BBVA winks at Catalonia with its new signing

BarcelonaMore movement in the banking sector. If last week Sabadell surprised us with the departure of its CEO, César González-Bueno, now it's BBVA's turn to make a signing aimed at showcasing its support for Catalonia: the proposal of Catalan Jordi Montalbo as an independent director of the bank is a move to invest in the region after the failed takeover bid for the bank he chairs. Likewise, Pablo Isla will be appointed the new vice president of L'Oréal, Covestro is redefining the leadership of its production centers in Catalonia, and the Focus group has appointed a new CEO.

BBVA will appoint a Catalan as an independent director

BBVA's board of directors will propose the appointment of Jordi Montalbo Todolí, from Catalonia, as an independent director at the next shareholders' meeting. Montalbo, born in 1965, is an independent director of Med Vida (Mediterráneo Vida, SA de Seguros y Reaseguros) and spent much of his career at Deloitte, from 1990 to 2022. At the consulting firm, he specialized in auditing the financial and insurance sectors. He held prominent positions such as partner in charge of insurance in Spain, as well as partner in audit and insurance for financial services and co-lead audit leader for the insurance sector in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.

The future new BBVA board member holds a degree in economics and business administration from the University of Barcelona. He also has extensive technical specialization as an insurance actuary from the same university. He has completed several training and development programs both in Spain and abroad. His appointment is subject to verification by the European Central Bank (ECB) to ensure he meets the regulatory requirements for suitability to hold the position. BBVA will also propose the re-election of board members Sonia Dulá, Raúl Galamba, Ana Revenga, and Carlos Salazar. Lourdes Máiz will step down after reaching the maximum twelve-year term allowed for independent directors. Pablo Isla, from Inditex to Oréal

L'Oréal will propose the appointment of Pablo Isla, the current CEO, to the next general shareholders' meeting. Chairman of the Board of Nestlé and former CEO of Inditex, as a new member of its board of directors in the capacity of vice chairman. Alongside him, the candidacy of Anna Lenz will also be presented, as announced by the company this week. Both would be seeking a four-year term on the governing body of the French cosmetics group.

Isla's appointment comes at the suggestion of Nestlé, one of L'Oréal's main shareholders and holder of approximately 20% of the capital of the group that owns brands such as Lancôme, Garnier, and Maybelline. The decision also has the support of the company's Appointments and Corporate Governance Committee, which endorsed his profile to strengthen the board. Isla assumed the chairmanship of Nestlé in October of last year, after having been the CEO of Inditex, the Spanish textile company founded by Amancio Ortega. Belén Garijo leaves Merck and joins Sanofi

Belén Garijo, until now CEO of the German pharmaceutical company Merck, is returning to Sanofi after several years. She will assume the role of CEO of the French company in April, taking over from the previous CEO, Paul Hudson, who will step down on February 17. In the interim, the board will appoint Olivier Charmeil as CEO until Garijo takes over. Garijo's arrival comes at a challenging time for the multinational, which has experienced several setbacks in research and development.

Garijo is a specialist in clinical pharmacology and began her career at La Paz Hospital in Madrid. She then joined Sanofi, where she spent fifteen years, eventually becoming Vice President of Operations for Europe and Canada, and also a member of the executive committee. Later, she moved to Merck, where she became CEO in 2021, the first woman to lead a company listed on the DAX. She currently also serves on the board of directors of BBVA.

Covestro renews the management of its production centers in Barcelona

Covestro, a global manufacturer of high-quality polymer materials, has announced changes in the management of three production centers in Spain. Germán Baiges has been appointed the new director of Covestro's Barcelona plant, located in the Zona Franca industrial park, replacing Fernando Peirón, who is retiring after 38 years with the company.

Baiges takes over after eight years leading the Parets del Vallès and Santa Margarida and Els Monjos centers in the province of Barcelona, ​​which will now be headed by Juan Padilla. Until his appointment, Padilla served as Head of Technology and Production at the Barcelona plant.

Merlin hires David Martínez after his departure from Aedas Homes

Merlin Properties has appointed David Martínez, formerly CEO of Aedas Homes, as the REIT's new Director of Real Estate Development. This appointment, first reported by The ConfidentialThis comes three days after Martínez dismissed Aedas Homes from its position, following the acquisition of this real estate developer by its competitor Neinor Homes.

Martínez holds a degree in Civil Engineering from the Polytechnic University of Madrid and an Executive MBA from IESE Business School. He joined Aedas as CEO in September 2016. Previously, he was also a project manager at Bovis and an engineer at Ferrovial. Since 2019, he has also been president of Rebuild, a conference dedicated to innovation, sustainability, and digitalization in the construction sector.

Focus appoints Isabel Vidal as the group's new CEO

The Focus Group has appointed Isabel Vidal as the new CEO of the cultural content group, replacing Chairman Daniel Martínez de Obregón in executive duties. According to the company, Martínez will retain his chairmanship of the board of directors, as well as his chairmanship of Àfora.

Vidal (Barcelona, ​​1971) holds a law degree from the University of Barcelona and began her career at Focus in 1996, where she has held various positions of responsibility. She is currently president of the Association of Theatre Companies of Catalonia (Adetca). The group is currently in a new phase of expansion, with the recent announcement of the Genesis project, a new theatre and performing arts school. Focus comprises 18 companies, headquartered in Barcelona and Madrid, dedicated to the creation, production, and distribution of cultural content.