The Princess of Asturias Foundation has a stable staff of 27 professionals that work in four different areas: Technical Secretariat, Laureates and Candidatures Department, Finance and Administration Department, and Communications Department. At certain times of the year, it also reinforces its team with external personnel.
TERESA SANJURJO GONZÁLEZ
Director
Luisa Álvarez Cienfuegos (Oviedo, 1960) has worked at the Foundation since 1982, occupying the position of Technical Secretary since 1995. Over more than 30 years, she has been instrumental in the launching of the area of protocol at the institution and the development of various work processes, in particular those related to the Awards Ceremony.
She supports the director in her relations with trustees, juries, laureates on the occasion of the Awards Ceremony and the authorities. She oversees all the organizational and protocol aspects of the Princess of Asturias Awards Ceremony, as well as the Foundation’s musical activities. She also coordinates the cross-cutting resources of the technical secretariat, reception and switchboard and editing. She likewise oversees the Music Department. Holder of a Master’s degree in Event Protocol, Production, Organization and Design Management from the Camilo José Cela University, she has a background in management, protocol and vexillology in addition to extensive experience in organizing events.
In June 2023, he was bestowed with the Officer Cross of the Order of Civil Merit by HM King Felipe VI, at the Royal Palace in Madrid.
Carlos Hernández-Lahoz Ortiz (Oviedo, 1973) joined the Foundation in 2003. As Head of the Laureates and Candidatures Department, he supports the director in relations with laureates and oversees the process of the call for nominations for the Awards and the corresponding documentation as well as the cultural activities of Awards Week in coordination with all other areas involved. Prior to occupying this position, he served as general coordinator of the Foundation between March 2003 and June 2011.
Holder of a degree in Information Sciences from the University of Navarre and an MBA from ICADE, he worked for a number of years in the field of the international consultancy. He has also lectured on university courses and has been as a social and cultural entrepreneur.
Gustavo González-Izquierdo Granda (Oviedo, 1977) is Head of the Finance and Administration Department at the Foundation, which he joined in 2004. He supports the director in the drawing up and monitoring of the budget, manages equity investments in accordance with the risk and return objectives set by the Board of Trustees, oversees the functioning of the Foundation’s information systems and external services and ensures that its tax, accounting and labour obligations are fulfilled.
Holder of a degree in Industrial Engineering from Comillas Pontifical University and an MBA from the IE Business School.
Rubén Vigil Fernandez (Gijón, 1979) began working with the Foundation in 2002 and became a member of staff in 2004. He has been Head of the Communications Department since January 2005, supporting the director in the areas of representation and institutional communication, in addition to designing, implementing and assessing the institution’s strategic communications. He is also responsible for ensuring the compliance of all in-house media to the corporate identity manual.
Holder of a degree in Information Sciences from Salamanca Pontifical University, he also holds a European Master’s Degree in Conference and Events Organization from the University of Deusto and an Expert in Protocol qualification from the Escuela Internacional de Protocolo, Spain. He has been awarded a certificate of completion for the “Leadership Decision Making: Optimizing Organizational Performance” program by the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. He is a member of the European Association of Communication Directors, the Dircom Association of Communication Managers, the Press Association of Oviedo and the advisory committee on communication of the Spanish Association of Foundations.