Editorial Note: This article was originally published in February 2009 and anticipated the growing prominence of Spanish talent in international positions within the health and life sciences sector. Minor updates have been made to data and context to ensure its relevance, while fully respecting the author’s original style and tone.
The number could be higher, but it serves as a starting point to reflect on the career paths of professionals such as Dr. Luis Rojas Marcos and Valentín Fuster, especially in light of the presentation of their book “Heart and Mind” back in 2009.
From a Human Resources perspective, both were postgraduate expatriates—meaning they left Spain early in their careers, taking on professional uncertainty. They belong to the same category as early expatriate pioneers like Joan Oró, Nobel laureate Severo Ochoa, Santiago Grisolía, Mariano Barbacid, Joan Massagué, or Juan Carlos Izpisúa—among many others—who went abroad before achieving widespread recognition. Expatriation in pursuit of career development is common among researchers and often carries the stigma of “no one guarantees anything when you return.” At a certain point, they found no Spanish institution that could match their scientific—and financial—level abroad. While Spain has improved significantly since then, attracting top talent back still proves difficult, often requiring the creation of tailor-made positions.
In the private sector, we see the opposite model: expatriation as a reward following a successful domestic career. While Spain remains one of Europe’s largest pharmaceutical markets—ranking 5th in sales volume and a leader in clinical trials—it’s still common for outstanding executives to find Spain too limited, and to be recruited by headquarters or global divisions for more complex challenges. Returning to a purely domestic role is rare after reaching that level of responsibility, despite the growth of Spain’s biotech ecosystem—with over 1,000 active companies (e.g., Almirall, PharmaMar, Genetrix) and R&D investment exceeding €1.282 billion in 2023. Many of these companies have international aspirations, but few yet operate at a truly global scale.
Nevertheless, Spain has always produced highly valued international executives. These individuals have public profiles, so we can name them. Early examples include Francisco (Paco) Rubio, who worked in Geneva with Bertarelli Sr. at Serono, and Jesús Caínzos, who spent several years in Beerse with Janssen. True to the pattern mentioned above, Caínzos concluded his career on the board of a much larger, yet unrelated company: BBVA.
Other notable names at that time included Belén Garijo, then VP at Sanofi-Aventis HQ in Paris, where Pilar Márquez also served as Head of HR for Abbott Europe. In other life sciences segments, Ferran Prat held a VP role at DAKO in California, and Joaquín Azpilicueta was VP at Welch Allyn in Ireland—where Aurora Berra was also Country Manager for GSK. In the CRO space, Sebastián Pacios served as VP at PPD in Cambridge, UK, and Manuel Fresno worked at ICON in Philadelphia. Additionally, executives such as Joaquín Duato (Janssen-Cilag), Félix Hernáez and Juan Ramón Alaix (Pfizer, formerly Pharmacia), and José Luis Román (Merck & Co., Italy) stand out. Also noteworthy is Francisco Belil, who was with Bayer-Schering and later became CEO for Siemens Spain and Southwestern Europe.
There are more than 30 names (this list includes many but certainly not all), whose careers continue to evolve. Comparing today’s landscape to the reflections written in 2009 reveals several shifts:
1.- No Spanish CEO in a global life sciences group?
Back in 2009, I made a personal bet—€100 each year to an NGO—that we would see a Spaniard appointed as CEO of an international life sciences group within ten years.
[2025 Update: The prediction was accurate. Spanish executives now lead several major global companies:]
- Belén Garijo, CEO of Merck KGaA (Germany). She is the first woman to lead the German multinational and among the very few female CEOs in the global pharmaceutical industry.
- Joaquín Duato, CEO of Johnson & Johnson (USA), appointed in 2022. J&J is one of the world’s largest pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
- Juan Ramón Alaix, former CEO of Zoetis (a Pfizer spin-off focused on animal health), served until his retirement in 2020.
2. All senior VPs and regional directors have expatriation experience.
This is a point I always stress to my career-planning students: take advantage of international opportunities before acquiring large mortgages or small children. If anyone still doubts the value of international exposure—or fears that “no one guarantees your return”—just review the current list of General Managers in Spain who spent years abroad:
Antonio Pérez Mosquera (Merck & Co.), Ángel Fernández (Schering-Plough), Miguel Isla (Pfizer), Francisco Ballester (Novartis), Juan Carlos Aguilera (Ferring), Esteban Plata (Abbott), Enrique Bermejo (Nutricia), and José Luis Jorcano (Genoma España), among others.
3. Spain has gained international ground, but lacks critical mass.
Spanish executives are now well respected internationally, with fewer outdated stereotypes applied. However, what’s still missing is strategic weight. In my view, Spain needs more long-term-minded entrepreneurs, greater venture capital investment, and institutional support that is independent of political cycles.
