LIFE AND CAREER OF ANA BOTIN

Full name: Ana Botin-Sanz De Sautuola Y O’Shea (the O’Shea is from her mother Paloma O’Shea, 1st Marquise of O’Shea) Age: 55 Family: Married to Guillermo Morenes Mariategui with three sons, Felipe, Javier and Pablo Hobbies: Golf, reading, music, philanthropy

Favourite gadget: Fitbit.

‘I love it’ Box set: Game of Thrones Book: Hacking Exposed, by George Kurtz

Best advice received: ‘I want people that understand the business and understand people,’ Warren Buffett

Career: After graduating with a BA in economics from Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania she worked for JP Morgan, rising to vice-president in 1985. Joined Banco Santander until 1999, then became founder and CEO of private equity fund Suala and an IT web consultancy. Returned to banking in 2002 as chairman of Banesto. In 2010 became chairman of Santander UK before returning to Madrid to take on the role of chairman and chief executive of Banco Santander in 2014

Working Day: Gets up at 6am in London or 7am in Spain. Works out on a fitness machine at home. Does half an hour of running and a bit of weight and yoga before a breakfast of granola, soya milk and yoghurt. Gets to the office in London at eight or in Madrid around nine. Walks up the six floors to her office in Madrid to help reach her goal of at least 10,000 steps a day. Working day filled with meetings. At 6.30pm will entertain business visitors for dinner. This is American dinner time and highly unusual in Spain where people eat very late. Spends roughly 100 days a year in London, 100 days in Spain and 100 days travelling all over the planet

Spare time: Keen on philanthropy as the founder and chairman of CyD Foundation for Higher Education. Enjoys spending time with the family, playing golf, listening to music and watching videos. Favourites include Band of Brothers, Homeland and Sherlock Holmes. Admires Benedict Cumberbatch – ‘One of the best actors.’