Honorary Ambassadors for Marca España
On 12 November, the Spanish King and Queen presented accreditations to the eight new honorary ambassadors for Marca España. These are granted by the Leading Brands of Spain Forum (made up of one hundred leading companies), the Ministries of Industry, Energy and Tourism (MINETUR), the Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO) and Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, as well as by the Spanish Patent and Trademark Office (SPTO) and ICEX España Exportación e Inversiones. The purpose of such accreditation is to afford public recognition to people or legal entities that help build up a positive image of Spain abroad.
The SPTO provides support to Marca España by collaborating in important initiatives or projects, such as this ceremony.
One ambassador in each category
This is the sixth occasion on which such ambassadors have been appointed. Their names are:
Sport: Edurne Pasaban, a mountaineer and an example of commitment, determination and sacrifice. On 17 May 2010 she became the first woman to have reached the summit of all 14 'eight-thousanders' in just twenty expeditions.
Culture and communication: Ainhoa Arteta, one of the most successful and best-known Spanish sopranos. Trained in the San Sebastian Conservatory and at the Actors Studio in New York, she made her opera debut in Palm Beach, Florida (USA), in 1990 and, since then, has performed to critical acclaim on opera stages all round the world, enhancing the image of Spain internationally in the field of singing and music.
Business Management: Pablo Isla, one of Spain’s most renowned business leaders and head of Inditex, Spain’s top multinational and one of the largest retail groups in the world, present in 88 countries with 6,390 stores. Since he took position as CEO, this apparel company has seen unstoppable growth and international recognition.
Tourism and Gastronomy: Chefs Joan, Josep and Jordi Roca, for projecting the quality and excellence of Spanish cuisine around the world. Their internationally-renowned restaurant ‘El Celler de Can Roca’ was named Best Restaurant in the World in 2013, and 2nd Best in 2014 by Restaurant magazine. In 2011 Joan Roca received the Grand Prix de l’Art de la Cuisine from the International Gastronomy Academy.
Science and Innovation: The Instituto Valenciano de Infertilidad (IVI), a centre for assisted human reproduction that enjoys great prestige and international influence, and is a leader in reproductive medicine. It was created in 1990 and now takes cutting-edge Spanish science to many other countries where it is present - Portugal, Argentina, Mexico, Panama, Chile, Brazil and India.
Social action: Cáritas Española for its work to fight poverty and social exclusion throughout the world. Its international cooperation programmes take Caritas Española to Africa, Europe, Latin America, the Caribbean, Asia, the Middle East and North Africa. Caritas Española has about 70,000 volunteers and 4,200 workers in Spain as well as 160,447 members and donors who contribute through a network of over 6,000 parish groups and 70 diocesan groups in Spain. Caritas Española received the Prince of Asturias Award for Concord in 1999.
Institutional relations: the Road to Santiago, an icon for Spain that is known and recognised internationally. Every year it attracts thousands of tourists and pilgrims from all over the world who, as they travel along this pilgrims’ road, learn about and, in many cases, come to love Spanish culture and gastronomy. In 2013 more than 215,000 pilgrims reached Santiago, more than 50% of them from other countries.
Extraordinary Accreditation: Josep Piqué, politician and entrepreneur, for his international career in both politics and business and for his firm defence of the general interests of Spain. In the public sphere he has been Minister of Foreign Affairs, and of Industry, Science and Technology. He has also been President of Vueling and at present is Vice-Chairman and CEO of OHL. A firm believer in public-private collaboration to further Spain’s interests, he backed the creation in 1999 of the Leading Brands of Spain Forum as a strategic alliance between leading Spanish brands and the public administration.
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