De Guindos, getting closer and closer to his departure from Frankfurt

BarcelonaThis week's transfer market has been dominated by the appointment of the journalist and businessman Tatxo Benet as new president of FemCATAs reported by ARA, [name omitted] will become the tenth president of the foundation, succeeding Oriol Guixà, whose term has ended and who will now become an honorary trustee. The composition of the board of trustees has also changed, now including two new vice-presidents, Mercè Mullor (Mullor SL) and Pau Vila (LC Paper), while retaining Jaume Alsina (BonÀrea) and Eulàlia Planes (Dispur), who already held these positions. Beyond FemCAT, in Frankfurt, the former Spanish Minister of Economy and current Vice-President of the European Central Bank (ECB), Luis de Guindos, will have to begin his farewell to the institution, as he already has a replacement: the Governor of the Croatian Central Bank will assume the position on June 1st. Additionally, Seat has appointed a new Director of Public Funds, and Mediona has a new CEO.

The governor of the National Bank of Croatia will replace De Guindos as vice-president of the ECB

The euro area countries have begun the long process of renewing much of the European Central Bank's (ECB) executive committee with the choice of the Croatian Boris VujCico, currently governor of the National Bank of Croatia, has been named the next vice president. The Croatian university professor and economist will thus replace the Spaniard Luis de Guindos on June 1st of this year, when his term ends.

Beyond being a renowned economist and university professor, Vujcic has extensive experience in central banking, which began in 1996 as head of the research department at the National Bank of Croatia. In 2000, he was appointed deputy governor of the Balkan country's central bank. More than a decade later, the Croatian became governor of his country's central bank and remained there until now. Therefore, he was the head of the institution when Croatia joined the Eurozone on January 1, 2023.

Following Guindos' departure, Spain is left without a voice at the ECB. However, the Moncloa Palace hopes this will not be for long, and all indications are that Spain will aspire to the presidency of the banking institution in 2027, a position currently held by Christine Lagarde of France. In fact, there is a well-positioned potential Spanish candidate for this role: former Governor of the Bank of Spain, Pablo Hernández de Cos, currently Director General of the Bank for International Settlements (BIS). A poll byFinancial TimesLast week, he was ranked as the most highly regarded candidate. However, for now, we'll have to wait.

Oscar de Pedro, new head of institutional relations and public funding for Seat and Cupra

Oscar de Pedro has been appointed head of institutional relations and public funding for Seat and Cupra. In this role, De Pedro will be responsible for strengthening the company's and the group's relationships with public institutions and entities in the Iberian Peninsula, as well as leading projects related to public funding.

Oscar de Pedro, an industrial engineer from the Polytechnic University of Catalonia (UPC), also holds a Master's degree in Business Administration from Esade. He joined the company in 2000 through the Trainee program and, since then, has developed his career in areas such as product development, sales, and project management in different countries and locations within the group. The company highlights his initial experience in the R&D department in Martorell, and a three-year stay in Wolfsburg, Germany, within the Volkswagen Group. Subsequently, in sales, he held regional director roles in multiple markets. As product director, he led the project for Cupra's first dedicated model, the Cupra Formentor, as well as the current León family. In 2022, he assumed responsibility for leading the Future: Fast Forward project to promote electromobility in Spain with a historic investment of €10 billion.

Francisco Fernández, new CEO of Menadiona

Menadiona, a manufacturer of specialty chemicals, active pharmaceutical ingredients, and advanced intermediates, has appointed Francisco Fernández as its new CEO, as part of its medium- and long-term consolidation and growth strategy. Carlos Cosín, a member of the owning family, will continue to chair the company's board of directors after more than 20 years at the helm.

Fernández has over 20 years of experience in the management and leadership of companies in the pharmaceutical and nutraceutical sectors, both nationally and internationally. He holds a degree in Business Administration with a specialization in finance from the Comillas Pontifical University, and an MBA from IE Business School. He spent much of his career at Suanfarma, a life sciences company specializing in the manufacture and marketing of APIs and in development services, where he held various executive positions until his appointment as CEO, a role he held for five years, until 2024. contract manufacturing (CMO), as well as in the expansion of the international business. The company has a presence in more than 50 countries across five continents and plans to expand its operations into new global markets.

Grupo Lar appoints Sergio García as the new CEO of retail

Grupo Lar, a Spanish company specializing in investment, development and management of real estate assets, has appointed Sergio García as CEO of retail, a position he assumed on January 1, thus strengthening the group's management structure in one of its strategic areas.

Furthermore, García has recently been appointed to the board of directors of Gentalia and a member of the Iberia Management Committee, which has strengthened his role in defining the strategic direction of the business at a regional level. Sergio García, who joined Grupo Lar in 2017, has held various responsibilities in the area of retailwhich has contributed to the optimization and growth of the company's portfolio.