The board of Mobile World Capital appoints Laia Corbella as the Foundation’s new CEO

• Corbella has more than 15 years of experience across the public and private sectors, leading projects linked to the business and innovation ecosystem, with senior management responsibilities in strategic communications and institutional positioning

Mobile World Capital Barcelona held its latest Board meeting on Monday, during which the appointment of Laia Corbella as the Foundation’s new CEO was approved.

Her candidacy was proposed by Barcelona City Council and received an unanimous support of the Foundation’s trustees (the Government of Catalonia, the Spanish Ministry for Digital Transformation and the Civil Service, Fira de Barcelona, GSMA, Telefónica, Vodafone, Orange, CaixaBank and Damm), reflecting broad institutional consensus around this new chapter for the organisation.

Since 2022, Corbella has been Director of Institutional Relations and Public Affairs at Mobile World Capital Barcelona, where she has led the strategy to position the Foundation as a key player within the region’s science and technology ecosystem, foster partnerships with public and private stakeholders to expand the impact of its activities, and strengthen Barcelona’s standing as an international digital hub.

With more than 15 years of experience in both the public and private sectors, during which she has held senior leadership roles in communications and institutional positioning, the new CEO of MWCapital is recognised figure within the region’s business and innovation ecosystem. Prior to joining the Foundation, Corbella was Director of Communications at the Department of Business and Knowledge of the Government of Catalonia and was also the founding Director of Via Empresa.

With this appointment, the Board of Trustees ensures continuity in Mobile World Capital Barcelona’s strategic project by promoting a leader from within the Foundation’s management team, whose contribution has been instrumental in strengthening the organisation’s integration into and relevance within the business and technology ecosystem.

In his speech, the chair of the Mobile World Capital Barcelona Board and Mayor of Barcelona City Council, Jaume Collboni, stated: “When Barcelona and the Mobile World Congress work together, things work. The true value of the event lies in the ecosystem that is generated throughout the year and to which the Foundation makes a decisive contribution: talent that is trained, companies that are consolidated, and an international projection that drives the city forward. 2026 has been a record year, and it is time to nurture it, strengthen it, and continue projecting Barcelona with its own voice in the debates of our time, technological humanism, placing people at the centre and innovation at the service of everyday life.”

The new CEO of Mobile World Capital, Laia Corbella, also highlighted the importance of the joint work between the Foundation and the members of the Board : “We want to ensure the continuity of a successful project while also driving a new stage of growth and impact. This is a collective challenge that requires a shared vision.” Corbella emphasised that “great projects are born from collaboration, trust, and the ability to build consensus that aligns different stakeholders around a common purpose, thereby amplifying their reach.”

Corbella succeeds Francesc Fajula, who concludes a four-year term as CEO of Mobile World Capital Barcelona. Under his leadership, the Foundation has become a leading force in strategic areas such as digital talent development and technology transfer.

To ensure transparency and neutrality, the recruitment process for the new CEO of Mobile World Capital Barcelona was conducted by an independent specialist executive search firm. The process followed the Foundation’s established governance procedures and concluded with the formal ratification of the appointment at today’s Board of Trustees meeting.