ChileDay Madrid 2026: Santander announces US$800 million investment plan in Chile
• One of the day’s highlights was the participation of Ana Botín, Santander’s executive chair, who discussed the Group’s strategy and examined Chile’s opportunities to strengthen its competitiveness and translate its capabilities into investment and growth.
• Santander’s new investment plan in Chile—which includes the recent acquisition of the life annuity business—will focus on technology development, branch upgrades and further progress on Campus Santander.
MADRID, Spain, Sept. 14, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Santander executive chair Ana Botín was one of the leading voices at ChileDay Madrid 2026, which brought together government officials, business leaders and investors to discuss Chile’s growth opportunities and its position in the global economy. This year’s edition also set a participation record, with more than 700 registered attendees.
Her remarks came against a global backdrop of increased geopolitical fragmentation, trade tensions and intensifying competition to attract capital. In this context, she addressed the conditions required to strengthen Chile’s competitiveness and execution capacity and to translate its opportunities into investment and growth.
“Chile has significant strengths: strategic resources, openness to the world and solid institutions. The opportunity lies in translating these advantages into investment, growth and jobs, with technology and artificial intelligence playing a fundamental role in driving productivity. As an investor in Chile for decades, Santander knows that the country has everything it needs to make this a reality, and we will continue investing in its future,” said Ana Botín.
Technology transformation and network evolution: the pillars of the new plan
During ChileDay Madrid 2026, Andrés Trautmann, CEO and country head of Santander Chile, announced the bank’s new US$800 million investment plan for the next three years (approximately US$550 million will be funded by Banco Santander Chile and the remaining US$250 million by Santander Group). The plan includes the recent acquisition of the life annuity business, technology transformation, the evolution of the branch network and the development of Campus Santander, the bank’s new corporate headquarters.
The new investments will enable the bank to deepen its use of technology, data and artificial intelligence to improve the customer experience, simplify processes and enhance its responsiveness. This evolution will be complemented by investments in the physical network under a strategy that combines digital services with in-person assistance at WorkCafé locations.
A bridge between Chile and international markets
During his remarks at the opening of ChileDay Madrid, Andrés Trautmann discussed Chile’s potential in a global environment marked by intense competition to attract capital. “Chile today offers institutional stability, integration with international markets and globally recognized macroeconomic discipline. This is complemented by the exceptional momentum in sectors such as mining, energy, infrastructure and logistics, among others. These strengths place us in a favorable position to resume economic growth, at a time when people have once again made growth a priority to create more and better jobs, open opportunities in new sectors and drive entrepreneurship,” he said.
Trautmann added: “For these solid foundations to translate into a stronger economic outlook and greater well-being for the population, we need to move decisively forward with reforms and long-term measures. This will require broad-based agreements, predictable rules and certainty to sustain implementation over time. People want Chile to return to growth, with more jobs, better wages and new opportunities.”
Santander Chile’s country head also welcomed the renewed prominence of capital markets modernization on the economic agenda. “We are optimistic about the long-awaited capital markets reform. It will help channel savings and investment toward concrete needs, with three priorities: facilitating access to homeownership for more families; expanding financing alternatives for SMEs and entrepreneurs; and simplifying or updating rules that have remained in place over time and now hinder the entry of new local and international players,” he said.
Banco Santander Chile is one of the companies with the highest risk ratings in Latin America, with an A2 rating from Moody's, A- from Standard & Poor's, A+ from the Japan Credit Rating Agency, and AA- from HR Ratings. All ratings have a stable outlook as of the date of this report.
As of June 30, 2026, the Bank has total assets of CLP 70,323,331 million (US$ 76,348million), total gross loans (including loans owed by banks) at amortized cost of CLP 41,426,628 million (US$ 44,976 million), total deposits of CLP 32,390,791 million (US$ 35,166 million), and shareholders' equity of CLP 4,974,214 million (US$ 5,400 million). The BIS capital ratio is 16.6%, with a core capital ratio of 11.1%. As of June 30, 2026, Santander Chile employs 8,315 people and has 224 branches throughout Chile.
CONTACT INFORMATION
Cristian Vicuña
Chief Strategy Officer and Head of Investor Relations
Banco Santander Chile
Bandera 140, 20th Floor
Santiago, Chile
Email: irelations@santander.cl Website: www.santander.cl
