Pablo Isla and José María Álvarez-Pallete. /
Gabarró and Gay de Montellá also join while Fainé will remain as president for another four years
The Board of Trustees of the ‘la Caixa’ Banking Foundation approved this Monday in Barcelona the partial renewal of its members as well as the re-election for the next four years of Isidro Fainé, as president of the entity, and Juan José López Burniol, as vice-president .
In this regard, the Foundation’s Board of Trustees will incorporate José María Álvarez Pallete, Isabel Gabarró, Joaquín Gay de Montellá and Pablo Isla as of its next session, replacing Salvador Alemany, César Alierta, Antoni Fitó and Javier Solana, whose mandates expire due to temporary expiration.
The entity wanted to thank the four outgoing patrons for their valuable dedication and criteria in preserving -during these last years- the ultimate goal of the Foundation; the construction of a fairer society with more opportunities for all, especially for those who need them most.
The ‘la Caixa’ Foundation, whose general director is Antonio Vila Bertrán, will have a budget of 515 million euros in 2022, thus increasing last year’s endowment, which was 510 million. In this way, the entity consolidates its social commitment, maintaining for the thirteenth consecutive year a budget of more than 500 million euros.
Overcoming child poverty in Spain (with 61,244 boys and girls and their families cared for in 2021), promoting employment among groups with difficulties (48,758 job opportunities created), caring for people with advanced illnesses (34,670 patients cared for) , support for social entities, the promotion of education and training of all kinds of groups, the dissemination of culture and science among audiences of all ages (5 million people visited the CaixaForum, CosmoCaixa centers and exhibitions itinerant) and medical research continue to be top priorities.
Within the latter line, the entity works on the CaixaResearch Institute project, a research center dedicated to life sciences with a mostly preclinical and translational vision, particularly in the fields of infectious diseases, global health, oncology and the neurosciences. The new center will have an investment of around 60 million euros and its creation and development will be supervised by Javier Solana, who continues to be linked to the “la Caixa” Foundation, as President of its Scientific Committee.
José María Álvarez Pallete, a graduate in Economic Sciences from the Complutense University of Madrid and the Université Libre de Bruxelles, has been Executive Chairman of Telefónica since April 2016 and also chairs Fundación Telefónica. He was previously CEO of the company since 2012 and a member of its Board of Directors since July 2006. Since March 2019 he has been a member of the SEAT Advisory Council and since February 2022 Chairman of the GSMA Council. He is Honorary Ambassador of the Spain Brand since 2021.
Isabel Gabarró Miquel, notary public of Barcelona, joined the notarial body in 1979. She graduated in Law from the University of Barcelona in 1976. She has been a member of the Board of Directors of Caja de Ahorros y Pensiones de Barcelona, as well as various listed companies such as Fuerzas Eléctricas de Cataluña (Fecsa) or Repsol (from May 2009 to March 2017 as an independent director). She is a member of the Barcelona Economic Society of Friends of the Country and co-author of various legal publications.
Joaquín Gay de Montellá Ferrer-Vidal, businessman, was president of the Catalan employers’ organization Foment del Treball Nacional between 2011 and 2018, and accesses the Board of Trustees on behalf of said entity within the rotating shift that the Statutes of the “la Caixa” Banking Foundation reserve to representatives of the founding entities of the Caja de Pensiones para la Vejez y de Ahorros, «la Caixa». The brother of his great-grandfather, Luis Ferrer-Vidal i Soler, was the first president of the entity in 1904, being its general director Francesc Moragas i Barret.
Pablo Isla Álvarez de Tejera, a State attorney, has a law degree from the Complutense University. Until next April 1, he holds the position of Executive President of the Inditex textile group (which he joined as CEO in 2005). Previously, he chaired Altadis (2000-2005), was general secretary of Banco Popular and, previously, general director of State Assets. In 2017 and 2018 he was recognized as the best CEO in the world by the Harvard Business Review publication.
