Baldomero Falcones Chairman and CEO Fomento de Construcciones y Contratas, S.A. (FCC) Madrid

Wharton Speaker >> Biography

Mr. Falcones is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Fomento de Construcciones y Contratas, S.A. (FCC), one of the leading European services and construction groups.  Previously he was a co-founder of Magnum Industrial Partners (a private equity firm), president of Eptisa, and Chairman of Santander Central Hispano Seguros.  He was also Chairman of MasterCard International in New York, where he led the merger between MasterCard and Europay and directed the IPO of MasterCard on the NYSE in March 2006.  Mr. Falcones has served as managing director of Banco Santander Central Hispano, and as a member of the management executive committee from 1987 to 2002.  During his tenure, his roles included serving as head of the international division, Vice Chairman and CEO of Santander Consumer Finance (former Hispamer), and finally, global COO of the group.

In his extensive career, Mr. Falcones has been chairman of Banco Urquijo Limited (UK), Hispano Americano Sociedade do Investimento (Portugal), Banco Hispano Americano Benelux, Banco Urquijo Chile, Fiat Finance S.A., Santander Seguros S.A. and CEO of Banco Hispano Industrial Investment Bank.  In addition he has been a member of the board of Unión Fenosa, CESCE, Generalli Spain, Seguros La Estrella, Europay International, and BANIF, and has served as head of RWE Spain.  He is a member of the Economic Board of the Fundación Albeniz – Reina Sofia School of Music and former chairman of Plan España Foundation, one of the oldest and largest international development agencies in the world.

Mr. Falcones earned a superior degree in engineering from Universidad Politécnica de Madrid in 1970 and an MBA from IESE Business School, University of Navarra, in 1972.