A new chapter for Valls
For 25 years Luis Valls and his younger brother, Javier, have ruled Spain's Banco Popular Español like twin absolute monarchs. Together -- Luis as Popular's strong-willed internal manager and Javier as its gregarious public face -- they have turned the institution that their industrialist family bought in the late 1940s into one of Europe's most profitable banks by keeping a grip on costs and being conservative.
November 12, 2004