Historic relief in the chemical Ercros

For almost 130 years, Ercros has been the benchmark in Catalonia for the chemical industry, one of the country's most important sectors, always at the top of the export ranking. The company's history is long. At the end of the eighties of the last century, ERT and Cros merged, and Ercros emerged, destined to be the giant of the Catalan chemical industry. In the nineties, however, with KIO as the main shareholder, it experienced the largest suspension of payments in Spain up to that point. The rescue was borne by small shareholders and, since then, the company has been led by Antoni Zabalza, an executive who is now stepping down after Bondalti's successful takeover bid for the Catalan chemical company.

In addition, the Catalan real estate company Renta Corporación incorporates a new CEO: Jorge Manent, from CriteriaCaixa – La Caixa's investment holding – and who had previously managed Aigües de Barcelona.

Antón Valero

New chairman of Ercros

Bondalti Iberica has appointed Antón Valero as the new chairman of the board of directors of Ercros. After winning the takeover bid for the chemical company in mid-March and securing 77.23% of the shares, Ercros informed the National Securities Market Commission (CNMV) on Tuesday of the changes in its leadership. In addition to Valero's incorporation as the new chairman, João Maria Guimaraes and André Cabral have also been signed as members of the same board. Guimaraes will be chief executive officer and Cabral will have executive functions. The three new additions replace Antoni Zabalza, Laureano Roldán, and Eduardo Sánchez, who had resigned. Daniel Ripley has also resigned from all positions he held at the company. The board of directors has also appointed Pere Kirchner and Gerard Correig as non-member secretary and vice-secretary of the board, among other roles.

In this way, the board of directors is chaired by Antón Valero, with João Maria Guimaraes as CEO, André Cabral as executive director, Joan Casas as shareholder director, and Carme Moragues and Lourdes Vega as independent directors.

The resignation of Antoni Zabalza marks the end of a long cycle at Ercros, of almost thirty years, during which he has been chairman and CEO. Zabalza, who was Secretary of State for Finance between 1991 and 1993, under Felipe González as head of the Spanish government, arrived at Ercros in June 1996 and has since led the modernization of the basic chemical company and sought its viability. During his tenure, Ercros acquired Grupo Aragonesas in 2005, and in 2006 incorporated Derivados Forestales. During his time at the helm of the company, the historic Flix plant was also closed.

Jorge Manent

Chief Executive Officer of Renta Corporación

Renta Corporación's board of directors has approved a change in its management team to face a new phase of expansion. The company has appointed Jorge Manent as the new CEO to lead the group's global operational and financial management starting next May 11. Manent will work closely with Luis Hernández de Cabanyes, the company's chairman, to drive Renta Corporación's evolution and consolidate its long-term strategy, indicated the listed Catalan real estate company.

With extensive experience in senior management positions and deep specialization in optimizing corporate processes, Manent joins after his tenure at CriteriaCaixa, where he served as director of investments, and after holding top leadership positions at the Agbar group, such as the general management of Aigües de Barcelona. He assumes executive leadership with the clear objective of strengthening current business lines and exploring new opportunities in an increasingly dynamic and competitive real estate environment.

It is an honor to join Renta Corporación at a key moment. Receiving a company with this solidity allows us to face a new stage with great opportunities to continue creating value, innovating in our business model, and strengthening our market presence," points out Jorge Manent.

David Vila, who has served as chief executive for the last fifteen years, will maintain the direction of Renta Corporación's asset division, focusing his leadership on a strategic area of recurring income and consolidating the growth of successful vehicles such as Wellder Socimi (senior sector) and Cabe (urban storage units). Luis Hernández de Cabanyes, president of Renta Corporación, states that "the incorporation of Jorge Manent represents a step forward in the ambition for growth and transformation. At the same time, he highlights the work carried out so far by the previous chief executive: "I want to thank David Vila for his extraordinary work over these fifteen years. Today, Renta is a diversified company with great financial solidity, thanks to his innumerable contributions and expertise".

Ignasi Contreras

CEO of Avincla

Avincla, the independent professional firm of legal, tax, labor, audit, and consulting advice, has appointed Ignasi Contreras as chief executive officer of the company. Ignasi Contreras has been linked to Avincla for twenty years, where he has held positions in different departments, as well as representing the firm internationally at Morison Global, and driving the brand unification process and leading the Branding, Marketing, and Communication department. In 2025, Avincla registered growth of almost 20% compared to the previous year, exceeding 9,000 clients, and in 2026 the objective is to maintain double-digit growth.

The brand has incorporated four new partners. Anna Gesa Picas, with more than twenty years of professional experience at the firm, has been a key player in the development of the tax area at the Granollers office. Mercè Moliné Boixareu, since 2022, contributes decisively to strengthening technical excellence, team coordination, and process improvement also in this office. Javier Domínguez, who joined the Barcelona team in 2015, brings analytical capacity, a practical approach, and invaluable insight into complex legal projects. In addition, Rosa Maria Abadie Solé, promoter and director of the IP&IT area, who, over the last eleven years, has consolidated and led this service as a strategic specialty, accompanying companies in increasingly complex technological and innovation environments.

Juan Luis Pascual

CEO of CenteIA Consulting

CenteIA, a company specializing in artificial intelligence training and implementation, has incorporated Juan Luis Pascual as the new CEO of CenteIA Consulting, its division focused on the technological transformation of companies. With this move, the company strengthens its commitment to the B2B segment and advances its positioning as a partner in the practical application of AI in the business environment. In his new role, Pascual will lead the development and growth of the consulting unit, with the aim of structuring and scaling the company's value proposition for companies seeking to integrate artificial intelligence in a practical and results-oriented manner. "We are living in a key stage of technological transition and I wanted to be part of it from the inside, not as a spectator. Companies need real advice in AI, and CenteIA Consulting has the opportunity to become that partner", points out Pascual.

Mauro Lorenzo

Treasurer of Conpymes

The president of Unió Gremial, Federation of Guilds and Associations of Valencian Commerce, Mauro Lorenzo Gómez, has been appointed treasurer of the board of directors and the steering committee of the National Confederation of SMEs (Conpymes), a state-level employers' organization for small and medium-sized enterprises. This appointment took place within the framework of Conpymes' general assembly on March 26, in which José María Torres was re-elected president for the next four years. With nearly 10,000 associated companies and self-employed individuals, integrated into 108 entities, Unió Gremial is the benchmark organization for local commerce in the Valencian Country and, collectively, they sustain more than 20,000 direct jobs.