A new chapter has unexpectedly begun at the El Corte Inglés headquarters: Javier Catena, who was responsible for operations and real estate management, has announced his departure. His decision comes shortly after the launch of a renewed growth strategy presented by CEO Gastón Bottazzini. Catena, who had been with the company since 2019, stated his intention to close this chapter in his career, emphasizing that he is not prepared to take on the new challenges set by management.
During his six years at El Corte Inglés, Catena oversaw a number of major real estate deals that helped stabilize the group’s financial performance. In 2022, he became the global operations director and also oversaw logistics and supply chains. His contribution to the company’s development was significant, but now he has chosen to step down, giving the board of directors time to find a successor and ensure a smooth transition.
El Corte Inglés’ internal management structure has undergone significant changes in recent months. Following Bottazzini’s appointment as CEO, and the transfer of key powers to Santiago Bau—who is now responsible for finance, transformation, and procurement—the company has set a course for digitalization and process optimization. Bau, who previously worked at Goldman Sachs, now oversees not only financial operations but also strategic procurement and the implementation of new business processes.
Catena’s departure comes amid recent management reshuffles: last year, the director of the retail division, José María Folache, left the company after disagreeing with the new management’s decisions. Unlike Folache, Catena chose to organize his exit as smoothly as possible so as not to disrupt the company’s operations during a crucial season for retail.
El Corte Inglés currently values its real estate portfolio at approximately 17 billion euros, making the search for a new manager in this area a top priority. In the near future, the board of directors is expected to approve a successor to ensure stability and continued growth for the company amid major changes.
