Santiago Bau

Profile

Santiago Bau Arrechea has been appointed as the retail group's new CEO, taking charge of all business units of the group, as well as the corporate and financial operations. He is director general corporativo y financiero of El Corte Inglés since October 2025. Bau will assume direct responsibilities over all El Corte Inglés group businesses, as well as corporate and financial areas.

Bau holds degrees in Law and Business Administration from Universidad Pontificia de Comillas, Political Science from UNED, and an MBA in Business from Harvard University.

Career History

• 2018-2022: Goldman Sachs — Led real estate operations in Spain as Managing Director from January 2018
• 2022-2025: El Corte Inglés — Corporate General Manager from March 2022, co-director general from March 2022
• 2025-Present: El Corte Inglés — Director General Corporativo y Financiero since October 2025

What Santiago Bau could bring to his expanded CEO role: His extensive background in investment banking and real estate operations at Goldman Sachs, combined with his three years navigating El Corte Inglés' corporate and financial operations, positions him to execute the company's ambitious €3 billion transformation plan and potentially prepare the historic retailer for an anticipated public market debut before 2028. Bau will lead El Corte Inglés' 2025-2030 strategic plan, which includes a €3 billion investment in store remodeling, business expansion, and logistics and technology improvements.