José María Álvarez-Pallete

José María Álvarez-Pallete serves as the Presidente Ejecutivo of Telefónica S.A. since February 1999, and has held various leadership roles within the company, including Chief Operating Officer and Presidente Ejecutivo for multiple regions. Álvarez-Pallete is also the President of Fundación Telefónica and the GSMA Council, as well as serving as Chairman of the Jobs, Skills and Impact Committee at the European Round Table for Industry. Additional board memberships include Fundación "la Caixa", SEAT, S.A., Portugal Telecom, and China Netcom. Álvarez-Pallete began a career in finance at CEMEX and prior corporate roles involved responsibilities in corporate finance and administration. Academic qualifications include a Doctor Honoris Causa from Universidad CEU San Pablo, advanced studies in International Economics from Universidad Complutense de Madrid, a Master's in International Management from IPADE Business School, and foundational studies in Economic Sciences from Université libre de Bruxelles.