Talent stands as a strategic driver for Barcelona, which is why the policies adopted to generate more local talent and to attract the best international talent are more important than ever. The prestigious business schools in the Catalan capital have been key in this strategy, and the consolidation of the entrepreneurial and scientific research ecosystem has been the definitive springboard to position Barcelona as one of the reference cities for qualified professionals when deciding where to settle to develop their professional career and life project.
Barcelona Global actively works to make Barcelona one of the best cities in the world for talent and economic activity, with different lines of action that involve achieving changes that contribute to enhancing this attractiveness, such as streamlining administrative procedures, improving taxation, or strengthening higher education. The association is also a strategic think tank to address major urban challenges such as mobility and sustainable tourism, a driver of public-private collaboration, and a platform for international promotion of the city. Composed of a thousand professional partners and companies, research centers, entrepreneurs, business schools, universities, and leading cultural institutions in the city, among the most recent achievements of Barcelona Global are the attraction of the America's Cup sailing race to Barcelona and the new startups law.
To address these projects and debate the challenges Barcelona must face to attract and retain the best impact talent, we have invited the new general director of Barcelona Global, Mercè Conesa, and one of the association's vice presidents, Josep Lluís Sanfeliu, to lead the next session of the cycle The New Barcelona – Moments Estel·lars, which we organize in collaboration with CASA SEAT, Must Media Group and Barcelona Global itself. Maite Barrera, president of the association, will finally not be able to attend the session due to last-minute professional commitments.
Moderated by journalist and UPF-BSM professor Toni Aira, the conversation between Mercè Conesa and Josep Lluís Sanfeliu will take place on Monday, February 6, at 6:30 p.m. in the Casa Seat auditorium. To attend as an audience member and also be able to ask questions to the speakers, it is necessary to reserve a spot in advance. To get your ticket, click here.
In a context marked by the upcoming municipal elections, Conesa and Sanfeliu will analyze the pros and cons of the city and address the pending issues that Barcelona has in order to increase its position in the competitive league of large international cities. Thanks to their successful professional careers, both have a privileged vision of the reality of Barcelona and of the image that the Catalan capital has abroad.
A lawyer specializing in Urban Planning and Land Management, Mercè Conesa has a degree in Law from the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. She holds a master's degree in Law and Public Management from the Universitat Pompeu Fabra, a Senior Management Program from IESE, a Leadership Program for Public Management from IESE, and another in Leadership and Innovation in Public Policies from ESADE. In 2018, she was appointed president of the Port of Barcelona, a position she held until July 2021. Previously, Conesa had been mayor of Sant Cugat del Vallès (2010-2018), and president of the Diputación de Barcelona (2015-2018). She completed her extensive experience in public management by assuming the direction of the Institut Català del Sòl (INCASOL), until she was appointed general director of Barcelona Global last November.
For his part, Josep Lluís Sanfeliu is co-founder and president of Asabys Partners, a venture capital firm based in Barcelona that invests in biomedical research companies. Previously, he co-founded Ysios Capital (2008-2018) where he was a partner in charge of investments in health technologies, investing in a total of 9 companies in the areas of medtech and digital health in Europe and the US. Previously, Sanfeliu held positions in the pharmaceutical and home care industries as director of corporate development at Almirall and general manager of DomusVi. The vice president of Barcelona Global began his career at Cuatrecasas, KPMG and Eurohold. He holds a Law Degree from Universitat Pompeu Fabra, a Master of Laws from the University of Michigan Law School and also an MBA from IESE Business School.