The appointment was confirmed on 25 September 2026 at a patronage meeting in the Palau de la Generalitat. Helena Guardans Cambó will chair the Gran Teatre del Liceu foundation's board of trustees for five years. The opera house begins her tenure with record sponsorship figures and plans for a new waterfront venue. Europa Press reported that Guardans is the first woman to hold the foundation's presidency.
All four public administrations represented on the board approved her appointment unanimously: the Generalitat de Cataluña, the Ministerio de Cultura, the Ayuntamiento de Barcelona and the Diputación de Barcelona. Guardans succeeds Salvador Alemany, who is leaving after 10 years in charge. He will remain connected to the foundation as an honorary trustee.
The Liceu's financial model relies on public support and its own activity. More than 50% of the cultural institution's resources come from artistic operations, with public funding covering the rest. Earned income, public support and sponsorship will shape Guardans' five-year mandate.
Guardans already had a foothold in the organisation. She has chaired the Consejo de Mecenazgo since January 2024, helping attract businesses and private benefactors to the Liceu. Institutions and companies working with the opera house responded positively to her appointment.
The clearest sign of that support came during the 2025/2026 season, when the Liceu recorded its highest level of sponsorship. Guardans now moves from leading the fundraising body to overseeing the foundation's full governance structure. La Vanguardia described the change as part of a wider effort to give the theatre fresh creative and institutional momentum.
Her appointment had been widely expected in Barcelona's business circles. Guardans is the granddaughter of politician Francesc Cambó. The foundation describes her professional profile as focused on reshaping organisations and developing teams. It also highlights her work building alliances across institutions, companies and different parts of society.
During her mandate, the Liceu will develop Liceu Mar on Barcelona's coastline and secure financing for the project. It also aims to strengthen its place on the international music scene. The competition for the future waterfront venue has already begun. The project will test more than the theatre's building plans: the Liceu must keep its finances in balance while protecting its artistic reach.
Guardans currently sits on the boards of Fira de Barcelona and traveltech company Perk. She is also a trustee of the Fundació per a la Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, Fundació SIFU, Fundació Economia i Empresa and Fundació Quiero Trabajo.
Her business career has also involved consolidation. Until December last year, she was president of Concentrix in Spain. The group's local roots lie in Singular, a firm Guardans founded in the 1990s. Sellbytel later acquired Singular, followed by Webhelp and, finally, Concentrix.
The Liceu has chosen a president with experience in sponsorship and corporate management, as well as institutional networking. The unanimous backing of all four public administrations gives her appointment immediate political support. Guardans has five years to turn that backing into stable financing and advance the Liceu Mar project. A stronger international profile is another goal.
