Luis Pardo Céspedes

He graduated summa cum laudem in business administration and management from the European University. Continuing his training with the Master in General Management from the IESE - Business School (University of Navarra), Master in Business Administration from EADA Business School (Barcelona) and a master's degree in business sciences, from the Management School (Barcelona).

He began his career in 1989, a year after finishing his degree, as a marketing manager in Copeca, a family business in the food sector that had begun its internationalization.[4] Three years later, he moved to Gesfime where he worked in finance and sales.[4]

After Gesfime, he moved into new technologies as the director of operations of a service company in the IT sector (Replitec). After this, he joined as director the third world manufacturer at that time, MPO, of digital media, CDs and DVDs, and worked with the leading companies in the world of software and multimedia. At the same time, MPO developed a new business with a logistics services company for the IT sector.

In 2001, he began his professional relationship with SAGE, the multinational world leader in business management software. After several positions of responsibility, he assumed the responsibility of the General Directorate of Clients in Europe and in 2014 he was appointed CEO in Spain, executive vice president of Sage Iberia and member of the European Committee in 2014.[5]

As an expert in technological development in medium and small companies, he says that "the first lever of the growth of a company in the XXI century is innovation and in this case, technological innovation".[6] In addition, he emphasizes the importance of continuing training and has applied this to his own professional career. Due to all this, it has become a benchmark in the world of SMEs and self-employed and has led him to collaborate as a guest firm in magazines and newspapers, such as [ El País Economía].

Due to his work at Sage Iberia, he has become a benchmark in the world of SMEs and self-employed.[7] What is shown by its entry into various positions such as the Business Action Council of the CEOE, the Advisory Council of the Employer of Promotion of Work and its Network of Innovation and Technology.[8] Is member of the Club Malaga Valley and he is President of the International Madrid Business Club. Since 2019 he is also a member of the board of trustees of the EADA University Foundation. Since 2020 he has been a member of the Management Committee and a member of the Board of Directors of AMETIC,[9] the employers of the Technological Sector of Spain. Since May of that same year he has also been President of the British Chamber of Commerce in Spain,[10] of whose Governing Council he previously formed part. Finally, he works as an advisor to new companies, which allows him to have a much wider perspective on the reality of the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Spain.

Luis Pardo has been one of the first voices to speak of digital humanism in Spain and expresses his optimistic and fundamental vision about the effects of the Fourth Industrial Revolution in his book 'Journey to the center of digital humanism',[11] convinced that with will and Ethics is our best ally to get better and more prosperous.

The technological revolution is rethinking the anthropological questions of classical masters and posing dilemmas and ethical challenges. Luis Céspedes defends that digital humanism is the answer to how we should use technology, and also to human values and to keep in mind that technology must always be at the service of the human being.

• VV.AA: La empresa en España: Objetivo 2020, Ed. Deusto (2017).
• VV.AA: Internacionalización: claves y buenas prácticas, Profit (2015)
• VV.AA: Nuevas tendencias en gestión pública, Profit (2011)