The Bank of Spain is left without a director of economics

BarcelonaThe Bank of Spain is now without a Director of Economics, a key figure in the organization's operations, which has had to put the position out to tender. Also this week, the Spanish Association of Executives elected Xavier Brossa as its new president, replacing Juan Antonio Alcaraz; Marc Murtra was elected a new member of the European Round Table for Industry (ERT); and King has a new president. These are some of the week's key executive moves.

Xavier Brossa, new president of the Spanish Association of Executives (AED)

The Spanish Association of Executives (AED) has chosen Xavier Brossa Galofré as the organization's new president for the 2025-2029 term. This positioning of the AED as a meeting, training, and influence center for senior executives and board members in Spain.

Xavier Brossa takes over from Juan Antonio Alcaraz, who has led the AED for the past eight years. During this period, Brossa served as the entity's first vice president, a period in which the AED grew from 1,888 members in 2017 to 2,758 in 2024, a growth of 46%. Born in Sant Quirze del Vallès in 1959, Xavier Brossa Galofré holds a degree in economics from the UAB and is a certified public accountant, as well as a member of the Official Register of Auditors. He has been a member of the Board of Trustees of the la Caixa Banking Foundation since April 2024. He is also a trustee of the Barcelona Economic Society of Friends of the Country and the Món Clínic Foundation (Hospital Clínic de Barcelona).

The director of economics at the Bank of Spain leaves his post

The director of economics and statistics at the Bank of Spain, Ángel Gavilán, will leave his post on June 12. Therefore, the position has already been put out to a merit-based competition through an "expression of interest," the bank announced on Wednesday. Gavilán's decision comes just a day after the bank's 2024 annual report was presented, the first to be prepared since José Luis Escrivá was appointed governor.

Gavilán, who holds a degree in economics from the University of Oviedo and a PhD in economics from the University of Chicago (USA), had held this position since 2022 and was appointed by the previous governor, Pablo Hernández de Cos. The Bank of Spain has already published an "expression of interest" to select candidates for this position, which requires 20 years of experience in research or management roles related to economic, monetary, or economic policy analysis, preferably for central banks or European or international institutions.

A new position for Murtra

Telefónica Chairman Marc Murtra has been elected as a new member of the European Round Table for Industry (ERT), the forum that brings together Europe's largest industrial and technology companies. The appointment was unanimously confirmed by all representatives of the organization. Murtra, along with more than 50 ERT presidents and CEOs, attended the annual spring plenary session held this week in Rome.

The ERT was founded in 1983 and works to create "a strong, open, and competitive Europe, acting as an engine of sustainable growth and prosperity for all citizens," according to the organization itself. It brings together the top executives of more than 60 of Europe's most important industrial and technology companies. These large companies have a combined revenue of €2 trillion, generate 5 million jobs, and invest €60 billion annually in innovation and development.

Pilar Gil, new CEO of Prisa Media

Prisa's board of directors has unanimously approved the appointment of Pilar Gil as CEO of Prisa Media for Spain and Latin America, effective immediately. With a degree in economics and business administration from ICADE (E-2) and a PDD from Iese, Pilar Gil began her professional career at Chase Manhattan Bank and joined the Prisa Group in 2000 to carry out its IPO. In July 2022, she was appointed CFO of Prisa, in February 2023, executive director of the company, and in June 2023, vice chair of the board. In recent years, she has led three capital increases and a refinancing agreement, signed on May 6, which guarantees the company's financial stability for the next three years. Since the end of February 2025, she has been the top executive of Prisa Media.

King selects Todd Green as new company president

King, the company behind some of the world's most iconic mobile games, such as the well-known Candy Crush either Farm Heroes Saga, has announced the appointment of Todd Green as its new president. He has been with the company for over 12 years, holding various leadership positions. Until now, he served as the franchise's general manager. Candy Crush, which has generated over $20 billion in revenue and surpassed five billion downloads. King's games have over 200 million monthly active users. As part of Microsoft, King has teams in Stockholm, Malmö, London, Barcelona, ​​Berlin, Dublin, San Francisco, New York, Los Angeles, and Malta.

Ricoh adds Vanda Sofia Gonçalves to its management committee.

Ricoh has appointed Vanda Sofia Gonçalves to its management committee, following her appointment to lead the multinational's operations and growth in Portugal. The executive replaces country manager from Ricoh to Portugal and member of its highest governing body Miquel Soler, who has assumed the position of business transformation EMEAt Ricoh Europe, Vanda Sofia Gonçalves, who has held senior positions at Accenture Portugal and CGI, has over 25 years of professional experience in information technology and systems.

Benjamin J. Babcock resigns as chairman of the board of Day

Benjamin J. Babcock has resigned as Chairman of the Board of Directors of Dia and will be replaced by Alberto Gavazzi, currently the supermarket chain's external proprietary director, effective after the Ordinary General Meeting, convened for June 20 in Madrid. "In line with Dia's shift toward a growth-oriented strategy and focused on the operational execution of the strategic plan, I will hand over the position of Chairman of the Board of Directors to Alberto Gavazzi after the Ordinary General Meeting of Shareholders. When I assumed the chairmanship, I did so with the firm commitment to successfully completing Dia's transformation."

Babcock indicated in the statement that he will continue as a proprietary director and main representative of LetterOne, Dia's largest shareholder, which holds 77.7% of the share capital. Thus, at its meeting held on Monday, the company's board of directors approved the resignation of the supermarket chain's chairman. He will continue as a member of the company's governing body, although his re-election is subject to approval at the board meeting. Furthermore, the appointment of Rut Aranda Carmona, Sara Díez Jáuregui, and María Paloma Pérez Sánchez as new independent directors for the statutory term of two years was proposed at the supermarket chain's annual shareholders' meeting.