About us

Antonio Gallego García

Vicepresident

Antonio Gallego García has been vice president of the Spanish Olive Oil Interprofessional Organization [Interprofesional del Aceite de Oliva Español] and president of the Spanish Olive Oil Exporters Association [Asociación Española de la Industria y el Comercio Exportador del Aceite de Oliva (ASOLIVA)] since December 9, 2019. He is director of sales at Migasa.

Rafael Sánchez de Puerta

Secretary

Rafael Sanchez de Puerta is the secretary of the Spanish Olive Oil Interprofessional Organization. He is an agricultural engineer and olive oil entrepreneur. His professional career is closely linked to the cooperative sector. He is president of the Cordoba Agri-Food Cooperative, Dcoop deputy, and president of the Olive Oil Sectoral Council of Spanish Agri-Food Cooperatives. He is also chairman of the Advisory Committee on Olive Oil and Table Olives of the European Union, the first vice-president of the Olive Communal Heritage Foundation, and a member of the COI Advisory Committee.

Juan Ignacio de Antonio Senovilla

Treasurer

Juan Ignacio de Antonio Senovilla is treasurer of the Spanish Olive Oil Interprofessional Organization. A farmer from Avila, he is secretary of agriculture for the Federal Executive Committee of the Union of Small Farmers and Cattle Ranchers [Unión de Pequeños Agricultores y Ganaderos, UPA], an agricultural organization. He was the founder of UPA Castilla y León, and was secretary general of UPA Ávila for 44 years.

Antoni Galcerán i Massó

Member

Antoni Galcerán i Massó is a member of the Board of Directors of the Spanish Olive Oil Interprofessional Organization. He has a degree in Anglo-Germanic philology. He is an agricultural entrepreneur, and his work has been developed mainly in the cooperative field. In fact, he is secretary of the Agrícola i Secció de Crèdit La Palma SCCL cooperative, and a member of the Governing Council of the Catalonian Federation of Agricultural Cooperatives, and the Olive Oil Sectoral Council of Agri-Food Cooperatives.

Antonio March Hortoneda

Member

Antonio March Hortaneda is a member of the Board of Directors of the Spanish Olive Oil Interprofessional Organization. An olive-growing entrepreneur, he chairs the Spanish Oil Mills Federation (AFE), and he also the head of the Catalan Association of Oil Mills and Bottlers (ACAE). He holds the vice-presidency of the Catalan Organization of Oil Producers (OPOC), and is a member of the Board of Directors of Siurana Protected Designation of Origin (DOP Siurana).

Cristóbal Gallego Martínez

Member

Cristóbal Gallego Martinez is a member of the Board of Directors of the Spanish Olive Oil Interprofessional Organization. He holds an agricultural engineering degree, with specialization in livestock farming, from the University of Seville, and he is president of the Nuestra señora del Pilar Cooperative and Jaéncoop SCA, as well as the company San Miguel Arcángel SA. He is vice-president of Aceites del Sur-Coosur SA, and is also a member of the Governing Council of Agri-Food Cooperatives of Andalusia, sector head of Oil, and patron of the Olive Communal Heritage Foundation, and a board member of the Olive Foundation.

Gabriel Estévez Alles

Member

Gabriel Estévez Alles is a member of the Board of Directors at the Spanish Olive Oil Interprofessional Organization. He has a PhD in chemistry from the University of Seville [Universidad de Sevilla]. He is currently head of olive oil purchasing at Grupo Sovena. He previously held management positions for more than 12 years at the U.S. subsidiary, and is currently chairman of the North American Olive Oil Association (NAOOA) and member of the Board of the Association of Food Industries (AFI). He is also vice president of the National Association of Edible Oil Bottlers and Refiners [Asociación Nacional de Industriales Envasadores y Refinadores de Aceite (ANIERAC)].

Gonzalo Guillén Benjumea

Member

Gonzalo Guillén Benjumea is a member of the Board of Directors at the Spanish Olive Oil Interprofessional Organization. He studied business at CEU San Pablo University [Universidad San Pablo CEU] and earned a bachelor’s degree in business management at the University of Wolverhampton in the UK. He also holds an MBA from Instituto de Empresa in Madrid. He is managing director and CEO of Grupo Acesur. He is president of ANIERAC and vice president of ASOLIVA and the Spanish Federation of Food and Drink Industries [Federación Española de Industrias de Alimentación y Bebidas (FIAB)]. In addition, he is a member of the Council of FoodDrinkEurope and of the Plenary Session of the Seville Chamber of Commerce, where he presides over the Internationalization Committee.

Gregorio Gómez López

Member

Gregorio Gómez López is a member of the Board of Directors of the Spanish Olive Oil Interprofessional Organization. He is the manager of the San Sebastian Cooperative Society, and is simultaneously the manager of Oleotoledo SL, and director-administrator of Goyca, Gestión y Servicios de Almazaras SL. In addition, he acts as spokesman for the Olive Oil Sectoral for the Castilla-La Mancha Agri-Food Cooperative, is a member of the national sectoral of Agri-Food Cooperatives, and he is a patron of the Montes de Toledo Regulation Foundation Board and a patron of the Olive Communal Heritage Foundation.

Gregorio López Martínez

Member

Gregorio López Martinez is a member of the Board of Directors of the Spanish Olive Oil Interprofessional Organization. An olive oil entrepreneur, he is president of the Jaén COAG agricultural organization and head of the organization’s Olive Oil Sectoral. He is also a patron of the Olive Communal Heritage Foundation, a member of the COI Advisory Committee, and a member of the European Commission’s Olive Oil Advisory Committee.

Cristóbal Cano Martín

Member

Cristóbal Cano Martín is a member of the Board of Directors of the Spanish Olive Oil Interprofessional Organization. He has an undergraduate degree in Environmental Sciences and a Diploma in Occupational Risk Prevention. He has been Secretary General of the agrarian organization UPA Jaén since 2016. He is also the national manager of the UPA Olive Oil Sector. Over his career, he worked at several companies and government administrations, until beginning work at the UPA Jaén Technical Committee in 2005.

Fabian Gordillo

Member

Fabian Gordillo is a member of the Spanish Olive Oil Interprofessional Organization. He holds a bachelor’s degree in economics and business from the University of Extremadura [Universidad de Extremadura]. After graduating from the Food Business Management Program at San Telmo Business School, he completed the Sensory Analysis Continuing Education Program, a qualitative training system in virgin olive oil tasting developed by the Foundation for Olive Grove and Olive Oil Development and a master’s degree in viticulture and oenology. Manager of the Virgen de la Estrella Cooperative Association [Sociedad Cooperativa Virgen de la Estrella] of Los Santos de Maimona since 1994 and Olive Oil Sector president at the Extremadura Agrifood Cooperatives Association [Cooperativas Agro-alimentarias Extremadura], representing Grupo Viñaoliva.

Arturo Hernangómez Jiménez

Member

Arturo Hernangómez Jiménez es vocal de la Junta Directiva y miembro de los diferentes Grupos de Trabajo de la Interprofesional del Aceite de Oliva Español. Ingeniero Agrícola en la especialidad de Explotaciones Agropecuarias por la Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, es responsable de aceite de oliva y aceituna de mesa en ASAJA (Asociación Agraria de Jóvenes Agricultores) así como de ganadería en la misma organización. Lleva relacionado con el mundo de la agricultura desde muy temprana edad al haber trabajado en un negocio agrícola familiar.

Juan Luis Ávila

Member

Juan Luis Ávila is a member of the Board of Directors of the Spanish Olive Oil Interprofessional Organization. He has a degree in biological sciences, he is a senior specialist in olive growing and oil production, and he runs an olive farm in Jaén. He is also the provincial secretary of the COAG agrarian organization in the province of Jaén, and is the olive oil sectoral appointee of COAG Andalucía. He combines these positions with the presidency of the San Marcos Evangelista de Torrequebradilla Cooperative.

Lucía Serrano del Moral

Member

Lucía Serrano del Moral is a member of the Board of Directors at the Spanish Olive Oil Interprofessional Organization, representing the Spanish Federation of Industrial Manufacturers of Olive Oil [Federación Española de Industriales Fabricantes de Aceite de Oliva (INFAOLIVA)], of which she is president. In addition to this position, she has been president of INFAOLIVA Jaén since 2022. For the past 15 years, she has been executive director of a family oil mill in Alcalá la Real, in the province of Jaén.

Primitivo Fernández Andrés

Member

Primitivo Fernandez is a member of the Board of Directors of the Spanish Olive Oil Interprofessional Organization, and he is also a member of the Promotion Working Group, the R&D Working Group, and the General Affairs Working Group. He has a degree in horticultural engineering from the Polytechnic University of Madrid. He currently heads the National Association of Edible Oils Bottling and Refining Industries (ANIERAC). He is also a patron of the Olive Communal Heritage Foundation, and he participates, representing ANIERAC, in public and private national and international organizations.

Rafael Pico Lapuente

Member

Rafael Pico is a member of the Board of Directors of the Spanish Olive Oil Interprofessional Organization, and is responsible for the Promotion Working Group. He has a degree in law from the Complutense University of Madrid, and has a master’s degree in corporate law. He is CEO of Asoliva. He is a patron of the Olive Communal Heritage Foundation, and is part of the European Union’s Advisory Committee and the International Olive Council’s Advisory Committee. He is also a member of the Board of the European Federation of Olive Industries (FEDOLIVE), and a member of Orujo Olive Oil Interprofessional Organization in Spain.

Ignacio Silva Alcalde

Member

Ignacio Silva Alcalde is a member of the Board of Directors at the Spanish Olive Oil Interprofessional Organization. He holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Barcelona [Universidad de Barcelona] and completed postgraduate studies at the University of Siena [Università degli Studi di Siena] in Italy. He is also a graduate of the General Management Program (GMP) at IESE Business School. Chairman and CEO of Deoleo, he has gained extensive experience at companies such as the Japanese beverage company Suntory Schweppes, where he was CEO for Spain and Portugal. He is a member of the Delegate Commission of the Multisectoral Association of Food and Beverage Companies [Asociación Multisectorial de Empresas de Alimentación y Bebidas (AME)].

Antonio Luque

Member

Antonio Luque Luque is a member of the Board of Directors at the Spanish Olive Oil Interprofessional Organization. He holds a bachelor’s degree in agricultural engineering from the University of Cordoba [Universidad de Córdoba], and he has been president of Dcoop since 2016 and its managing director since the cooperative group was founded. He has been president of the olive oil sector at Agrifood Cooperatives of Spain [Cooperativas Agro-alimentarias de España], vice president of this organization, and president of the Andalusian Federation of Agricultural Cooperative Companies [Federación Andaluza de Empresas Cooperativas Agrarias] and of the Olive Oil Community Heritage Foundation [Fundación Patrimonio Comunal Olivarero]. He was also a spokesperson for the National Olive Oil Board [Mesa Nacional del Aceite de Oliva].

Cristina Sanz Roldán

Working group

Cristina Sanz Roldán is a member of the different working groups at the Spanish Olive Oil Interprofessional Organization and holds a bachelor’s degree in agricultural engineering, specializing in food industries, from the Technical University of Madrid [Universidad Politécnica de Madrid]. She is technical manager of olive oil and table olives, as well as wine, beets, arable crops, and plant health, for the Coordinator of Farmers and Ranchers Organizations [Coordinadora de Organizaciones de Agricultores y Ganaderos (COAG)].

David Erice

Working group

David is a forest engineer, and is a member of various working groups in the Interprofessional Organization. He is the technical manager at the UPA for olive oil and table olives, beets, arable crops, cotton, poultry and tobacco. He is president of the AIMCRA (Research association for the improvement of sugar beet cultivation) Technical Committee, a member of the National Commission for Assessments on Plant Protection Products, and the National Commission of Poplar at the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Environment. He is also a member of the Agricultural Sector Working Group for the National Commission of Safety and Health in the Workplace at the Ministry of Employment and Social Security.

Macarena Sánchez del Águila

Working group

Macarena Sánchez del Águila is a member of the Working Groups of the Spanish Olive Oil Interprofessional Organization. She has an agricultural engineering degree from the University of Córdoba in the specialty of agricultural economics and sociology. She is currently the secretary general of the Oil Mills Federation of Spain, and is a manager of the Córdoba Business Association of Industrial Mills. She is also an elected member of the Córdoba Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and of the Assembly of the Córdoba Confederation of Employers.

Juan Manuel Hidalgo

Working group

A member of different working groups at the Spanish Olive Oil Interprofessional Organization, Juan Manuel Hidalgo Pérez is an agricultural engineer at the Higher Technical School of Agricultural Engineering at the University of Córdoba. He is head of olive oil and table olives at Agrifood Cooperatives of Spain. He has extensive experience in the sales and business tech area at companies like Monsol Electronic, Terravisión España, Ebro-Kubota, and the “5 a Day” Association [Asociación “5 al día”].

José Ugarrio Sánchez-Brunete

Working group

A graduate of the University of Castilla-La Mancha [Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha], José Ugarrio Sánchez-Brunete is a technical agricultural engineer specializing in agribusiness and a senior technician in occupational risk prevention. He is technical manager for Olive Oil, Wine, Nuts, Fruits and Vegetables at the Agrarian Association of Young Farmers [Asociación Agraria de Jóvenes Agricultores (ASAJA)]. In addition, he is a member of the Technical Committee at the Spanish Wine Interprofessional Organization [Organización Interprofesional del Vino de España (OIVE)].
He is also a member of different working groups at the Spanish Olive Oil Interprofessional Organization.

Ana Martínez de la Cruz

Working group

A member of different working groups at the Spanish Olive Oil Interprofessional Organization, Ana Martínez de la Cruz is secretary general of INFAOLIVA, the Spanish Federation of Industrial Manufacturers of Olive Oil, and manager of the Provincial Association of Industrial Olive Oil Mills of Jaén [Asociación Provincial de Almazaras Industriales de Jaén (INFAOLIVA JAÉN)].
She has a bachelor’s degree in food science and technology from the University of Granada [Universidad de Granada] and a master’s degree in olive groves and olive oil from the University of Jaén [Universidad de Jaén].
She represents INFAOLIVA in different agencies at the provincial, regional, and national levels.

Primitivo Fernández Andrés

Working group

Primitivo Fernandez is a member of the Board of Directors of the Spanish Olive Oil Interprofessional Organization, and he is also a member of the Promotion Working Group, the R&D Working Group, and the General Affairs Working Group. He has a degree in horticultural engineering from the Polytechnic University of Madrid. He currently heads the National Association of Edible Oils Bottling and Refining Industries (ANIERAC). He is also a patron of the Olive Communal Heritage Foundation, and he participates, representing ANIERAC, in public and private national and international organizations.

Rafael Pico Lapuente

Working group

Rafael Pico is a member of the Board of Directors of the Spanish Olive Oil Interprofessional Organization, and is responsible for the Promotion Working Group. He has a degree in law from the Complutense University of Madrid, and has a master’s degree in corporate law. He is CEO of Asoliva. He is a patron of the Olive Communal Heritage Foundation, and is part of the European Union’s Advisory Committee and the International Olive Council’s Advisory Committee. He is also a member of the Board of the European Federation of Olive Industries (FEDOLIVE), and a member of Orujo Olive Oil Interprofessional Organization in Spain.

Teresa Pérez

Manager

Teresa Pérez Millán is an agricultural engineer with a Bachelor’s degree from the Polytechnic University of Madrid. She is a specialist in agri-business and executive management. She is also an expert in olive oil with more than eighteen years’ experience in Italy and Spain.

She has been the General Manager of the Spanish Olive Oil Interprofessional Organization since 2008. She works with governing bodies in the industry on strategy and management. More specifically, she focuses on the implementation of information and promotion programmes in more than 30 countries, as well as R&D&I projects.

Teresa Pérez Millán is the representative of the Organization on the Advisory Committee of the International Olive Council (IOC). She represents the Spanish Olive Oil Interprofessional Organization for all activity development, especially with regard to marketing and programmes co-funded by the EU and Spain, and also on other projects such as the Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) Pilot on Olive Oil.

Antonio Martínez

Technical team

Antonio Martinez has been director of the Spanish Olive Oil Interprofessional Organization Department of Communications since 2010. With a degree in Information Sciences from the Complutense University of Madrid, a good part of his career has been linked to agri-food information in various communication media.

Belén González

Technical team

Belén González has been a member of the Spanish Olive Oil Interprofessional Organization Administration Department since 2012. A technical specialist in Business Administration, she is responsible for supplier relations and the organisation’s accounts.

Carolina de Jove

Technical team

Carolina Jove is Social Media Manager for Spanish Olive Oil Interprofessional Organization. She has a degree in Advertising and Public Relations from the UOC and post-graduate studies in Community Management from the University of Barcelona. She has managed the organisation’s communications on social networks since February 2015.

Henar Alonso

Technical team

Henar Alonso has been a member of the Spanish Olive Oil Interprofessional Organization Administration Department since 2011. He has a Diploma in Advertising and Public Relations from INTE and a Master in Financial Accounting from CEF. He is responsible for administrative relations with industry figures in everything related to the application of regulations and their monitoring and control.

Raquel Díaz

Technical team

Raquel Diaz has been Director of Marketing for Spanish Olive Oil Interprofessional Organization since 2012. A graduate of Information Sciences at the Complutense University of Madrid, Raquel is responsible for all of the organisation’s national and international marketing. Her activity is focused on designing and strategically analysing campaigns, evaluating results, coordinating international agencies and monitoring activities in each market.

Sandra García

Technical team

Sandra Garcia has been a Marketing Manager for Spanish Olive Oil Interprofessional Organization since 2014. She has a degree in Audio-visual Communication from the San Pablo CEU and Master in Corporate Communication. Within the organisation’s marketing department, her duties include the design, control and implementation of the organisation’s promotional campaigns.

Jorge Hurtado

Technical team

Jorge Hurtado has been a lab technician for Research, Development and Innovation at the Spanish Olive Oil Interprofessional Organization since 2022. He graduated from the University of Seville [Universidad de Sevilla] in 2015 with a bachelor’s degree in chemistry, and he has been linked to the olive oil industry for most of his career. His work in the sector has involved developing organoleptic, chromatographic, and physicochemical analysis methods. He has been a member of the Sensolive_Oil Global Dimension Task Force [Grupo Operativo Sensolive_Oil Global Dimension].

Lidia Ligero

Technical team

Lidia Ligero has been marketing manager at the Spanish Olive Oil Interprofessional Organization since 2022. She graduated from the Complutense University of Madrid [Universidad Complutense de Madrid] with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and holds a master’s degree in digital marketing and social media. She is a member of the Advertising Department and manages international campaigns.

Bárbara Chaves

Technical team

Bárbara Chaves has been an R&D+i project management technician at the Spanish Olive Oil Interprofessional Organization since 2022. An agricultural engineer, she graduated from the Technical University of Madrid and is specialized in agrifood industries. She holds a master’s degree in technological innovation and project management and design and a master’s degree in logistics management. Her career has always been focused on the olive sector and olive oil marketing.