The testimony of someone who directed the leading economic weekly and later the most influential financial daily in Spain during the 70s, 80s, and 90s carries significant weight when discussing a banker of Luis Valls’ stature, the president of one of “the big seven.”

Jesús Martínez de Rioja shares heartwarming anecdotes about his interactions with the Catalan banker. He recounts how, on one occasion, when he wanted to do a feature on Valls and asked him to pose for a photo, the banker kindly agreed but insisted on including his entire team, stating he didn’t want to appear alone. Once the group was assembled, the photographer needed a ladder to find the best angle. To Martínez de Rioja’s surprise, Valls himself fetched the ladder.

The financial journalist highlighted Valls’ sensitivity and commitment to training journalists when it was uncommon to find information professionals with additional expertise in banking and economics. At Banco Popular, some executives regularly and altruistically trained journalists interested in these subjects. Martínez de Rioja calls Valls “a pioneer” for championing these practices—fostering transparency and helping others understand often complex topics. According to the Expansión editor, “everything was made easy.”

The journalist vividly recalls the clarity with which the Catalan banker understood the banking business more than two decades ago. Valls focused on commercial banking for small and medium-sized enterprises and prioritized highly personal relationships with clients—a groundbreaking approach at the time. Similarly, his early embrace of what we now call Corporate Social Responsibility was remarkable.

The periodic conversations between these two professionals were deeply enriching, leaving Martínez de Rioja with “something new every time.” They discussed various topics, including politics, economics, literature, and even the latest exhibition Valls had visited. Martínez de Rioja said, “he was a very cultured banker.”