A former secretary of state and a vice president of Barça, the most notable appointments of the week

The former secretary of state and technology specialist Carme Artigas and the Empordà businessman Antoni Escudero are two of the prominent names in the Catalan business world who have been involved in appointments this week. Furthermore, the entry of new executives into the leadership of the tobacco company Philip Morris in Spain and the French automotive group Renault, which has a new vice president, also stands out.

In the Catalan sphere, attention should also be paid to the new management of the radio station RAC1 and the new head of the peninsular market for Slimstock, a Dutch company with a regional headquarters in Viladecans dedicated to supply chain services.

Carme Artigas

'Operating partner' at Nazca Capital

Carme Artigas, former Secretary of State for Digitalization and Artificial Intelligence, is the new operating partner of the Madrid-based fund manager Nazca Capital. The Catalan executive will be part of the company's industrial advisory board and will chair the technology committee, established following her appointment.

The appointment responds to Nazca's desire to strengthen its "capabilities in digital transformation, artificial intelligence, and dual-use technologies," as reported in a statement. Thus, Artigas's tasks at the financial group will include the "analysis and monitoring of projects in deep tech technology companies" that work with "disruptive models" and are in "early development stages."

Born in Vilassar de Mar, Artigas joined the Spanish government in 2020 at the hand of the then Minister of Economy, Nadia Calviño, who recruited her for her experience in technological innovation and big data. She is a chemical engineer from the Chemical Institute of Sarrià (IQS) and holds a master's degree in venture capital management from the University of California, Berkeley. Additionally, she obtained her doctorate at the Max Planck Institute in Munich.

Before joining Nazca and Pedro Sánchez's executive branch, she was CEO of the venture capital fund Ericsson Innova, promoted by the Swedish telecommunications company. Later, she co-founded and directed Synergic Partners, a company specialized in big data that was acquired by Telefónica in 2015. Since 2023, she has been a senior fellow at the Belfer Center of the Harvard Kennedy School, while previously she had been co-chair of the United Nations AI advisory board.

Antoni Escudero

President of the Federation of Hospitality and Tourism of the Girona Regions

In the tourism sector, the general assembly of the Federation of Hospitality and Tourism of the Girona Regions has re-elected this week the businessman from La Jonquera, Antoni Escudero, as president of the business organization, after 23 years at the helm. The election took place by unanimity of the assembly members with the maximum support of the thirteen associations that make up the organization, as reported by the Federation itself.

In his re-election speech, Escudero thanked the associations for their trust and highlighted the work carried out in recent years in defense of the interests of the tourism and hospitality sector in Girona. Furthermore, he recalled that the employers' organization, which has more than 1,700 associated companies, will celebrate its fiftieth anniversary next year.

The executive from Empordà is the owner of Grup Escudero, which manages supermarkets, hotels, and the Gran Jonquera Outlet & Shopping center.

Beyond his professional career as a businessman, Escudero has a close relationship with the world of football, as he presided over Girona FC at the end of the 90s and is currently the vice president of the social area of Barça. Furthermore, although he is disconnected from it today, he was also previously related to politics as a councilor at the City Council of la Jonquera, regional councilor of Alt Empordà, and provincial deputy in Girona with the PSC.

Arnau Peris

Country manager for Slimstock

The Dutch multinational Slimstock, specialized in supply chain solutions, has appointed Arnau Peris as the new country manager for the Iberian market. According to a statement from the company itself, Peris will have the task of leading the group's "growth strategy" in Spain and Portugal and consolidating its presence in these two markets. The executive has 15 years of experience in the sector and had previously been the company's supply chain director, which has its Spanish subsidiary in Viladecans (Baix Llobregat).

Slimstock, based in the Netherlands, offers services for industrial, commercial, and distribution companies to optimize operations and manage inventory through its own platform. Currently, it has about 600 employees and a presence in 75 countries around the world.

Jean-Pierre Diernaz

Global Vice President of Marketing at Renault

In the automotive industry, the French group Renault has announced this week that Jean-Pierre Diernaz will be the new global vice president of marketing and responsible worldwide for the multinational's brands: Alpine, Dacia, and Renault itself.

Until now, Diernaz had held the position of president and managing director of the American company General Motors in Europe, a company he joined in 2024 as marketing director. Previously, he had held management positions at the French subsidiary of the also American Ford and, starting in 2005, as advertising director for Europe for the Japanese manufacturer Nissan.

"His international vision and his experience in the automotive industry will contribute especially to maintaining the momentum of electrification in Europe and to strengthening Renault's position in key international markets," the French company assured in a statement. Precisely digitalization and the use of artificial intelligence will indicate the new marketing strategy of Renault with the arrival of the executive, according to the statement, as well as a commitment to differentiation between the company's three brands.

Alejandra Vidal

Director of Corporate Affairs at Philip Morris

Tobacco company Philip Morris has appointed Alejandra Vidal as the new director of corporate affairs in Spain, replacing Albert Sánchez, as reported by the multinational this Tuesday. The goal of Vidal, who holds a degree in Business Administration and Management from the University of Zaragoza, will be to "lead the company's roadmap to consolidate its transformation towards a smoke-free future".

Vidal takes on this new role because Sánchez is moving up to the position of General Manager of Philip Morris in Spain, Andorra, and Gibraltar. The executive has previous experience in the banking sector at Ibercaja and in the industrial sector, with the American group Johnson & Johnson. For more than 15 years, she worked for Japan Tobacco International in the field of finance and corporate affairs.

Francesc Cano

Director of RAC1

As ARA already reported, this Monday the appointment of Francesc Cano as the new director of the Grupo Godó radio station RAC1 was announced, replacing Eulàlia Carbonell. A journalism graduate from Ramon Llull University, for the last year and a half he had been the director of La Manchester, the production company of communicator Ricard Ustrell. Before that, he had held various positions at Catalunya Ràdio, a station where he spent 25 years, nine of which as news director.