Marta Álvarez

About Marta Álvarez

Marta Álvarez served as Chairwoman of El Corte Inglés from July 2019 until January 2026, when she transitioned to the Board's Monitoring Committee. A law graduate, she is the daughter of Isidoro Álvarez, nephew and heir of company founder Ramón Areces, and shares a 15% stake with her sister Cristina. She is fluent in English and French and is recognized as an expert in retail and department stores.

During her tenure as Chairwoman, Álvarez drove significant financial improvements. El Corte Inglés achieved net profit of €512 million (up 6.7%) and recurring net profit of €470 million (up 30.8%) in fiscal 2024-2025, with consolidated revenues of €16.675 billion. Since 2019, El Corte Inglés improved profitability by 65% and cut debt by half. Her strategic plan included €3 billion in investments through 2030 focused on store remodeling, business expansion, and technological and logistics capabilities.

Career History

• Sotheby's auction house (five years in London and Madrid), specializing in art
• Viajes El Corte Inglés (travel division, early career)
• Castellana shopping centre (various roles including fashion retail)
• Buying department at El Corte Inglés
• Chairwoman of El Corte Inglés (2019-2026)

What Álvarez brings to El Corte Inglés: As a transformational leader, Álvarez demonstrated strategic acumen in navigating the group through the pandemic, executing debt reduction, and positioning the company for aggressive expansion under a modernized investment framework. Her background spanning luxury auctions, travel, retail operations, and merchandising provides a unique cross-functional perspective on brand positioning and customer experience—critical assets for the second-largest department store operator globally competing against digital disruption.