With seven years of senior consulting experience following 28 years of experience in banking (13 of which as global head of compliance of Grupo Santander), combines a strategic view with a practical focus. He specialises in the design, implementation, review, and remediation of compliance frameworks related both to financial sector regulations (for non-prudential risks: conduct, AML, reputational) and to digital regulations (DORA, EU AI Act).

In recent years, he has assisted numerous EMEA financial institutions to enhance their AFC programs by executing an independent assessment followed by the design of a tailored remediation plan (including the most strategic elements: performance of risk assessments, setting the risk appetite). He is also involved in assisting financial entities to develop a control framework for ICT and AI-related risks, starting from a thorough understanding of the applicable regulatory obligations. Currently, he is involved in the development of an agentic AI-based solution for performing customer due diligence.

Before moving to the compliance domain, he served as head of strategic planning of the global wholesale banking division of Grupo Santander and as managing director of its corporate finance unit, taking on assignments of project/infrastructure financing and financial advisory in connection with privatisations and M&A. José Manuel has a double degree in Law and in Business Administration by the Universidad Pontificia Comillas – ICADE, Madrid (Spain).