Ignacio Sánchez Galán

Executive Chairman of Iberdrola

Ignacio Sánchez Galán is the Chairman of Iberdrola and the subholding companies of the United Kingdom (ScottishPower), the United States (Avangrid) and Brazil (Neoenergia).

In 2023, Time magazine recognized Ignacio Galán as one of the world’s most innovative leaders driving business climate action.

Ignacio Galán (Salamanca, 1950), married and with four children, is a professional industrial engineer graduated from the ICAI School of Engineering at the Pontifical University of Comillas in Madrid. He also holds a diploma in Business Administration from ICADE and in Business Administration and Foreign Trade from the School of Industrial Organization.

Throughout his professional career, he has led leading companies in various industrial and technological sectors, profoundly reshaping their profiles based on his vision of the future and his ability to anticipate new trends.

He speaks English, French, Italian and Portuguese.

Professional Career

2023

Re-elected as Iberdrola Chairman until 2027, with over 98% support at the General Shareholders' Meeting held on April 28th

2021

Ignacio Galán was appointed Chairman of Neoenergia, a subsidiary of Iberdrola in Brazil.

2015

Named Chairman of Avangrid, a subsidiary of Iberdrola in the United States.

2007

Ignacio Galán was appointed Chairman of ScottishPower, the first integrated energy company in the United Kingdom to generate 100% green electricity.

2006

He was appointed Executive Chairman of the Iberdrola Group, marking the beginning of one of the most successful transformation processes undertaken in a large company in recent years. His commitment to international expansion, renewable energies, and sustainability has made the company the third-largest electric utility in the world by market capitalization and the leading one in Europe without state participation after years of uninterrupted growth.

His strong commitment to environmental protection and social responsibility has led Iberdrola to become a benchmark in major sustainability indices.

Iberdrola is the only European electric company included in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index since its inception and has been recognized as one of the leading electric utilities globally by the Carbon Disclosure Leadership Index and the FTSE4Good.

Additionally, the company has been acknowledged for its practices in corporate governance by World Finance and Ethical Boardroom publications and as one of the world's most ethical companies by the Ethisphere Institute.

2001

Ignacio Galán assumed the position of executive vice-chairman and CEO at Iberdrola.

1995

Subsequently, Ignacio Galán was CEO of Airtel Móvil (now Vodafone), where he successfully faced the challenge of the liberalization of the telecommunications sector in Spain.

1991

He was the Chairman of Eurojet, a European consortium for the development and manufacturing of the Eurojet 200 engine, which equips the Eurofighter.

1990

He led Industria de Turbopropulsores (ITP) from its inception promoting the design, manufacturing, and maintenance of aviation engines and gas turbines. Ignacio Galán integrated workers and technicians from the conversion of the naval sector in the Ría de Bilbao into the ITP workforce, providing them with the opportunity to redirect their professional activity to the aeronautical industry.

1972

Ignacio Galán began his professional career at the Sociedad Española del Acumulado Tudor, where he held various management and executive positions, leading the international expansion of the company.

‘Today quality is sustainable development’

Ignacio Galán

Awards

2024

In 2024, he was awarded an honorary doctorate (Doctor Honoris Causa) by the Comillas Pontifical University during a ceremony held in the university’s Aula Magna, presided over by Rector Antonio Allende, with the laudatio delivered by Professor Mariano Ventosa Rodríguez. This recognition adds to those previously granted by the University of Salamanca, Edinburgh, and Strathclyde (Glasgow).

2023

In 2023, Time magazine included him in the inaugural edition of Time100 Climate as one of the world’s most innovative leaders against climate change.

Considered, for the twelfth time, Best CEO of the top European electric utilities by the Institutional Investor Research Group.

Awarded the 2023 Best Business Leadership in Energy Transition award from the El Periódico de la Energía Awards.

Awarded the ESG Leadership Award in 2023 by the Foreign Policy Association of the United States.

Received the Medal of Honor from the World Association of Jurists at the United Nations for his commitment to environmental, social, governance, and financial principles.

2020

Received the Executive Leadership Award from the Spanish Association for Quality and the Business Career Award from El Economista.

2019

Ranked as one of the five most important CEOs in the world and the first in the utilities sector by Harvard Business Review, and one of the 30 most influential leaders in the fight against climate change by Bloomberg.
Received the National Innovation and Design Award for Innovative Career from the Ministry of Science, Innovation, and Universities.

Leon Award from El Español for his business management.

Honorary Mention for his professional trajectory from the Official College of Industrial Engineers of Madrid.

Named Spanish Universal by the Independent Foundation.

2018

Appointed Honorary Member of the Institute of Engineers of Spain.

2017

Considered, for the eleventh time, Best CEO of the top European electric utilities by the Institutional Investor Research Group.

2014

Received the international Responsible Capitalism award from the First Group.

Honored by Queen Elizabeth II with the Commander of The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire decoration.

2011

Named best CEO of European utilities and Spanish listed companies in investor relations, according to the Thomson Extel Survey.

2008

Received the Business Leader of the Year award from the Spain-United States Chamber of Commerce.

2006

Received the CEO of the Year award at the Platts Global Energy Awards. Awarded the ESG Leadership Award in 2023 by the Foreign Policy Association of the United States.

Other positions

He holds Honorary Doctorates from the universities of Salamanca, Edinburgh, and Strathclyde (Glasgow).

Currently serves as Visiting Professor at the University of Strathclyde, President of the Social Council of the University of Salamanca, member of the Presidential Advisory Board of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), trustee of the Comillas-ICAI University Foundation and trustee of the ElCano Royal Institute.

Member of the European Round Table for Industry (ERT), the JP Morgan International Council, the World Economic Forum’s (Davos) Top Electricity Executives Group, the Renewable Hydrogen Coalition and the Global Leaders Council of UNICEF’s Generation Unlimited organisation.