Mercè Conesa signs on as general director of Barcelona Global

Cambio destacado en la cúpula de Barcelona Global.The new president of the association, Maite Barrera, has proposed the appointment of Mercè Conesa, former mayor of Sant Cugat and former president of the Port of Barcelona and current director of the Institut Català del Sòl (Incasòl), as the new general director in replacement of Mateu Hernández.Hernández has been the only director the entity has had since its founding in 2012and will continue to be linked to Barcelona Global as an advisor attached to the presidency. "With this appointment, Barcelona Global opens a new stage, ten years after its foundation, with the aim of continuing to grow as an association, launching new ideas and projects, and gaining influence in different areas," the institution explained. In a statement, Barcelona Global indicates that the changes proposed by Maite Barrera have been supported "unanimously" by all honorary presidents and by the members of the executive committee. Now, the handover moves to the so-called Supervisory Board, which will meet next Monday, November 7, for its definitive approval. When Mateu Hernández took the reins of the entity from Barcelona Activa and the economic promotion area of the Barcelona City Council, the association had about thirty founding partners, a figure that today has multiplied to more than a thousand members. In these last years of Hernández's management, Barcelona Global has managed to attract the America's Cup to the Catalan capital, launched initiatives such as the International Welcome Desk, and played a prominent role in the drafting of thenew Startups Law. Mercè Conesa takes over to to launch "a new strategy focused on making Barcelona one of the best cities in the world to attract and retain impact talent and foster the prosperous, sustainable and inclusive growth of the city". A lawyer specializing in Urban Planning and Spatial Planning, Conesa has a degree in Law from the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona and has extensive professional experience linked to public management. She was mayor of Sant Cugat del Vallès and president of the Diputació de Barcelona, as well as president of the Port de Barcelona, where she promoted the 2020-2025 strategic plan based on decarbonization and digitalization. She also developed the Smart Ports Piers of the Future project, which brings together the main ports in the world. She has participated in several World Urban Forums of the United Nations (UN) and isregular collaboratorofThe New Barcelona Post, where he writes about urban planning and the transformation of cities.