Gemma Martínez to Lead El Periódico: Leadership Change at Prensa Ibérica. Gemma Martínez has been appointed as the new director of El Periódico. She will replace Albert Sáez, who will focus on managing content across the entire Prensa Ibérica group. The decision takes effect from June 1.
One of Spain's largest media groups, Prensa Ibérica, has announced a leadership change at El Periódico: starting June 1, Gemma Martínez will take over as director. Previously, she was the deputy head of the publication, and she will now replace Albert Sáez, who will fully focus on his role as content director for the entire group. This was reported by El Periódico itself.
Gemma Martínez joined El Periódico in 2020 from Levante, where she had served as deputy editor-in-chief since 2017. Her professional career is closely linked to economic journalism: she spent over two decades at Expansión, specializing in the banking and financial sector, working in editorial offices in Valencia, Madrid, and Barcelona, and also served as a correspondent in New York during the height of the financial crisis from 2007 to 2011. She described the outcomes of that period in her book Saqueo: Quién y cómo provocó la crisis del sistema bancario español, published in 2013. In addition to print media, Martínez regularly participated in radio programs, including La brújula de economía on Onda Cero.
In recent years, Martínez has become a key figure in the El Periódico newsroom, especially after Sáez's appointment in 2020. She was responsible for updating the digital product, developing the economic desk, and launching new projects such as Empoderadas, Con P de Planeta, Nodos, and Economía de Cerca. Martínez also oversaw the expansion of local digital newsrooms in Barcelona and Tarragona, as well as the development of cultural and sports coverage. Under her leadership, new workflows were implemented to improve reader engagement, and her weekly newsletters Economía en Persona and Imperdibles attract thousands of subscribers.
Albert Sáez, who for the past two years has combined leading El Periódico with overseeing content for the entire group, will now fully devote himself to strategic tasks at Prensa Ibérica. This decision comes as El Periódico marks seven years since joining the group led by Javier Moll. During this period, Prensa Ibérica has consolidated its market position: as of March, the group ranks second in digital audience in Spain, behind only Prisa. The group's key publications — La Nueva España, Faro de Vigo, La Provincia, Levante, Información, Diario de Mallorca, and El Correo de Andalucía — lead or compete for the top position in eight autonomous regions and regularly cover events in more than 1,300 localities across the country.
The leadership change at El Periódico comes amid a general strengthening of regional and national media in Spain. Issues of newsroom management and the impact of new digital formats are becoming increasingly relevant, as confirmed by other developments in the media sector. For example, a recent housing rental initiative discussed in Madrid generated broad public interest and was examined in detail in the article about the parliamentary vote on the extension of the decree.
For reference: Prensa Ibérica is one of Spain's largest media groups, bringing together more than 20 regional and national publications. El Periódico is one of Barcelona's leading daily newspapers, actively developing digital products and local newsrooms. The appointment of Gemma Martínez could strengthen the economic and regional agenda of the publication, as well as accelerate the adoption of new audience engagement formats.
