Grifols creates a strategy committee controlled by the founding family

BarcelonaGrifols has created a strategy committee within its board of directors, which will be controlled by the founding family, who stepped down from management more than a year agoThis committee includes former CEOs Raimon Grífols Roura, vice president of the group, and his cousin, Víctor Grífols Deu, as well as Tomàs Dagà, a trusted advisor to the family. The other members are the company's non-executive president, Anne-Catherine Berner, and independent director, Íñigo Sánchez-Asiaín Mardones.

The objective of this group of the Catalan multinational blood derivatives company within the company's governing body, which was affected last year by a stock market earthquake caused by the accusations of the hedge fund Gotham City Research, is to "maintain the long-term perspective and the execution of the creation plan" held at the end of February. The company has distributed dividends this year for the first time in four years.

This committee is in line with the recommendations of the National Securities Market Commission's code of good governance, according to the company. In a statement, Nacho Abia, whose group is CEO, said he "will combine the vision of the independent directors with the long-term focus and deep industry knowledge and experience of the founding family, bringing a balanced perspective that combines stability, innovation, and strategic direction."

Grifols recorded a profit of €177 million during the first half of the year, between January and June, which is five times more than the same period last year, when it earned €36 million. Between January and June, Grifols obtained revenues of €3,677 million, an increase of 7%, while gross operating profit (EBITDA) reached €876 million, an increase of 12.7%.

The Grífols Roura family decided to merge its family offices Deria and Ralledor Holding into a single entity, Deria, which will become the company's largest shareholder. Following the transaction, Deria will control 15.349% of A shares and 10.8% of B shares, compared to 9.195% and 6.154% previously, respectively.

Following Gotham City's allegations last year of accounting malpractice, The National Securities Market Commission (CNMV) imposed several fines to Grifols and its directors for a sum of almost 1.4 million euros. The company planned to appeal the sanctions.