DCH 2025 Annual Meeting

Madrid, May 13, 2025 – IESE Business School ‘s Madrid campus hosted the DCH Annual Meeting of CEOs, CHROs and CFOs on Tuesday, a benchmark event for the business ecosystem, organized by DCH – the International Human Capital Executives Organization – together with IESE Business School. The event brought together prominent leaders from the corporate world to reflect on the role of leadership, purpose and organizational culture in a context of constant transformation.

The event was opened by Alberto Pérez and Laura Blanco, Director of ESG and Institutional Relations of Atisa, who welcomed the attendees and thanked the sponsors and especially IESE, co-organizer of the meeting, for their participation. The institutional welcome was given by María Coello de Portugal, Associate Director of IESE Madrid, and Juan Carlos Pérez Espinosa, Global President of DCH.

“Today more than ever, organizations need leaders who understand the power of purpose and talent management as a driver of transformation,” said Maria Coello de Portugal in her speech.

For his part, Juan Carlos Pérez Espinosa highlighted DCH’s international expansion, announcing the opening of the headquarters in France: “The DCH community continues to grow and cross borders. Today we take another step towards a global network of leadership in human capital”.

Recognition of Excellence: Elena Sanz, CEO of Mapfre Iberia

One of the most anticipated moments of the event was the presentation of the DCH CEO Award for Excellence in People Management, which in this edition went to Elena Sanz, CEO of Mapfre Iberia. The award was presented by Juan Carlos Pérez Espinosa and María Coello de Portugal.

“Elena Sanz represents the commitment to human, innovative management aligned with the corporate purpose,” said Pérez Espinosa when presenting the award.

During her speech, Elena Sanz expressed her gratitude: “I am deeply honored by this recognition. At Mapfre we believe in people as the axis of any transformation. This award is a collective recognition of the efforts of all of us who are part of the project”.

After receiving the award, Sanz was interviewed by leaders of specialized media such as Francisco García Cabello, from Foro Recursos Humanos, and Marcelino Abad, from Capital Humano, in a dialogue moderated by Pérez Espinosa. The conversation revolved around inclusive leadership, the new challenges of people management and the commitment to human sustainability.

Purpose, governance and human finance

The event continued with the presentation of the III Barometer on the implementation of Corporate Purpose in Iberia and LatAm, by Álvaro Lleo, Director of the Master in Managing People in Organizations at the University of Navarra and affiliated with Harvard. Álvaro highlighted: “We are seeing how purpose is no longer a slogan but a real strategic lever”.

The agenda continued with the Directors’ Dialogue, moderated by Gema Monedero, Senior Partner at Ackermann. Key figures such as Carmen Motellón, Independent Director of Cecabank, and Javier Gimeno, CEO and Director of Family Office, offered an expert view on the role of governance bodies in the consolidation of sustainable cultures.

“The value of a company lies not only in its balance sheets, but in its social and ethical impact,” remarked Carmen Motellón. In turn, Javier Gimeno affirmed: “Corporate sustainability must be integrated into the financial model, not as an add-on, but as a pillar”.

Integrated decisions and values in the age of AI

The technical presentations offered a complementary vision. Fernando Caballero de la Sen, Managing Director of Aon Global Risk Consulting, addressed the convergence between financial and human decisions. “The integration between financial strategy and talent management is vital for organizational resilience,” he explained.

Later, Pablo Gutiérrez Merelles, leadership expert and author, offered a powerful reflection under the title “Values in times of artificial intelligence”.“In an increasingly digital world, human values are the source code of the leadership of the future,” he stated emphatically.

High-level dialogue between CEOs, CFOs and CHROs

The climax of the day came with the Dialogue Table between CEOs, CFOs and CHROs, moderated by Íñigo Manso, CEO of BChange, who led an interactive and enriching debate. Participants included Ana Campón, CFO Siemens Spain, Juan Antonio Alanís, Vice President of Grupo Global Exchange, and Álvaro Vázquez, Director of People Iberia and LatAm at Verisure Securitas Direct.

“The role of the CFO has evolved: today we lead not only from profitability, but also from a vision of the future and purpose,” said Ana Campón. Juan Antonio, for his part, pointed out: “Inclusive and courageous leadership is the one that generates real impact”. Álvaro Vázquez added: “Talent is the most powerful competitive advantage. We must protect it, develop it and give it meaning”.

Closing with a different look: mentalism and positive leadership

The closing of the meeting was as inspiring as it was original. Mentalist Ramón Fauria gave a speech entitled “People leadership: hacking minds in a positive way”, in which he combined neuroscience, communication and psychology applied to leadership. “The leaders of the future not only inspire, but transform the way we think collectively,” he concluded.

Finally, Laura Blanco and Alberto Pérez closed the meeting by thanking the more than 200 attendees, the speakers and the organizing team.

“The future of organizations is built from collective intelligence, ethical coherence and humanistic leadership,” summarized Laura Blanco in her closing remarks.

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