Team

José is a Professor at ESADE Business School and holder of the Jean Monnet Chair-ESADE. He is also a Member of the European Council on Foreign Relations and Vicepresident of the Spain-USA Council Foundation. He has been Visiting Professor at INSEAD Business School, Fontainebleau, London Business School and WIlliam and Mary School of Law, Virginia. He has worked as Advisor to the Spanish Prime Minister on European and North American affairs. He writes a weekly column on international affairs at the ABC newspaper and is a Trustee of the Spanish Navy Museum. José M. de Areilza received an LL.B. degree with Special Graduation Prize from Universidad Complutense de Madrid and holds a Masters degree (LL.M.) and Doctorate degree (S.J.D.) from Harvard University and an M.A. from The Fletcher School

Isabel joined Aspen Institute España in September 2013. She holds a Degree in Journalism from Universidad CEU San Pablo and an Executive Media MBA from Universidad de Navarra. She has worked for two years as a writer and editor for the gastronomical magazine Club de Gourmets, coordinating the Press Department of Grupo Gourmets (first publishing company in Spain specialized in gastronomy) and Salon de Gourmets (the major European international fine food and beverage fair), where she was also responsible for the website and the Social Networks of the group. Isabel has previously worked at Christie’s and LVMH Watches and Jewelry. She speaks Spanish, English and Portuguese.

Santiago joined Aspen Institute España in May 2014. Santiago holds a Masters in International Relations at the University Institute for European Studies from the CEU San Pablo University and a Degree in Journalism form the CEU San Pablo University. Previously, he studied Political Science and the Palestinian and Arabic Studies Program at Bir Zeit University, in Palestine. He has worked at the press department of the Elcano Royal Institute, at the graphic department of the Agencia EFE and has done voluntary work at the Palestinian Agricultural Union in Hebron, the West Bank. He speaks Spanish, English and has basic knowledge of Arabic.

Diego has a varied professional experience in the private and public sector such as business associations, EU Institutions and Spanish Administration. He has participated in transnational projects in EU candidate and neighbouring countries, electoral observation missions and collaborated in numerous projects in the maritime and fishing sector at the national and international levels.

He holds a "licenciatura en derecho" (LL.B. Degree) and a Master's degree in International Development Cooperation.

Gabriela joined Aspen Institute Spain in October 2015. She holds a degree in Tourism from the University of Seville and a Master's degree in Congress, Convention and Business Tourism Management (OPC) from the European University of Madrid. She has worked at the NH Eurobulding Hotel in Madrid in the meetings and events department. During the three years she lived in Santiago de Chile (2012-2015), she worked organising and coordinating medical congresses in the company Eventual Chile.

She joined Aspen in June, 2018 as Program Assistant, and, after 6 months in Brussels, Montse rejoined Aspen in January, 2020 to coordinate Aspen Programs and its Communication strategy. She holds a degree in Journalism and a Master Degree in Corporate and Politic Communications from the University of Navarra, and a four-week political affairs program at the School of Political Management at the George Washington University. She has worked in Reputation and Crisis Department as a trainee in two communication agencies: Burson-Marsteller and Atrevia, in the Communication and Institutional Relations department of Inditex as a trainee and at El Mundo País Vasco. She speaks English and Spanish and she is studying French.

Irene interned at Aspen in 2019 and joined the team as Assistant in February 2020 after spending six months at The University of Sheffield (UK) on an Erasmus scholarship. She has completed a Dual Bachelor Degree in International Studies and Political Sciences at Universidad Carlos III de Madrid. Irene has worked as an English teacher at Kids&Us and as a hostess at multiple sports events and is also a private tutor since 2015. She has volunteered in several organizations such as Apadrina una Neurona and the Food Bank of Madrid. In addition, she has studied English in courses in the United States, England and Ireland. She speaks Spanish and English and has a basic level of French.

Argiñe joined Aspen Institute España in October 2022. She has studied Law and Skills for International Lawyers at the University of Deusto and holds a Master's in International Relations at the University Institute for European Studies from the CEU San Pablo University. She has completed internships in the area of Asylum Law at the Spanish Committee for Refugees and in Human Rights Law at the Directorate General of the United Nations, International Organizations and Human Rights of the Spanish Foreign Affairs Ministry (MAUC). She has done voluntary work for several organizations such as Caritas and The Spanish Red Cross. She speaks Spanish, English, and Basque and is currently studying French.