Changes at the top of Puig. Its executive chairman, Marc Puig, will step down as CEO of the Catalan perfume and beauty company, and will be replaced by José Manuel Albesa, currently the company's deputy CEO. Meanwhile, the outgoing chairman of the private association Barcelona Global has proposed investor Josep Lluís Sanfeliu as his successor, a name that must be ratified by the members in June. There are also changes at Ysios Capital – co-founded by Sanfeliu – Marlex, and CIM Tax & Legal. These are the most notable appointments of the week.

Barcelona Global's president, Ramon Agenjo, proposed Josep Lluís Sanfeliu, founding partner of Asabys Partners, to the private association's executive committee on Tuesday as his successor as president for the 2026-2028 term. The proposal was unanimously accepted by all members of the executive committee and must be approved by the general assembly of members on June 19, following a favorable recommendation from the entity's supervisory board, which will meet on May 20.

Barcelona has an image as primarily a tourist city. This is the perception of most foreign professionals and entrepreneurs who have chosen the Catalan capital to work and live. This perception means that efforts are needed to improve its standing as a place to do business or research, explained Mercè Conesa, CEO of Barcelona Global, at the presentation of theInternational Talent Monitor 2025A study commissioned by the Barcelona Global association reveals that 62.9% of respondents perceive Barcelona as a tourist city, while only 7.2% see it as innovative and 2% as sustainable. This survey, conducted every two years, captures the pulse and trends in how international talent perceives the city. The analysis, supported by Banco Sabadell and the consulting firm Gaps, shows that international residents recommend "rebalancing the city's global narrative." 64.7% advise focusing more on technology and innovation; 57.7% on sustainability and climate; and 48.1% on creative industries, culture, and ecosystems such as life sciences to strengthen "a brand that projects Barcelona as the knowledge capital of Southern Europe," explained Oriol Molas, co-founder and CEO of Gaps.

He president of Banc Sabadell, Josep Oliu, has admitted in his first reaction after the failure of the BBVA takeover bid that he hadn't expected "such a resounding result." "It was a big surprise," he told Catalunya Ràdio, adding that he thought the takeover bid would be "over 30%." Oliu said they were aware of the "absolute support" of minority shareholders, but that they had "no evidence" of the overall support there would be for the Vallesan bank's project.

Barcelona Global has launched an initiative to make the metropolitan area an international benchmark in the fight against climate change. This Chapter Climate was held this Tuesday with a meeting that brought together around 100 business leaders and executives from different sectors, with the aim of activating a shared agenda and exchanging good practices between companies and institutions in the field of sustainability.