Telefónica is moving management of Telefónica Tech into Telefónica España, while the digital business remains legally independent. The decision affects one of the group's largest subsidiaries, placing its operations under the company chaired by Borja Ochoa. The shift comes as Marc Murtra prepares to meet Economy Minister Carlos Cuerpo in Madrid.
Telefónica Tech will continue as a separate company but report operationally to Telefónica España. The change affects the management chain, not the company's legal status.
Expansión first reported the move, and sources familiar with the decision later confirmed it to Europa Press. Telefónica created Telefónica Tech in 2019 as its digital business unit. Its work covers cloud services and cybersecurity, while its IoT and Big Data operations extend to artificial intelligence. The new structure puts that portfolio directly under Telefónica España.
Ochoa took charge of Telefónica España after leading Indra's Defence and Security business. His role puts the Spanish operator at the centre of the group's management of digital activities through Telefónica Tech. Expansión also reported that Telefónica Tech CEO Sofia Collado is expected to keep her position and report through the new management chain.
The timing gives the decision a political and industry backdrop. Murtra is scheduled to meet Cuerpo at 11.30 at the Ministry of Economy. The meeting is intended to assess the telecommunications sector and discuss artificial intelligence-related issues.
Ochoa has cited €121 million in Telefónica investments in Catalonia over the previous year and more than 1,000 employees in the region. The figures illustrate the scale of the Spanish operating unit that will oversee Telefónica Tech.
Before that meeting, Cuerpo is due to join the presentation of IA360: plan para un despliegue responsable de la IA. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez will also attend. The event is scheduled for 9.30 on Monday at the Complejo de la Moncloa.
Telefónica has not been described as dissolving Telefónica Tech or merging its legal entity with Telefónica España. The change concerns who manages the digital subsidiary, while preserving its independent legal existence. Europa Press described the move as operational integration, not the elimination of the subsidiary.
The two developments are taking place alongside each other: an internal reorganisation of Telefónica's digital business and a ministerial meeting about telecommunications and artificial intelligence. No direct link between the management decision and the meeting has been established. Telefónica is putting its Spanish operation in the foreground as digital technology and AI feature prominently on the public agenda. The move also comes amid a wider management reset under Marc Murtra.
Telefónica España will gain operational control of a business created to lead the group's digital work, while Telefónica Tech remains legally separate. Questions remain over whether Tech will keep a distinct management team and how Sofia Collado's responsibilities will develop under the new reporting line.
