At a time when there seems to be an avalanche of losses from large Catalan family businesses, a great exception emerges. It is Mango, the textile empire founded by the late Isak Andic and chaired and managed by Toni Ruiz. When asked if they plan to buy or go public, he is very clear: "No and no. We are not considering acquisitions. One buys when one does not know how to develop their business. We have many opportunities and markets to grow." And about the stock market, he is even more direct: "I have many friends who are CEOs and they don't talk to me about clients or business, but about worrying about quarterly reports, bonuses..." He doesn't need to add much more.

The torrential rain made the presenter's metaphor easy to grasp. The downpours that accompanied the first day of the Círculo de Economía Annual Meeting this Monday afternoon were a clear example of the geopolitical disasters that Catalan companies must navigate at the present time. To answer the question of how they do it, the event brought together the top executives of three globalized companies based in Barcelona—Mango, Fluidra, and Penguin Random House—to understand how they manage their operations at a time when US President Donald Trump can shake up global trade with just a post on his social media.

More than two months after the death of Mango founder Isak Andic in a tragic accident in the Collbató caves, the Catalan business world is still in shock over his loss. Since 14 December, there has not been a business event in which Andic's name is not used as an example of entrepreneurship, commitment and a job well done. A recognition that has materialised again this Monday, with the presentation by the president of Catalonia, Salvador Illa, of the Gold Medal of the Generalitat posthumously to Isak Andic; it is the highest honour in the country.