XV Spain-U.S. Business Forum (Madrid)

Ángel Asensio

Ángel Asensio Laguna is a Spanish businessman and the current President of the Madrid Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Services. With a background in Business Management and Marketing from ESIC, he began his career in his family’s textile company, KIFF-KIFF, and later became a key figure in Spain’s fashion industry. He has led organisations such as ASECOM, FEDECON, and ModaEspaña, and currently also chairs IFEMA Madrid’s Governing Board. Known for promoting digitalisation, sustainability, and business internationalisation, Asensio has been re-elected to continue strengthening Madrid’s economic and entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Alan D. Solomont

Alan D. Solomont, A70, A08P, former U.S. Ambassador to Spain and Andorra and a lifelong social and political activist, was the Dean of Tisch College from 2014-2021. He now serves as Dean Emeritus. From January 2010 until July 2013, Solomont was the United States Ambassador to Spain and Andorra. As President Obama’s representative, Ambassador Solomont helped to strengthen Spain’s cooperation with the United States on matters of economic and global security. He was a tireless advocate for American companies doing business in Spain, and he supported investment by Spanish companies in the United States. He and his wife Susan also promoted the values of volunteering and citizen service throughout Spain. Today, Solomont chairs the Spain-U.S. Chamber of Commerce, whose mission is to promote trade and investment between the U.S. and Spain, and he is a board member of the U.S.-Spain Council, an organization of government officials and business leaders committed to strong bilateral relations between Spain and the United States.

Inmaculada Riera

Inmaculada Riera i Reñé is the general director of the Spanish Chamber of Commerce (Cámara de Comercio de España), a position she has held since 2015–2016. She holds a law degree from the University of Barcelona and completed postgraduate studies in international politics and economics at the University of Florence, as well as additional qualifications in comparative law, executive management (PADE, IESE), and financial markets. Riera began her professional career in 1984, working in financial institutions and economic-financial consulting in Spain and abroad. She later held senior roles in the banking sector—such as at the Savings Bank of Venice and Banco Sanpaolo—and in major consulting firms including Arthur Andersen and PwC. She has taught at institutions including Bocconi University and ESADE and has been a frequent speaker at national and international economic forums. Riera also served as a Member of Parliament in Spain during the VII, IX, and X legislative terms, acting as spokesperson in several economic, industry, and technology committees. In her role at the Spanish Chamber of Commerce, she has been active in strengthening the Chamber’s international presence and leading business engagement initiatives abroad. In 2024, she was awarded the Gold Medal of the Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Germany in recognition of her contributions. She is also a member of the Board of Trustees of Fundación MAPFRE.

Manuel Valencia

Manuel Valencia Alonso is the Vice President of Técnicas Reunidas Internacional S.A. He holds a law degree and a Diploma in Advanced International Studies. Valencia began his career in the Spanish Diplomatic Service in 1979, serving until 2000, with his last role as Director General of International Economic Relations at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (1996–2000). After thirteen years in the private sector, he was appointed Ambassador of Spain to China (March 2013–November 2017). In February 2018, he returned to Técnicas Reunidas Internacional S.A. as Vice President.

Manuel Losada

Manuel Losada Friend oversees the management of Energy which includes projects and services in Substation Automation, GIS, Smart Metering (AMI), Smart Grid (DMS, OMS, Scada), O&G, Telecom, etc. For the past 20+ years, Losada’s work experience has been focused on the development of business distribution for the utilities world market at Telvent – now Schneider Electric. The emphasis of those efforts has been on streamlining business processes and matching technology to meet the needs of the utility business. During this time, he has served as project engineer and principal of national and international projects; manager of Distribution and Transmission Departments; Vice President of Electric International Business Units and Executive Vice President of Energy. Losada has been working creating, developing and managing teams and business world wide in the Energy Sector, where he has acquired a vast experience and delivering results. He loves to work in different geographies and is moved and open always for a new challenges.

Juli de la Paz

Julio de la Paz is a Spanish banking executive with over 18 years of experience at CaixaBank, where he currently serves as Head of Trade Finance and Treasury Risk Management Business. Since joining the bank in 2007, he has held several leadership roles, including Director of Business Centers and Business Area Director in Barcelona. He holds a degree in Business Studies from Universitat Pompeu Fabra, a postgraduate qualification in E-Business from UPF-IDEC, and completed the Digital Mindset program at IESE Business School. With a strong background in corporate banking, trade finance, and digital transformation, he has developed a career focused on driving financial solutions and business growth for corporate clients.

Rita Sánchez Soliva

Rita is an economist in the International Economics & Markets Department. She holds a bachelor's degree in Economics from the Complutense University of Madrid (UCM), a master’s degree (Advanced Studies diploma) in Economic Analysis and Quantitative Economics from the same university, and is accredited with the CIIA ® certification. Prior to joining CaixaBank, she worked as a research assistant at the faculty of economics at UCM, where she also taught as an associate, and as a macro analyst at Afi, Intermoney and Bankia Estudios. Her areas of research include macroeconomics, with a particular emphasis on the euro area.

Juan Luis Gimeno Chocarro

Juan Luis Gimeno Chocarro (born 1978) is a Spanish economist and senior civil servant with extensive experience in international economic diplomacy, public policy design, and economic analysis. A member of the Senior Corps of State Trade Experts and Economists, he holds degrees in Law and Business Administration (E-3) from Comillas Pontifical University. Throughout his career, he has held several high-level positions within the Spanish public administration and abroad, including Economic and Commercial Counselor in Los Angeles and representative before the European Commission, IMF, OECD, and G20. His work reflects a strong commitment to promoting Spain’s economic interests and fostering international trade and investment.

Antonio Barba

Antonio Barba is a lawyer specializing in international tax law, with nearly three decades of experience advising Spanish companies investing abroad and foreign investors in Spain. Since beginning his practice in 1996, he has focused on providing strategic legal and tax counsel in complex international project finance, including build-operate-transfer (BOT) projects such as desalination plants, power installations, highways, and transmission lines, as well as in the acquisition of assets like ships, aircraft, and renewable-energy infrastructure. He currently serves as Coordinator of the Group of Experts in International Tax and Transfer Pricing at the Spanish Association of Tax Advisors (AEDAF) and as an associate lecturer at Instituto de Empresa and ESADE’s LLM programs. His expertise has been recognized by Chambers and Partners and The Legal 500 directories.

Ronny Vaisman

Ronny Vaisman focuses his practice on corporate transactions and general corporate advice, including M&A, finance, and commercial contracts, assisting both US and international clients, particularly Latin American and Spanish companies, banks, and financial institutions. In 2024 he obtained an LL.M. in Corporate Law from New York University School of Law, where he was a Graduate Editor of NYU Journal of Law & Business and a board member of NYU Law & Business Association. Prior to joining Dunning Vallejo & MacDonald LLP, Ronny worked as a Corporate Associate at Cuatrecasas in Chile, where he focused his practice on domestic and cross-border M&A and finance transactions, advising clients in the natural resources, financial, technology, and payment card industries. He is a native Spanish-speaker and has a basic comprehension of Hebrew.

Matt Stanford

Matt Stanford is a seasoned talent acquisition leader with over 20 years of experience helping innovative companies identify and attract exceptional talent. At Russell Tobin, he partners with clients across all stages of growth — from start-up to IPO and beyond — providing both retained and contingent search, as well as interim contract and embedded recruitment (RPO) solutions. His Europe Embedded teams specialize in hires across Technology, Sales & Marketing, Finance & Strategy, and HR, supporting organizations in building high-performing teams across key business functions. Matt has successfully led executive search assignments for roles including CFO, COO, CMO, VP of Sales (EMEA), Director of Transformation, Finance Director, Strategy Director, HR Director, and Director of Talent Acquisition.

Nuria Haltiwanger

Nuria Haltiwanger is a senior executive with extensive experience in global infrastructure investment and development. She currently serves as Chief Investment Officer of Infrastructure at Grupo ACS and CEO of Iridium Concesiones de Infraestructuras, leading large-scale projects across multiple markets. With over a decade of leadership at ACS Infrastructure, where she also serves as Board President for its North American subsidiaries, Nuria has played a key role in expanding the company’s international footprint. Before joining ACS, she worked as an Associate at Dewey & LeBoeuf LLP, specializing in project finance and infrastructure law. Nuria holds a Juris Doctor from Georgetown Law and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics, International Studies, and Political Science from the University of Miami.

Jose Manuel Rodríguez

José Manuel Rodríguez Martínez is the Director of Public Affairs at Iberdrola, where he oversees the company’s institutional relations and public policy strategy. A career diplomat, he joined Spain’s Diplomatic Service in 2006 and has held key positions in the State Secretariat for the European Union, Spain’s Permanent Representation to the EU and NATO, and as Consul General in Oran, Algeria. He later served as Adviser on International and Political Affairs in the Cabinet of the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs before moving to Iberdrola in 2019. He holds a law degree from Comillas Pontifical University (ICADE), an MBA in European Law from UNED, and an MBA in Energy Policy from ENERCLUB. Rodríguez Martínez is also an adjunct professor at IE University and Comillas ICAI-ICADE, has collaborated with the World Economic Forum, and is a regular speaker on international affairs and energy policy. He was born in Paris in 1979 and has been awarded the Cross of Military Merit.

Ana Garicano

Ana Garicano has been a member of the Madrid Bar Association since August 2000. Her academic background began at the Faculty of Law of the Complutense University of Madrid, where she earned her Law degree. She later obtained a Diploma in the Master’s Programme on Migration Policy and Immigration Law from the Autonomous University of Madrid. In addition, she is specialised in Immigration and Expatriation Law. Ana is the author of various specialised publications in the fields of immigration and expatriation and regularly participates in specialised training programmes delivered in collaboration with various institutions.

Rian Harker Harris

Rian Harker Harris is a career member of the Senior Foreign Service with the rank of Minister Counselor. During her twenty-five-year career she has served at the U.S. Embassies in Georgia, Serbia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Guatemala, Armenia, and the U.S. Consulate in Vladivostok, Russia. She also previously served at U.S. Embassy Madrid as the Press Attaché. Most recently, Ms. Harris was the Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Tbilisi, Georgia. In Washington, D.C, she served as a Director for European Affairs at the White House on the National Security Council staff where she was responsible for nine countries in Southern Europe and the Caucasus, including Spain. She also served as the Special Assistant to the Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs. During her career, Ms. Harris has focused on public diplomacy and political-military affairs. She has served as Mission Spokesperson at three embassies and represented the U.S. on NATO Provincial Reconstruction Teams in Afghanistan, including Herat, led by Italy, and Badghis, led by Spain. Ms. Harris holds a master’s degree in public policy from the School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University, and a bachelor’s degree in Russian studies and environmental science from the College of William and Mary. She has studied Spanish, Georgian, Russian, Serbian, and Dari. Ms. Harris was raised in rural Nelson County, Virginia. Her husband, Christopher, is also a Foreign Service Officer. They have two daughters.

Javier Ruano

Javier Ruano is a seasoned executive with a strong background in telecommunications and air traffic management. He holds a degree in Telecommunications Engineering from the Polytechnic University of Madrid and an INI-TENEO master's degree. Before joining Indra in 1998, he worked at Inisel, where he held various positions including Program Manager, Department Manager, and Software Engineer. At Indra, he has held several key roles, including Director of European ATM Programs, Deputy Director of ATM and Airports General Management, and Director of Programs and Projects. Currently, he serves as the Director of Global ATM Programs at Indra and is a member of the Management Committee. His expertise and leadership in the field have made him a prominent figure in the industry.