Barcelona has named Laia Corbella as the new Director General of the Mobile World Capital Barcelona Foundation, with unanimous backing from the public-private body’s board.

According to sources consulted by La Vanguardia, Barcelona mayor Jaume Collboni proposed Corbella for the role. The proposal was first put to the executive committee last Friday by Jordi Valls, the Barcelona City Council’s representative on the foundation.

A selection process run by Seeliger y Conde narrowed the field to two candidates, with Corbella chosen in the end. She is currently the foundation’s Communications and Public Affairs Director, so the move keeps leadership in-house. GSMA, the company that organises the Mobile World Congress, was especially supportive of her appointment.

The foundation’s board includes representatives from Barcelona City Council, the Government of Catalonia, and the Spanish Government. John Hoffman, president of GSMA, and Pau Relat, head of Fira de Barcelona’s council, also sit on the board. Corbella replaces Francesc Fajula, who will now lead a consortium building an artificial intelligence gigafactory in Móra la Nova, Tarragona.

The Mobile World Capital Barcelona Foundation is a public-private body that works to drive digital development in the city. It is closely linked to the annual Mobile World Congress, which Barcelona hosts, and it also handles the annual fee paid to GSMA, the congress organiser.

The foundation has a budget of about 24 million euros and aims to extend the impact of MWC beyond the event itself. Its focus areas include data, artificial intelligence and cybersecurity, with STEM and women in these fields also part of its work. For more Barcelona business and tech coverage, see our Community and Sport pages.

Barcelona renewed its agreement with GSMA in July 2011 and again in 2022, securing the congress until 2030. Corbella’s appointment comes as the city continues to position itself as a digital and technology hub with a global profile.

Originally published by La Vanguardia Catalonia. Source | Mobile World Capital Barcelona