Outgoing president Jordi Valls will remain at the company as vice president
Mercabarna has appointed Raquel Gil, the deputy mayor for social rights, economic promotion, labour, feminism, and democratic memory of Barcelona City Council, as president of the wholesale market.
Gil, who already held one of the two vice presidencies of the company’s board of directors, replaces Jordi Valls, who has headed Mercabarna since September 2023 and will remain linked to the company as vice president.
Gil has served as commissioner for the promotion of quality employment and policies to combat job insecurity at Barcelona City Council and director of the Area of Citizen Rights and Social Policies at Sant Feliu de Llobregat City Council. As a member of the UGT (Catalan Workers’ Union), she held the secretariats of Support for Unemployed Persons; Equality and Social Policies; and Women and Equality. She has also been president/manager of the Association for Mutual Aid of Immigrants (AMIC) in Catalonia.
In her role as new president of Mercabarna, she will continue to promote projects related to environmental and social sustainability, digital transformation, training, and innovation within the food sector to improve the competitiveness of wholesale companies and guarantee the supply of fresh food to the public.
Mercabarna has 600 food companies, employing approximately 7,500 workers and providing fresh food to approximately 10mn people in Catalonia, Spain, and various parts of Europe.
