Career Biography
Thomas Martinez Villanueva — National Regulatory Affairs Counsel, Banco Nacional de México (Banamex)

Thomas Martinez is a Mexican lawyer specialising in banking and financial law. A graduate of the Faculty of Law at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), he also holds a diploma in Banking and Financial Law from Universidad Panamericana. Within just three years of completing his law degree, Thomas has achieved a remarkable trajectory at Banamex—progressing from Counsel (Assistant Vice President) in 2022 to Senior Vice President and Country Counsel in 2024, and subsequently being appointed National Regulatory Affairs Counsel in November 2024. In this role, he leads the bank’s regulatory legal strategy, overseeing its interface with financial authorities and serving as Banamex’s principal liaison with the Mexican Banking Association (ABM).

Thomas’s career exemplifies early leadership, strategic vision, and technical depth in a highly complex and evolving regulatory landscape. His expertise lies in anticipating regulatory change, designing innovative legal frameworks, and executing large-scale corporate restructurings with precision and foresight. These attributes have positioned him as one of the most promising emerging legal leaders in Mexico’s financial sector.

Since joining Banamex, Thomas has played a decisive role in several operations of systemic relevance to the Mexican banking industry. He contributed to the legal structuring of the acquisition of Deutsche Bank Mexico, the spin-off of Banco Nacional de México and Grupo Financiero Citibanamex, the merger of Banco Citi México, and the creation of Grupo Financiero Citi México. Currently, he leads the legal front for the forthcoming merger of Tarjetas Banamex with Banamex—an integration central to the bank’s transformation and future competitiveness. In parallel, he spearheads the legal and regulatory implementation of key policy frameworks, including the CUB Fraudes reform and the new Payroll Loans (CAN) regime—two initiatives that redefine the regulatory balance between consumer protection and financial inclusion.

Thomas’s ability to combine legal rigour with strategic perspective has earned him recognition both within Banamex and across the financial community. His work frequently intersects with Mexico’s principal financial regulators, such as the CNBV, Banxico, Condusef, and SHCP, fostering constructive dialogue between the private and public sectors. He is also an active participant in the ABM’s legal committee, contributing to the modernisation of financial law and digital transformation of the sector.

Beyond his institutional responsibilities, Thomas is committed to mentoring young lawyers and promoting a forward-looking, solutions-oriented legal culture within the banking industry. His approach emphasises collaboration, clarity, and innovation—qualities that reflect a new generation of legal leadership in Mexico’s financial services landscape.

At only 27 years old, Thomas stands out as a rising figure shaping the next phase of Mexico’s financial regulation and corporate governance. His accelerated ascent, technical command, and influence on strategic legal matters make him a distinctive member of the GC Powerlist: Mexico Rising Stars 2025.