WiZink and Unicaja have discussed a possible corporate deal since at least April 2026, with no public agreement or completed transaction. Iheb Nafaa has now left WiZink for personal reasons, and Chairman Joaquim Saurina will assume his functions as negotiations continue.
Saurina already knows the bank. He held executive responsibilities at WiZink during an earlier transition, before Nafaa arrived in 2023, and later worked with Nafaa on the strategic plan now being carried out.
The handover is a management response, with no stated change in strategy. Saurina has described his return as a move built around continuity, pointing to WiZink's existing plan and team, along with its business in Spain and Portugal. He said the focus would remain on executing the plan for customers, with sustainable growth as the goal.
WiZink recorded a loss of 3.07 million euros in the first half of 2026, information from Banco de España statistics cited by Europa Press. The loss was 55% smaller than in the same period a year earlier.
Total income, also called gross margin, reached 146.3 million euros between January and June, down 1.6% from a year earlier. Net interest income stood at 131 million euros after falling 0.4%, while net commission income dropped 10% to 14.8 million euros.
The management handover comes as WiZink carries out its current strategy and negotiations continue over its ownership or wider corporate future. WiZink has attributed Nafaa's departure to personal reasons.
Readers seeking a broader view of leadership departures in another sector can find an earlier departure story. Its circumstances are unrelated.
WiZink has continuity at the top, but its corporate future remains open. The smaller half-year loss does not erase the fall in total income, while commission income also weakened. Saurina must manage the current plan as the Unicaja question remains unresolved.
