Five Spanish executives leading multinational companies such as Google, Astara, Michelin, Intelcia and Visa discuss the challenges women face when reaching senior positions.
Hispanic women have made notable strides in business in recent years. Among 17 Ibex 35 firms, 40 percent or more of board seats are held by women. In executive leadership, the average is around 22 percent, with a handful of companies boasting female representation in top management (Aena, Red Eléctrica, Enagás, Bankinter, Colonial and Rovi). A government measure passed on July 1, 2024 requires listed companies to have 40 percent women on boards.
Today, despite gains, women in top management continue to face hurdles that slow their career progress. Five Spanish female leaders at multinational corporations speak candidly about balancing being a woman with advancing their careers.
Cristina Pitarch, General Manager Europe, Middle East and Africa for Google Cloud Security, notes that reconciliation means unleashing potential in women rather than asking them to set aside ambitions for family responsibilities. Carmen Alonso, New Payment Methods Director at Visa for Southern Europe, adds that maternity presents a particularly tough moment to balance personal and professional duties with three young children at home.
Martha Rios Gomez, Head of Global Brand at a mobility solutions company and former CEO of Adidas Iberia, observes continued social pressure that pushes women to shoulder caregiving and housework duties in addition to their professional roles. She emphasizes the need for broad educational work at all levels so women feel confident pursuing their careers without sacrificing personal life. Sandra Gibert, CEO of Intelligence Spain and Latin America in a services subcontracting firm, echoes that the issue also affects men, though the impact remains most acute for women.
Pitarch reflects on personal experience in many meetings and conventions where stereotypes surface and interruptions are common. She notes that she has consistently challenged these patterns, even when others underestimate her contributions. Mª Sun Robina Rosat, CEO and Chairman of Michelin Spain and Portugal, recalls a lengthy 30 year career in which she rarely perceived overt discrimination. In many settings she has found it natural to operate as a woman in leadership, though the dynamics of power remain complex.
Both Pitarch and Rosat agree that career choices at university level heavily shape gender balance. The gap in technical and science training for women remains. Today roughly one in four to three in ten cybersecurity professionals are women, according to the Information Security Staff Study conducted by ISC2.
Diversity fuels creativity
Having more women in management can boost employee engagement and productivity, according to Nuria Chinchilla, Professor of People Management in Organizations at IESE Business School. She argues that women bring a distinct approach to decision making, with greater empathy guiding team dynamics.
Chinchilla also points to a broader set of obstacles beyond the so-called glass ceiling. She describes what she calls cement ceilings, the internalized beliefs and prejudices about gender roles that hinder progress. The biggest barrier, she says, is often self-imposed limitations and a lack of delegation that women place on themselves, even before external barriers arise.
Quotas and the question of progress
Chinchilla views quotas as a misguided tool. She notes that in 2002 Ibex had only 2 percent women in leadership and today the figure exceeds 30 percent, a dramatic rise that some attribute to quotas. She cautions that quotas aren’t a panacea and questions whether growth could occur organically, if treated as a long-term objective rather than a forced reform. She worries about a supposed counter-revolution after any initial push and argues that it is essential to move forward with genuine, natural advancement rather than relying on mandated boosts.
In the Norwegian example from 2003, the government required women to occupy 40 percent of board seats in listed companies. Later analyses—by Amy Dittmar and Kenneth Ahern at an American university—showed mixed results, with some companies experiencing a decline in market capitalization as more women joined boards. The study highlights that many leaders were appointed to meet the rule rather than for their proven fit, which influenced performance. Spain’s experience, by contrast, suggests that women’s access to senior roles can align with the values highlighted by Chinchilla and produce broad benefits.
Overall, interviewed managers push back against quotas, arguing that talent should be recognized and nurtured regardless of gender. Yet several agree that accelerating women’s presence in leadership can help correct imbalances while remaining mindful of maintaining merit-based advancement.