Grupo Antolin, the Spanish interiors supplier, has promoted its finance chief, Cristina Blanco, to CEO. Blanco, a 22-year veteran of the company, succeeds Ramon Sotomayor Jauregui.
She will be charged with carrying out Grupo Antolin’s transformation plan, unveiled this spring, which she helped to create, company Chairman Ernesto Antolin said Wednesday in a news release.
The plan seeks to increase margins, in part by expanding business in North America, China and Asia, as well as focusing on higher-value products and systems.
Blanco, a native of Bilbao, Spain, has degrees in economics and business administration from UNED in Spain. She joined Antolin in 2001 in the financial department, holding a number of management positions. She was named CFO in 2016, and in that post took part in the financing for Antolin’s acquisition of Magna Interiors, the company’s largest M&A transaction in its history.
Outgoing CEO Sotomayor was named ti the position in May 2022, with responsibility to upgrade the company’s strategic plan. He is a member of Antolin’s advisory board.
Grupo Antolin, based in Burgos, Spain, makes headliners, cockpits, door panels, interior lighting and electronics. It ranked No. 55 on Automotive News Europe’s list of top 100 global suppliers, with original equipment sales to automakers of $4.6 billion in 2022.
