Work Experience
Open Innovation
Author | Expert | Advisor
Facilitator |Speaker
2020-PresentPresent
Marisol is an expert with more than 20 years of international experience in the areas of open innovation, collaboration between startups and corporations, specially in fintech and digital transformation. From her experience, she created the framework “3 dimensions of Open Innovation”, applying first hand learnings and from the +110 corporations from different sectors and 12 different countries. More at
Nordic Future Innovation (NFI)
Head of Open Innovation
2020-Present
Nordic Finance Innovation (NFI) mission is to bring all Nordics together to boost global sustainable innovation. We work with Open Innovation to bring together the best of corporations and startups within the Nordics and connect it globally.
Business Advisor
Axyon AI
2019-Present
Business Advisor for Axyon AI, a company that provides the world’s most advanced AI and deep learning solutions for asset management.
Change Labs
2019-Present
The Financial Health AI Platform, a win-win for both banks & their retail customers. ChangeLabs AI modules live at the intersection of advanced behavioral economics and best-in-class machine learning
Lead
#WomeninTechSpain
2020-Present
A work group created to promote visibility and equality in women’s professional careers in the digital world. We want to promote equality of opportunities for women of all age and social background. We want to inspire and bring examples of women setting the way for a new innovative and digital future.
South Summit / Spain Startup
Chief Open Innovation Officer
2019-Present
Chief Open Innovation Officer at South Summit, the global platform for open innovation that connects startups, corporations and investors to generate business opportunities.
She leads the Open Innovation practice at South Summit, aiming day to day to demonstrate the real value that Open Innovation brings to all ecosystem players, in all sectors and all countries. Also to demonstrate the real value of Open Innovation (collaboration between startups and corporations), consolidate Spain's position as a global reference and strategic bridge between Latam and Europe, and boost innovation in collaboration activities for the Spanish speaking world.
BBVA
Global Head of Open Innovation
2013/2018
During her six year tenure, Marisol led the Open Innovation project, which aims to connect and collaborate with fintechs for the purpose of accelerating the rhythm of innovation and digital transformation of financial services. The Open Innovation project is built upon 4 main pillars:
Ecosystem Building: All activities that build the fintech and tech ecosystem all over the world, with activities such as:
BBVA Open Talent: What began as a local Social Responsibility program is now the biggest and longest running fintech competition in the world and the main source of outside-in innovation for BBVA, with 900 startups from 81 countries in 2018.
BBVA Open Summit: Achieved first time involvement of C-level executives in major fintech and innovation events with an associated 1M€ budget.
Partnerships: Responsible for creating and maintaining parternships with Venture Capital, ecosystem builders, Government officials, key academia and institutions
Internal Scouting: The differentiating factor of the strategy is to structure and create continuous relation with all business units to understand priorities and needs.
One Team and breaking silos: Leveraging on deep understanding of the corporation and banking business she’s leading the efforts of internal collaboration of previously siloed teams such as: communications, marketing, design, UX, research, event management, and talent & culture.
Matchmaking and Follow Up: These are all activities related to connect the right startup to the best team within BBVA and look for business opportunities. Open innovation put together a fast track process involving budget, and all teams that have a say in pilot scale up and implementation (compliance, legal, security, procurement, financial, etc.). Key values: Transparency, reciprocity and trust.
BBVA New Digital Business Innovation Manager
2010 –2013
Developed and implemented innovation projects for ATMs & social media.
BBVA Enterprise Systems
ERPs Project Manager
2006 – 2010
In charge of the implementation and deployment of PeopleSoft Human Resources and SAP Financials / Supply Chain in Spain and Latin America.
Strategy Consultant
1997 – 2006
Achieved a leadership position in ERP deployment projects (PeopleSoft and SAP) for large corporations in Europe and Latin America. Gained deep knowledge of and became a renowned expert in corporate process analysis.
