New earthquake at the top of El Corte Inglés

The biggest news this week regarding executive appointments has been at the department store chain El Corte Inglés, which has dismissed its CEO, Gastón Bottazzini, and appointed a new general manager, eliminating Bottazzini's position. Meanwhile, ING has hired Santander as its new head of corporate banking in Spain, and AstraZeneca has a new vice president for its subsidiary Alexion.

ING hires Santander as its new head of corporate and investment banking

ING has appointed Alfonso Moreno, formerly of Banco Santander, as its new head of corporate and investment banking in Spain, a position vacated by Alfonso Tolcheff when he became CEO a few months ago. The appointment will be effective from March 2026, and Moreno will join the bank's management committee, as well as ING's wholesale banking executive committee for the EMEA region. He will also report directly to Tolcheff.

Moreno has over 20 years of experience in investment banking and financial advisory, almost all of it with Santander. At this institution, he has held positions such as Head of M&A for Spain and Portugal, and Managing Director in the area of financial sponsors and head of acquisition and infrastructure finance in London.

However, it should be noted that last year Santander hired the then CEO of ING, Ignacio Juliá, to be the CEO of Santander Spain.

El Corte Inglés dismisses its CEO

The board of directors ofEl Corte Inglés has dismissed its CEO this weekGastón Bottazzini has been replaced by the CEO, and the company's top executive team has been restructured, as explained in a statement. Bottazzini is leaving the Madrid-based company just over a year after his appointment, on the eve of the Christmas season, a crucial time for the department store chain. According to the statement, the CEO's departure is "by mutual agreement" between both parties "after a period of reflection."

Thus, the position of CEO has been eliminated, and Santiago Bau has been appointed as managing director, with direct responsibility for all of the group's businesses, as well as the corporate and financial areas. Likewise, Rafael Díaz Yeregui, currently deputy secretary of the board and general secretary of the company, will assume the roles of legal counsel, sustainability, and human resources directors. In both cases, these positions report directly to the board's monitoring committee, chaired by Marta Álvarez, the group's president.

Ricardo Damas, new vice president and managing director of Alexion (AstraZeneca) in Spain and Portugal

Alexion, AstraZeneca's rare disease group, has appointed Ricardo Damas as Vice President and General Manager for Spain and Portugal, succeeding Leticia Beleta. With over 25 years of international experience in the pharmaceutical industry, Damas has also held senior positions at companies such as Gilead Sciences, Kite Pharma, and Bristol-Myers Squibb.

After more than a decade with the company, Leticia Beleta begins a new chapter.

Juan Parés Boj, new president of the International Textile Manufacturers Federation (ITMF)

The Spanish Cotton Industry Association (AITPA) and the Cotton Textile Foundation (FTA) have announced the appointment of Juan Parés Boj, CEO and president of Textil Santanderina, as president of the International Textile Manufacturers Federation (ITMF). This marks the third time a business leader from the Spanish cotton sector has assumed the ITMF presidency. Textil Santanderina is a family-owned company with spinning, texturizing, and finishing facilities. It works with some of the world's largest fashion companies and maintains a strong commitment to innovation, with projects such as Seaqual, a subsidiary established in 2016 with Ecoalf and Antex for fabric development.

TAs it is structured today, the company began its journey in 1959 with the arrival of Juan María Parés, father of Juan Parés Boj, to the general managementIn 2010, Juan María handed over the presidency of the company to Juan Parés Boj, and two years later, he also relinquished the position of CEO to his other son, Conrado Parés. Juan Parés started in the sector from the ground up, beginning with theoretical knowledge and then moving on to commercial aspects. The executive, a business graduate, is also a shareholder in the family business, which is controlled by the Parés family along with a group of shareholders.

Washnet restructures its leadership

Washnet, a company specializing in the design, manufacture, sale, and technical support of vehicle wash centers and customized modular solutions, and part of the Grup Moure holding company, has announced the addition of four new professionals to its management team. Jaime Ratón assumes the role of General Manager of Washnet, joined by Antonio Tello Romero as Operations Director, Ferran Verdugo as Sales Engineer, and Jorge Domínguez Martín as Technical Coordinator. Jaime Ratón Pérez is a mechanical engineer with an Executive MBA and over 10 years of experience in the automotive industry. His career includes managing business units at Fujikura Automotive Europe, with plants in Europe and North Africa. Antonio Tello Romero, a Business Administration graduate, takes over as Operations Director after 15 years leading teams and production processes at companies such as Sabo Española and Metalic Solutions.

The sales team is strengthened with the addition of Ferran Verdugo Calvet, who has sales experience at companies such as ITT International Trucks & Tractors and SolarProfit. Completing the team, Jorge Domínguez Martín will be the new technical coordinator after 17 years of experience in the sector at companies like Christ-Wash-Systems.