Repsol’s Antonio Brufau awarded Best CEO of 2014

Repsol Chairman Antonio Brufau received the 2014 prize for Best Executive on Tuesday, presented by the Spanish Association of Executives (Asociación de Directivos Españoles – AED).

The prize is awarded to the business leader whose performance was considered outstanding over the previous year. The jury comprised important business leaders, civil society figures and media professionals. The award was presented by Jose Manuel Soria, Minister of Industry, Energy and Tourism, and Pau Herrera, President of the Spanish Association of Executives (AED).

In his acceptance speech, Mr. Brufau underlined the future challenges for the energy sector, pointing to innovation and technology as the “biggest motors of change”.

Repsol closed year 2014 with net earnings worth up to €1,612 million. The jury highlighted the way Mr. Brufau handled the Argentinean YPF expropriation, managing to close a satisfactory deal with Cristina Fernandez’s government which saw them earn $6,300 million. The other major event of the Spanish petrol retailing firm was the acquisition of Canadian company Talisman Energy – valued at $8.3 billion.

As reported by PetrolPlaza, Mr. Brufau has delegated all executive powers to the company’s chief executive Josu Jon Imaz. For the next four years, the Repsol executive will continue to chair Repsol’s board of directors as a non-executive.