Quotes from Ana Patricia Botin

I started at the bottom. Nobody has given me anything.

I consider myself to be quite persuasive when I want.

I think cash will be around for a long time.

We are the most British of Britain's banks. This always gets a chuckle; I don't why.

For me, my husband gives me advice all the time - he's been very supportive.

We're a boring retail and commercial bank.

We can help companies committed to addressing global challenges such as climate change.

I get the sense that the British do not like to look at things on the bright side of life. Maybe it has something to do with the weather.

I'm very happy in the U.K.; I love it here. Even the weather - I'm from a place where it rains almost as much.

It has to be convenient. You have to be able to bank with me anytime.

Being different is critical.

I would love it if you became a Santander customer.

I don't think of us as defending ourselves. I think of us as a challenger, an attacker.

I'm confident in our team and our capacity to continue to deliver.

We need to stop frowning upon failure whilst criticising those that succeed.

Profit, wealth creation, competition - these are not dirty words but the lifeblood of a dynamic economy.

Discretion is the most important thing for a banker. That is the philosophy of the family... I mean, of the bank.

You are not going to get married through technology. You are not going to buy a house through technology.

The thing that really sticks - and when you talk to entrepreneurs, they say the same - is just thinking about the next day, the next week.

Bright graduates will either set up their own companies or come and work for us or a consulting firm or government. But going to work for a small company if you are really good? No way.

It is going to sound cliched, but my husband has been incredibly helpful.

We need to change how we run banks. We need to change the culture. If we get it right, we can have a huge impact.

When times are tough, we tend to outperform as margins increase.

If the government is funding itself at 2 per cent, you know, how much are you going to pay savers if you want to lend money at a cheaper rate? People have the incentive to build a factory or open new stores. It is a trade-off.