{
  "id": 8609599,
  "title": "From Opus Dei alumni to McKinsey consultants: The clans that run Spain’s biggest companies",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/20/from-opus-dei-alumni-to-mckinsey-consultants-the-clans-that-run",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-09-20T04:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "El Pais English",
    "slug": "el-pais-english",
    "url": "https://english.elpais.com/economy-and-business/2026-09-21/from-opus-dei-alumni-to-mckinsey-consultants-the-clans-that-run-spains-biggest-companies.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A web of connections ties together the leaders of Spain's biggest companies. These connections come from elite consulting firms, business schools and government institutions. Former state attorneys and ex-McKinsey executives frequently sit on the boards of major companies, while alumni of top business schools hold key positions in multinational firms. McKinsey & Company, a U.S. consulting firm, plays a particularly significant role in Spain's corporate elite. Unlike other firms, McKinsey focuses primarily on advising top executives for large-scale projects. The firm's practice of hiring consultants into client companies has far-reaching effects. In recent years, former McKinsey partners have held key roles at major Spanish banks and corporations, including BBVA, Santander, and Ferrovial. These networks of influence extend beyond finance, with Google's Spanish operations and media groups like Vocento and Mediapro also operating within this system. The ties between these networks are not always clear-cut, as evidenced by the case of Ignacio Madridejos, who studied civil engineering in Madrid before joining McKinsey. Madrid is known as a breeding ground for Spain's corporate elite, with many influential figures having studied civil engineering at prominent universities. The Institute of Catholic Arts and Industries (ICAI), part of Comillas Pontifical University, is another significant source of talent. Controlled by the Jesuits, ICAI and its affiliated ICADE have produced numerous prominent executives, including Ignacio Sánchez Galán of Iberdrola and Gloria Ortiz of Bankinter. The alumni network of these institutions is vast, with over 50,000 registered graduates. The university emphasizes networking, mentoring, job opportunities and exclusive events to facilitate the success of its alumni in the corporate world.",
  "summary": "Many executives and board members at the largest listed firms in Spain share ties through the same consulting firms, business schools or senior public-sector posts. Experts warn of the risks posed by these tightly knit networks of power",
  "key_points": [
    "Former McKinsey executives hold key board positions in major Spanish companies",
    "Alumni of Comillas Pontifical University, including ICAI, produce prominent Spanish executives",
    "Ignacio Madridejos, civil engineering graduate, joined McKinsey before corporate career"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}