EXTERNAL INDEPENDENT DIRECTOR
José María Abad Hernández
José María Abad Hernández
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Born May 28, 1982.

Degree in Law Universidad Pontificia de Comillas (ICADE). Degree in Business Administration and Management, specializing in Finance, from the Universidad Pontificia de Comillas (ICADE). Specialist in Quantitative Research Methodology (Statistical Techniques) from the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid. Advanced Studies Program in International Economics from the Kiel Institute for the World Economy (Germany). Doctor in Finance from the University of Exeter, United Kingdom.

He currently is:

  • Senior Advisor to Oliver Wyman's Financial Services practice in Europe (2022).  
  • Consultant of the Global Macroeconomic and Market Analysis Department of the Corporación Financiera Internacional (IFC) and Grupo Banco Mundial, Washington, DC (2022-).
  • Consultant of the Strategy, Policy and Evaluation Department of the International Monetary Fund), Washington, DC (2024-).
  • Member of the Advisory Board, Iqana Technologies, Barcelona (2024-).
  • Member of the Advisory Board, Upfront Technologies, Abu Dhabi (2024-).
  • Member of the Advisory Board, Instituto Hermes (2022).
  • “Miguel Dols” Visiting Fellow, Cañada Blanch Centre, London School of Economics (LSE), Londres (2024-25).
  • Independent consultant and advisor on macroeconomic and banking matters (2021).


He has been (among other positions):

  • Nominated for the "Rybczynski" Prize, awarded annually by the Society of Professional Economists (SPE) of London, for a paper on the economic reasons for the energy transition (October 2023).
  • Winner of the "Federico Prades" Prize that the Asociación Española de Banca (AEB) awards every two years to an economist under 40 years of age, for a paper on the usability of capital buffers in banking (April 2022).
  • Financial Sector Expert and Visiting Scholar, successively, in the Financial and Capital Markets Department of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) (Washington, DC) (2020-2022).
  • Executive Director of the European Financial Institutions Group of the Research Division and senior banking analyst responsible for coverage of Southern European listed banks (Spain, Portugal, Greece) at Goldman Sachs (London) (2015-2020).
  • Vice President and Senior Analyst of the Sovereign and Supranational Risk Group, as well as member of the Sovereign Ratings Committee of Moody's Investors Service (London) (2015).
  • Member of the Board of Directors of AXIS Participaciones Empresariales S.G.E.I.C., S.A.S.M.E. (Grupo ICO) (2012-2015).
  • Chief Economist, and head - with the rank of Deputy Director - of the Research Department and the International Relations Area of the Instituto de Crédito Oficial (ICO) under the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (Madrid) (2012-2015). As such:
    • Responsible for shaping ICO's macro vision, defending the "Spanish position" on key economic policy issues with other European development, national and multilateral banks, as well as managing the President's international agenda.
    • Member of the ICO's Procurement, Strategy and International Relations and Fond-ICO Global Monitoring Committees.
    • Co-secretary of the High-Level Expert Group for SME Financing of the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (2013).
    • ICO representative in the Financial Institutions Shareholder Group (FISG) of the European Investment Fund (EIF) in Luxembourg.
    • ICO representative on the Board of Directors of the European Association of Long-Term Investors (ELTI) in Brussels.
    • ICO Sherpa in the Long Term Investors Club (LTIC) and in the "Big Six Group", consisting of the Chairmen and/or CEOs of the six major European development banks (Germany, France, Italy, Spain and Poland, as well as the EU through the EIB Group).
    • Co-responsible for the launch and monitoring of the "Cátedra Fundación ICO de Financiación a PYME", led by the University of Alcalá de Henares, which won the "Titanes de las Finanzas" award (granted by the ECOFIN Forum) in 2015.
  • Advisor (for Spain and Portugal) to the Chief Global Economist at Unicredit Group (London) (2011-2012).
  • Consultant (for Spain and Portugal) of the European Economic Analysis team of Goldman Sachs (Frankfurt) (2010-2011).
  • Senior Associate in the Sovereign and Supranational Risk Group, member of the Sovereign Ratings Committee and the Economic Analysis Committee of Moody's Investors Service (Frankfurt) (2009-2010), including responsibilities in the area of risk management, containing, among others, financial and macroeconomic risks.
  • Associate in the Strategy and Operations Group of KPMG (Madrid) (2006).


As far as academic career is concerned, he stands out:

  • Professor at ICADE (Madrid) (2022-), where he teaches the subject 'Conjunctural Analysis' in Executive Education programs.
  • Visiting Professor at ESADE (Barcelona) (2018-22), where he taught the subjects 'Valuation of Companies' and 'Analysis and Valuation of Financial Entities' of the Master in Finance.
  • Research and teaching assistant at the Institute for Economic Policy at the University of Leipzig (Germany) (2011-2012).
  • Research and teaching assistant at the International Centre for Financial Research (ICFR) at the IESE Business School (Madrid) (2007-2008).
  • Research and teaching assistant at the Department of Economics at ICADE - Universidad Pontificia Comillas (Madrid) (2005-2006).


Other information of interest:

  • Author of numerous monographs, articles and research projects on various topics related to financial and capital markets and economic policy.
Other remunerated activities whatever their nature

Consultant, Corporación Financiera Internacional, Grupo Banco Mundial, Washington, D.C.
Senior Advisor, Oliver Wyman, Madrid.
Professor, ICADE, Madrid.

NameJosé María Abad Hernández
First appointment2021/29/06
Re-elections-
Last appointment2021/29/06
Election procedureGeneral Shareholder´s Meeting
Position on the BoardMember
Type of DirectorExternal independent
Audit Committee/postYes, Member
Appointments and Remuneration Committee/postNo
Sustainability Committee/postNo
Presence in Boards of other Spanish listed companiesNo