Key Appointments Strengthen Catalan Voice in National Business Leadership
Jordi Casas, president of the Fundació per la Indústria, and Josep Maria Mestres, president of the Consejo Intertextil Español, have been appointed to the Junta Directiva of the Confederación Española de Organizaciones Empresariales (CEOE), Spain’s national employers’ federation. The appointments, confirmed on 28 September 2026, reinforce the representation of Catalan industry, particularly the textile sector, within national business leadership structures. Both will serve in their roles as delegates of Foment del Treball, the Catalan employers’ confederation.
Jordi Casas: A Return to Industrial Advocacy
Jordi Casas, a lawyer by training and native of Sabadell, has long-standing ties to the city’s industrial heritage. He previously served as legal advisor to the Gremi de Fabricants de Sabadell from 1977 to 1987 and has held roles in national and regional politics, including as deputy in the Spanish Congress and the Catalan Parliament, and as senator across multiple legislatures. Since 2017, Casas has been a vocal member of the CEOE’s Assembly and is currently a board member of Foment del Treball, representing the Gremi de Fabricants de Sabadell. His appointment to the CEOE’s governing board marks a continuation of his advocacy for industrial interests at the national level.
Josep Maria Mestres: Leading the Textile Sector
Josep Maria Mestres, an industrial engineer and graduate of IESE Business School, is managing director of José Mestres Carcereny, a third-generation family business founded in 1926 and specialising in technical, fashion and sport textiles. Mestres currently chairs the Consejo Intertextil Español (CIE), having been elected in early 2025, and serves as vice-president of the Observatorio del Textil y la Moda. He also sits on Foment del Treball’s Executive Committee as representative of TEXFOR, the Catalan textile and fashion cluster.
The new patronato of the Fundació per la Indústria has the mission of valuing the Catalan industrial sector as the main driver of stable, high-quality employment.
The foundation, originally established in 1559 as the Gremi de Fabricants, continues to champion industrial competitiveness, digitalisation and sustainability. Under Casas’s leadership, it aims to equip businesses with tools to strengthen their resilience and long-term viability.
Primary sources: upc.edu, govern.cat. Reported by Fundació Per la Indústria, cronicaglobal.elespanol.com, El Periódico, @dminTexfor, isabadell.cat, consejointertextil.com, europapress.es, observatoriotextilymoda.es, elnacional.cat, elpais.com, Ràdio Sabadell.
