories across economies, particularly between the euro and the dollar. These dynamics increase complexity in managing FX, liquidity, and structural risk.
In this environment, institutions must adapt their strategies swiftly and rigorously. First-line teams need to respond with precision, while second-line functions strengthen oversight and ensure risk appetite frameworks remain solid and aligned with the new scenarios.
The panel explored how the industry is addressing these challenges:A standout moment was the reflection on lessons from the March 2023 crisis (SVB), which has driven a reassessment of liquidity buffers and product design.
The discussion concluded by highlighting the importance of transparent, collaborative relationships with supervisors and the strategic role of hedging as a key tool in integrated balance sheet management.
Panelists:
The second roundtable focused on the transformative role of technology in balance sheet management. In a context of increasing regulatory pressure and financial volatility, the panelists discussed how risk technology is redefining the frameworks for financial and regulatory decision-making.
A central theme was the need for agile, high-performance platforms capable of real-time modeling. Such capabilities have become indispensable for meeting increasingly complex, time-constrained regulatory requests.
The panel agreed that accurate data and strong reporting capabilities remain foundational. But new technological advances now allow institutions to:
Alberto Ortega shared his practical experience evaluating technology vendors, highlighting the importance of running models in minutes and of quickly adapting solutions to institution-specific needs.
The session closed with a clear message: risk technology must be robust, flexible, and scalable, enabling institutions to anticipate and adapt to continuous regulatory and strategic change.
Some of the most relevant themes and insights from the day include:
From Mirai RiskTech, we extend our sincere thanks to all speakers and attendees who made this event possible. In particular, to Amazon Web Services Spain for their collaboration and hospitality, and to the experts from BBVA, Banco Santander, and CaixaBank, whose insights enriched the discussion with real-world experience.
This Executive Breakfast reinforced Mirai RiskTech’s commitment to innovation, technical excellence, and close engagement with the financial sector. We remain focused on delivering solutions that help banks accelerate their path toward more agile, precise, and future-ready balance sheet management.
Explore our full event calendar and join us for the next session at mirairisktech.com/events.