Appointments to the Santillana management board

Grupo Santillana's management board named Miguel Ángel Cayuela as new CEO, substituting Isabel Polanco, who died March 29. His appointment had been announced by PRISA president Ignacio Polanco at a meeting of the executive committee.

Also appointed to the board is Juan Cruz, who is at the moment assistant to the management of EL PAÍS, and José Muñoz, in charge of Global Coordination for Education Publications for Santillana. Susana Esparza, head of legal advice of Santillana, has been named as board secretary.

The board and the team which worked with Isabel Polanco expressed its deep sorrow at her death, praising the "admirable dignity and strength" with which she dealt with her illness. "Her work was decisive in situating Santillana where it is today". Also mentioned was the "great example" she left for all those who worked by her side.

The new CEO Miguel Ángel Cayuela holds a degree in Economics and began working with Santillana in 1985. He spent nine years as director general of Santillana in Mexico.

New board member Juan Cruz is journalist and writer and has spent most of is professional career working at EL PAÍS and Grupo Santillana, where he was director of Alfaguara, Taurus and Aguilar throughout the 1990s. He later set up La Oficina del Autor, before returning to El País.

José Muñoz has worked at Santillana for 40 years, where he was Director General for Spain between 1985 and 1995. With these appointments, the management board consists of Emiliano Martinez, president of Grupo Santillana and of the board, Miguel Ángel Cayuela, Ignacio Santillana, Operations Manager for Grupo PRISA, Adolfo Valero, CEO of Grupo Timón and Prisa executive, Juan Cruz, José Muñoz and as board secretary, Susana Esparza.