El Corte Inglés has appointed Javier Catena as its new chief executive, following the departure of Santiago Bau. The board approved the appointment unanimously on the proposal of the group’s chair, Cristina Álvarez.
A familiar face
Catena knows the company well. He was previously its chief operating officer, responsible for supply chain, logistics and real estate, before leaving at the end of 2025. He now returns to lead the business.
As chief executive he will oversee all business units, chair the management committee and lead the updated strategic plan, which includes more than €3 billion of investment up to 2030.
A period of change at the top
Catena’s appointment is the third change of chief executive at the department store group in less than two years:
- in July 2024, Gastón Bottazzini became chief executive;
- in October 2025, he stepped down and Santiago Bau took over;
- in January 2026, Cristina Álvarez became chair, succeeding her sister Marta Álvarez.
Strong results
The changes come at a time of solid financial performance. The group reported net profit of €628 million for its 2025–26 financial year, up 22.8% on the previous year, with growth in both sales and profitability. Its debt fell to its lowest level in two decades.
On the back of those results, El Corte Inglés plans to increase investment this year by 14.6%, to around €650 million.
What comes next
Cristina Álvarez said Catena’s return, supported by a strong management team, would be key to the group’s next stage of growth and investment, and that the updated governance structure was designed to meet new challenges.
El Corte Inglés has two department stores in Palma, on Avenida Jaume III and Avenida Alexandre Rosselló, and is one of the larger private employers in the city.
