Francisco J. Riberas, new Chairman of SERNAUTO
The General Assembly of the Spanish Association of Automotive Suppliers (SERNAUTO) has ratified today, upon proposal from the Board of Directors, the appointment of Francisco J. Riberas, as new Chairman of the Association. He replaces Maria Helena Antolin, who has completed the six-year period of her mandate, the maximum time of permanence in office established by the Articles of Association.
Francisco J. Riberas is the Executive Chairman of Gestamp, a multinational company specialising in the design, development and manufacture of highly-engineered metal components for major vehicle manufacturers. For the Board of Directors of SERNAUTO, Francisco J. Riberas is an outstanding person in the sector and well-known in the business world, with excellent capabilities to represent the Spanish automotive components industry. With a turnover of more than 30,000 million euros, this is a strategic sector in our country, generating 212,000 direct jobs and is one of the largest exporters of the Spanish economy.
The new Chairman has shown gratitude for the trust placed in him. "I assume with enthusiasm and responsibility the presidency of SERNAUTO, an association that has become a reference for the Public Administration and for companies in the sector. I have always been directly linked to this industry and for me it is an honour to be able to contribute now to its momentum from SERNAUTO," he said.
The Board of Directors would like to thank the outgoing Chairwoman, Maria Helena Antolin, for the work conducted during her six years at the helm of the Association, where she has stood out for her strong defense of the sector, the promotion of initiatives aimed at improving the competitiveness of companies and for the measures led in the dialogue with the Public Administration. Among other milestones, under her presidency, SERNAUTO celebrated its 50th anniversary, carried out a comprehensive change of its corporate image, the Association’s visibility was significantly reinforced and major international projects were launched in order to promote the Spain brand (Marca España) outside our borders.
Brief professional background of the new Chairman
He began his professional career holding different positions at Gonvarri Group, as Director of Corporate Development and later as CEO. In 1997 he created Gestamp, assuming since then the role of Executive Chairman and shaping over time what Gestamp is today.
He is a member of the Board of Directors at Telefónica, CIE Automotive and Wallbox. Besides, Riberas is part of the management of other Gestamp enterprises and also a board member in companies of the ACEK family holding, such as Gonvarri Group, Acek Energías Renovables, Inmobiliaria Acek and Sideacero.
Additionally, Francisco J. Riberas is the president of Fundación Consejo España-China, Consejo Asesor Empresarial España-China and the Endeavor Foundation in Spain. He has also been president of the Family Business Institute between May 2018 and June 2020.
