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Isidro Fain\u00e9<\/strong><\/a>, President of the La Caixa Banking Foundation<\/strong>, CriteriaCaixa<\/strong>, the Spanish Confederation of Savings Banks<\/strong>, and the World Savings and Retail Banking Institute<\/strong>, and a Full Member of the Royal European Academy of Doctors<\/strong> (READ); Josep S\u00e1nchez Llibre<\/strong><\/a>, President of Foment del Treball Nacional<\/strong>, Vice President of the Spanish Confederation of Business Organizations<\/strong>, former member of the Parliament of Catalonia<\/strong> and the Congress of Deputies<\/strong>, former senator, and Honorary Academician of the READ; Crist\u00f3bal Col\u00f3n Palas\u00ed<\/strong><\/a>, founder of the business and social project La Fageda<\/strong> and Honorary Academician of the READ; and D\u00eddac Lee<\/strong><\/a>, a renowned technology entrepreneur and investor and Honorary Academician and Extraordinary Ambassador of the READ, are included in the new ranking \u00abBusiness Leaders of Catalonia\u00bb,<\/strong> compiled by the newspaper \u00abEl Peri\u00f3dico\u00bb<\/strong> in collaboration with the company Glovo<\/strong>.<\/p>\n As the newspaper explains in presenting this select list of 50 figures from Catalan business, the ranking is the result of a survey conducted among more than 500 executives and, in its first edition, is led by the President of Fira de Barcelona, Pau Relat<\/strong>. One third of the list is made up of women, headed by Sol Daurella<\/strong>. The ranking blends veteran leaders such as Isidro Fain\u00e9<\/strong> and Crist\u00f3bal Col\u00f3n Palas\u00ed<\/strong> with emerging figures like Martina Font<\/strong>, Elisenda Bou-Balust<\/strong>, and Francesc Juli\u00e0<\/strong>. Reappointed on 12 January by the Board<\/strong> of Trustees of the La Caixa Banking Foundation as its President<\/strong>, Fain\u00e9 is highlighted as remaining one of the country\u2019s most influential and respected business figures and as leading a foundation that reached a historic budget of \u20ac655 million in 2025, 60% of which is allocated to social programs.<\/p>\n Regarding S\u00e1nchez Llibre, the article notes that he assumed the presidency of the major Catalan employers\u2019 association in 2018 after a long political career as a deputy and senator. He is also President of the family business Conservas Dani<\/strong> and Vice President of the Spanish Confederation of Business Organizations<\/strong>. As for Col\u00f3n Palas\u00ed, emphasis is placed on his recent appointment as Honorary Academician of the READ in recognition of a brilliant career that transformed a utopia into a business project that not only holds a prominent position in the dairy market, but is also a global benchmark in social economy and purpose-driven management. Finally, Lee is highlighted for his leadership as a role model for the entrepreneurial ecosystem, serving as an inspiration for many young people.<\/p>\n Fain\u00e9 began his professional career in banking, holding positions in various financial institutions. In 1982 he joined La Caixa<\/strong>, and in 1999 he was appointed Chief Executive Officer, leading its growth and transformation. He served as President of CaixaBank from 2011 to 2016. His career is recognized for his ability to manage and transform large financial institutions, earning him numerous national and international distinctions. He is internationally acknowledged as one of the great philanthropists and a key figure in banking and the social and solidarity economy sector. He is Vice President of the Royal Academy of Economic and Financial Sciences<\/strong> and, in the business sphere, Vice President of leading companies such as Telef\u00f3nica<\/strong> and ACS<\/strong>, among other prominent corporate responsibilities.<\/p>\n S\u00e1nchez Llibre has received numerous honors, including the Award of the Association of Self-Employed Workers of Catalonia<\/strong>, the Bernardo O\u2019Higgins Medal<\/strong> awarded by the Government of Chile<\/strong>, Honorary Membership of the Official College of Commercial and Business Graduates of Barcelona<\/strong>, the Medal of Honor<\/strong> of Foment del Treball for Business Career Achievement, the Gold and Diamond Insignia of RCD Espanyo<\/strong>l, the Gold Medal<\/strong> of the Order of Chambers of Commerce of the Council of Chambers of Commerce<\/strong>, the Red Cross Medal<\/strong> for his personal commitment and involvement with the institution and its humanitarian emergency program \u00abCreu Roja Respon\u00bb,<\/strong> the Medal of Honor of Automobile Barcelona<\/strong>, Honorary Membership of the Register of Economist Auditors of the General Council of Economists<\/strong>, the Gaud\u00ed Gresol Award<\/strong> for Notoriety and Excellence in the category of Business Leadership, and he is the author of the book \u00abLes veritats de l\u2019Estatut\u00bb.<\/strong><\/p>\n Trained in Psychology at the Autonomous University of Barcelona<\/strong>, Col\u00f3n Palas\u00ed began his professional career in various psychiatric centers in Zaragoza, Martorell, and Salt. In 1982 he founded the cooperative La Fageda in Olot as a response to the living conditions of former mental institutions. The project combines productive activities\u2014farm work, gardening, the production of dairy products and jams, and guided tours\u2014with a comprehensive support model that includes employment, training, housing, leisure, and psychosocial assistance. The uniqueness of La Fageda has attracted national and international interest and is studied at business schools such as IESE<\/strong>, ESADE<\/strong>, and Harvard University<\/strong>. The project receives thousands of visitors each year and is recognized as a success story in social economy and people-centered management. Throughout his career, Col\u00f3n has received numerous institutional distinctions, including the Creu de Sant Jordi<\/strong>, the highest honor awarded by the Government of Catalonia,<\/strong> in 2009, and the recent honorary doctorate from the University of Girona<\/strong>.<\/p>\n