The Board of Directors of Mediaset España has appointed Mario Rodríguez as the new President of the audiovisual group. The appointment took place at the meeting held this Monday and means replacing Cristina Garmendia, who days ago announced her decision to end her time at the head of the company.
Rodríguez, who until now served as Corporate General Director and Director of Institutional Relations, has been linked to Mediaset España uninterruptedly since 1998. His profile has been especially linked to the legal, regulatory and institutional sphere of the group, with a career focused on corporate governance and dialogue with public bodies and regulators of the audiovisual sector.
With a degree in Business Law from ICADE and a Master’s Degree in Business Legal Management from the Instituto Libre de Derecho y Economía, he began his professional career in the office of Professor of Administrative Law Santiago Muñoz Machado between 1991 and 1998. That same year he joined Gestevisión Telecinco -currently Mediaset España-, where in 2000 he was appointed Secretary of the Board of Directors and, in 2003, General Secretary.
He has participated in some corporate milestones of the group, such as its IPO or the acquisition of Cuatro
During his career within the company, he promoted the creation of the Legal Department and departments such as Internal Audit, Social Responsibility and Regulatory Compliance. In December 2010 he was appointed Corporate General Director. Throughout these years he has participated in some of the group’s most relevant corporate milestones, such as its IPO, the acquisition of Cuatro or obtaining the various digital terrestrial television licenses.
In addition, he has represented Mediaset España before public administrations and regulatory bodies, participating in regulatory processes linked to the audiovisual sector and in different industry forums. In this area he has been a member of the Telecommunications Advisory Council, Vice President of UTECA (Union of Open Commercial Televisions) and is currently a Director of the ACT (Association of Commercial Television and Video on Demand Services in Europe).
Cristina Garmendia closes a stage at Mediaset
The appointment comes a few days after Cristina Garmendia announced her decision to leave the presidency of Mediaset España. The board of directors was linked to the company since December 2017, first as an independent Director and later as President of different Board committees. In May 2024 he assumed the presidency of the audiovisual group.
“After an important period of reflection, I feel convinced that it is time to begin a new stage, in which I can focus all my attention and effort on other areas of my professional activity, always related to innovation and the positive impact on the economy and society of my country”Cristina Garmendia explained.
During her time as president, Mediaset España has made progress in its integration within MFE-MediaForEurope and has faced different adaptation processes to changes in the audiovisual sector. According to the company, Garmendia will continue to collaborate with the group in terms of innovation and will maintain the representation of Mediaset España on the board of the Cotec Foundation.
Doctor in Biological Sciences specialized in genetics, Garmendia was Minister of Science and Innovation between 2008 and 2011. She currently chairs the Cotec Foundation and is part of different advisory boards and governing bodies of business, academic and scientific organizations.
