Board of Directors

Members of the Board of Directors.

D. Ignacio Francisco Mencos Valdés (President)

  • With more than 27 years of experience managing real estate, financial and business assets. He is currently Administrator of El Arverjal, S.L. and Managing Director of the venture capital company Valmenta Inversiones SCR, S.A.
  • He has held several positions on Boards of Directors in companies in different sectors, such as aeronautics, biotechnology, real estate, venture capital, SICAVs, distribution and oil companies.
  • Degree in Business Studies and an MBA from the École Européenne in Paris.
  • In addition, he has a Master’s Degree in Business Tax Advice from Instituto de Empresa. He is also a regular contributor and speaker at forums, such as family business management forums and venture capital forums.

D. Juan Antonio Gutiérrez Hernando (Member and CEO)

  • More than 25 years of experience managing real estate, financial and corporate assets. He is currently CEO in Mazabi Gestión de Patrimonios, a Multi-Family Office specialized in managing familiar real estate assets which manages over €1,500m in real estate assets around 14 countries.
  • Before founding Mazabi, he worked as General Director for Spain and Portugal of the Real Estate Department in Fortis/BNP for 7 years. Previously, he worked as Commercial Director and Asset Manager in Santander Real Estate Fund for 8 years.
  • He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from St. Louise University, he also holds a PDD from IESE Business School and the European Financial Analyst (EFA).
  • In addition, he is a regular collaborator in the PD Private Wealth Management that he teaches at the IEB (Instituto de Estudios Bursátiles) and at the PWMS of the Numa Foundation and the Univ. Chicago Booth. In addition, he is a Member of the IEAF.

D. Vicente Gómez de la Cruz (Member and Vice Secretary)

  • More than 25 years of experience managing real estate, financial and business assets. He is currently the president of Mazabi Gestión de Patrimonios, a Multi-Family Office specialized in managing familiar real estate assets which manages over €1,500m in real estate assets around 14 countries.
  • Before founding Mazabi, he worked as a Director at BBVA, as a Director at Lainer and as a Director at Taresta Family Office.
  • He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the University of the Basque Country. He also holds an Executive Master in Business Administration SBS and an Executive Master in General Managing from IESE.
  • He is also a regular collaborator and speaker at forums, such as family business management forums and venture capital forums.

D. Miguel Ollero Barrera (representative of Merlin Properties SOCIMI, Plc.)

  • He has more than 16 years of experience as a real estate professional.
  • In 2014, Merlin Properties Socimi, S.A. was incorporated and listed on the stock exchange, a company of which he is a founding partner and in which he is currently Corporate General Manager and COO. Merlin Properties is the largest Spanish Socimi with a real estate asset base of more than 12,500 million euros and is part of the IBEX 35.
  • He previously worked at Arthur Andersen, FCC Construction, Deutsche Bank M&A and RREEF, as Managing Director. In RREEF he participated in real estate operations with an added value of approximately 4,000 million euros, from Core investments to Opportunity, as well as in the subsequent management of the acquired assets. He also played a key role in the structuring and constitution of five real estate investment vehicles for the Iberian Peninsula and Morocco, in cooperation with the Private Wealth Management division of Deutsche Bank.
  • He has a degree in Law and Business Administration, with a specialization in Finance, from ICADE (E-3).

D. Daniel González Martínez (representative of La Vital Centro Comercial y De Ocio, SMLLC)

  • Daniel has more than 19 years of experience as a real estate professional in companies listed on the Spanish regulated market. In 2016 he started working in the financial area of Merlin Properties SOCIMI, S.A., the largest Spanish Socimi with a real estate asset base of more than 12,500 million euros.
  • He previously worked at Sacyr Vallehermoso and Metrovacesa, S.A., where he participated in refinancing operations of 5,900 million euros in 2011, and 1,900 million euros in 2015, as well as in spin-outs and sale of subsidiaries worth 1,500 million euros.
  • He has a degree in Economics, with specialization in Monetary and Financial Economics, from the Complutense University of Madrid.

D. Francisco Rivas González (representative of Merlin Retail, SMLLC)

  • Francisco has more than 17 years of experience as a real estate professional, initially developed at GE Capital Real Estate and Deutsche Bank Real Estate/RREEF, where he participated in real estate transactions with an added value of more than 4,000 million euros (including Core, Value-Added and Opportunity investments), as well as in the subsequent management of the acquired assets.
  • He is part of the founding team and currently holds the position of Director of Merlin Properties SOCIMI, Plc., a company created in 2014 and which is currently the largest Spanish Socimi (member of the IBEX 35) with a real estate asset base of more than 12,500 million euros.
  • He has a degree in Law and Business Administration with specialization in Finance, from ICADE (E-3) and is a member of the Madrid Bar Association.

D. Álvaro Jimeno García (representative of Peña Rueda, LLC)

  • He has more than 20 years of experience in the world of private equity investment mainly. He has worked at Liberbank (now Unicaja Banco, Plc), Ahorro Corporación (Venture Capital), Santander, Mercapital and McKinsey&Co.
  • Currently, as head of Investees of Unicaja and its subsidiary Briareo Gestión, he has managed a portfolio of 200 shares and the divestment of assets for added value of more than 500 thousand euros.
  • He has held positions on boards of directors in companies in different sectors, such as energy, insurance, hotel, manufacturing and consumer affairs.
  • He holds a degree in Mining Engineering from the Polytechnic University of Madrid and an MBA from INSEAD.

D. Marino Medina Martínez (Member)

  • He has more than 25 years of experience in business management and 20 years of experience managing Family Office with financial, business and real estate investments.
  • He has been an adviser in different companies in the Food and Services, Real Estate, Sicav and Venture Capital sectors. Currently CEO of Grupo Medina, a leading company in the meat sector, with 1,500 workers and 430 thousand euros of turnover.
  • Degree in Economics and Business Administration from the Complutense University of Madrid. He has chaired different non-profit associations and until 2020 he was President and Founder of the Interprofessional of Beef in Spain.

D. Luis Francisco Suárez López (representative of Suarlopez, LLC)

  • He has more than 24 years of experience in the Travel Retail sector at airports, as well as 14 years of experience in clinic network management in the dental sector.
  • Currently CEO at Sociedad de Distribución Comercial Aeroportuaria de Canarias LLC, as well as at Suarlopez LLC, administrator at DENTVECINDARIO LLC and INVERSIONES SANAGUS LLC.
  • He has held several positions on Boards of Directors in companies in various sectors, as well as SICAVs.
  • He has a degree in Commercial Management and Marketing from ESIC.

D. Santiago Royo López (representative of Royo Wood, LLC)

  • Santiago Royo has more than 16 years of experience in the real estate sector as general manager of a Family Office, having participated in all types of real estate, financial and business transactions.
  • In addition, he is advisor in different real estate vehicles with different strategies: from promotion, enhancement of commercial premises, opportunities search, and sale and leaseback operations.
  • He is also part of the board of directors of industrial companies and start-ups.
  • He has a degree in Business Administration and Management from the University of Valencia, and a master’s degree in finance from UC BERKELEY, PDD from IESE and several real estate courses at IE and INEDE.

D. Guillermo de la Puerta Olabarría (representative of Atalaya Inversiones Financieras LLC)

  • He has more than 30 years of experience managing real estate, financial and business assets. He is currently the CFO and Member of the Board of Mazabi, a Multi-Family Office specialized in the management of real estate family assets that manages more than 1,500 thousand euros in 14 countries.
  • He has worked at Mazabi since its foundation in 2009, and previously he worked as CFO at ALBA and as advisor at SUX and Almadis. He combines his work in Mazabi with the management of Taresta, and the Secretary of the Board in Acacia Inversión SGCII, as well as in several SICAVs.
  • He has a degree in Business Administration from the University of the Basque Country, as well as a Master’s Degree in Tax Advice from the University of Deusto, a Master’s Degree in Finance from the UPV and an Executive Master in Advanced Business Management (MEGA) from the Commercial University of Deusto.
  • He is also a professor and regular collaborator in the Master’s Degree in Wealth Management and Private Banking at the University of the Basque Country.

Dña. Concepción Díaz Guerrero (representative of Eurozasa LLC)

  • She has more than 25 years of experience in business management in the metal, agri-food and fuel sectors.
  • Concepción also has more than 20 years of experience in the management of Real Estate, Financial and Business Family Offices.
  • She has a degree in Economics and Business Administration from the University of Zaragoza.

D. Miguel Hernando Martínez (representative of Amitrón LLC)

  • He has more than 10 years of experience in the Management of Real Estate, Financial and Business Family Offices.
  • He has held different positions in family businesses and banking entities.
  • He holds a degree in Business Administration and Management from São Paulo CEU with a specialization in Marketing at Università degli studi di Verona (Italy).

D. Daniel de la Pedraja Yllera (representative of Kenvest Restoration, LLC)

  • International career in the USA, Europe and China and in international companies and family companies with an international vocation. He currently runs a business group in the FoodTech sector with more than 200 employees, factories in Spain and the Netherlands, in which he has a majority stake, together with strategic international partners. In 2020 he has been Founder and CEO of NeWind Foods, an innovative FoodTech company with an international trajectory.
  • He has been leading his own Family Office for 15 years with Investments in FoodTech in the USA and Europe and in the Industrial, Catering, Real Estate and Renewable Energy and Sustainability sectors. He has more than 10 years of experience in different Real Estate projects. He has participated in the boards of several companies in the industrial sector, FoodTech and catering as well as in Real Estate and Renewable Energies.
  • In addition, Daniel is an elite athlete having participated at the highest level in Tennis, field hockey and sailing. His passion is competitive sport, skiing and adventure travel. He is double sailing world champion (J80) in 2019 and 2021 the latter with the neWind Foods boat.
  • He holds an executive MBA from IESE.

D. Luis Ortego Castañeda (Secretary of the Board)

  • He has a degree in Law from the University of Valladolid and a Master in Business Legal Advice (LLM) from I.E. Law School (Madrid). Civil and Commercial Mediator by the University of Alcalá de Henares.
  • Luis has 25 years of professional experience and is a recognized specialist in procedural, commercial, economic criminal and real estate law. Due to his deep knowledge of the area of mergers and acquisitions, purchase and sale of companies and private equity, he has intervened in complex processes of commercial restructuring of large business groups. He has also advised important distribution companies.
  • He is secretary of the board of directors of different business groups, among which is a SOCIMI. Since 2006 he has been professor at the Instituto de Empresa, teaching in the Master’s Degree in Business Legal Advice (LLM) and in the double Master’s Degree in Law. He is co-author of the book “The Franchise”, Thomson Reuters Aranzadi editorial.