Spherical is a technology services company rooted in Argentina that trades on a major stock index. It has a presence on Wall Street and carries a valuation around 8 billion euros. In January 2020, the company expanded into Spain by acquiring the financial services consultancy Bluecap, which employs about 150 people. That undisclosed deal spotlighted the Girona-born founder of Bluecap as a key figure in Catalan business circles. Maite Barrera has long been cited as a catalyst on the Catalan entrepreneurial map since the turn of the century.
At that moment, Barrera already led Esade Alumni, the association for former students of that private institution; she sat on the board of Cercle d’Economia and supported the Princess of Girona Foundation. She joined Globant’s board following her company’s sale. Today, Barrera remains a leading figure in the sector, while Aurora appears at the helm of one of Catalonia’s most influential non-governmental organizations: Global Barcelona (BG).
Catà serves on the boards of Banco Sabadell, Repsol, Atresmedia, and the Cellnex Foundation. He previously led the talent-finding firm Seeliger & Conde and served as president of Barcelona Global, contributing to initiatives like the America’s Cup sailing event in Barcelona. His replacement of Barrera at BG drew attention beyond the customary currents of Catalan business, a sign of how a new wave of influential names is reshaping the city’s elite circles. The lineage of BG’s leadership includes prominent families such as the Puigs, the Cuatrecasas, the Guardans Cambó, and the Rodés, among others; Andorran businesswoman Maria Reig is recognized as BG’s founder.
Barrera’s background shows a different rhythm. She grew up with a blend of humility and ambition, later marrying a Dutch partner who co-leads Bluecap, and raising four children while maintaining strong ties to major Spanish bankers.
Barrera’s ascent to BG coincided with a pivotal council renewal. On July 12, a vote to replace Javier Faus, the financier who oversees the Meridia fund, would set a new course. The contest features Jaume Guardiola, the former Banco Sabadell CEO, and Rosa Cañadas, who heads the Tanja foundation and the Trea fund, with Carlos Tusquets also in the mix given his Cercle past presidency.
Board discussions highlighted the inclusion of young entrepreneurs, some less connected to the traditional Barcelona social order. Guardiola’s slate includes Barrera, alongside Rita Almela, Clara Campas, and others who lead funds focused on digital transformation and biosciences. In Canada, Gerard Garcia Esteve, founder of a digital operations consultancy, and Pep Gomez—who recently sold the electric scooter company Reby for 94 million—are named among the international entrants.
These four individuals join a broader cohort of entrepreneurs who have built wealth by selling all or part of their ventures. Oscar Pierre, who moved from Delivery to Glovo, and Enric Asunciòn, co-founder of Wallbox, valued at roughly 1.5 billion on Nasdaq, are part of this new mix. Also active are participants like the founder of Social Car, Charlotte P.I, and Holaluz, underscoring a wave transforming core sectors.
The new bloc is composed of business people and investors keen to influence the evolving market landscape. Names linked to Barcelona Tech Hub and the Antai fund, including Joseph Sanfeliu, are mentioned alongside Laura Urquizu, CEO of Red Points and a Cercle board member who also leads a venture capital firm. Luis Seguí is another figure cited in this circle.
A cluster of potential heirs from renowned enterprises has also emerged. Francesc Rubiralta, chair of Celsa, remains on the Cercle board and eyes a Guardiola-led path. The steel company awaits a rescue while Marina López, daughter of Amancio López and a hotel executive at Hotusa, participates in Cercle’s nominee discussions. Eloi Planes of Fluidra sits at the head of both the Catalonia Cultura Foundation and, more broadly, the Catalan civil-society ecosystem. Prominent jewelers Rosa Tous and Jordi Rabat appear more frequently in strategic discussions, as do Josep Ametller of Casa Ametller and Mónica Ribé in insurance brokerage with industry ties. Aina Juliol, head of engineering at PGI, joins the conversation alongside Hugo Serra of Catalana Occidente and Jordi Mercader Barata of Miquel y Costas. The next generation also surfaces, with Josep Maria Serra Farré and Jordi Mercader Miró, who once led INI, noted among the heirs of Catalonia’s corporate lineage.
Other influential women include Carmina Gag, a corporate director at Colonial and a director at Repsol, and Nuria Cabutti, CEO of Penguin Random House’s publishing group. Both are part of Cercle’s current leadership; if Guardiola secures victory, Cabutti could become vice president. In three years, she could position herself to assume the top role. Ana Vallés, head of the Lleida-based Sorigué construction company, strengthens her profile by steering a contemporary-art foundation. Also rising is Ainhoa Grandes, who leads the Macba Foundation and coordinates the Ship2Be initiative, increasing her public visibility. Anna Gener of Savills, a Spanish real-estate consulting leader, is recognized as a key voice in Catalonia’s future projects. The presence of New Yorker Michael Goldenberg of Value Retail and La Roca, hotel investor Alejandro Hernández Puértolas, and Marc Roca of After by Risto Mejide adds a discreet yet timely note to the landscape.
In academia, Teresa Garcia-Milà remains a prominent voice and could join the Cercle leadership as a vice president should Guardiola win. Esteemed economists such as Esade’s Núria Mas and UPF’s José García Montalvo have sustained a visible presence on the forums, while another Esade professor, Mireia Giné, chairs Banco Sabadell. In the scientific community, Lluis Torner leads the Photonics Sciences Institute with a broader role in public-facing initiatives.
Looking toward Madrid, two stand out: Marc Murtra, president of Indra and patron of Fundació Caixa, and Maurici Lucena, head of Aena. The future leadership of the country remains a topic of keen interest as 2024 approaches and beyond.
Names will ebb and flow, some retreat into the background, others surge into the foreground. Yet the Catalan bourgeoisie endures. It sheds a skin, then grows again in new forms and circles.