This distinction is awarded by the Association of Entrepreneurs in Southern Spain, CESUR, which aims to promote the good work, innovation and social commitment of Andalusian and Extremaduran entrepreneurs at a national level.
Yesterday, the Association of Entrepreneurs in Southern Spain, CESUR, distinguished Grupo Azvi with the Award for Best Ambassador Company in Southern Spain. It did so within the framework of the PEC Awards (Business Competitiveness Awards), which it celebrates annually and whose objective is to promote the good work, innovation and social commitment of Andalusian and Extremaduran entrepreneurs at national level.
At a gala presided by the Infanta Elena and held in the new IESE auditorium in Madrid, the Andalusian Regional Government’s Minister of Finance and Funding, Juan Bravo, presented Manuel Contreras Caro, Chairman of Grupo Azvi, with an award that values “its international expansion, both in Latin America and in Europe and the Middle East, with very singular works, some of them as concessionaire together with large global companies”.
The Finance Minister for the Andalusian Regional Government highlighted “not so much the value of its figures, but the value of its team. If today Grupo Azvi receives the distinction as the best ambassador company in the South of Spain, it is due to its human workforce, the key for a family-owned and run, Andalusian, centenary company, to be an international reference in its sector today”.
In this sense, Bravo also had a few words for the Honorary President of Grupo Azvi “Manuel Contreras Ramos and his work for almost six decades” and other members of his family.
In addition, the minister spoke of the importance of “giving more space to the businessman” and the need to “put him at the centre, facilitate his work and reduce bureaucracy”. For Bravo, “entrepreneurs are the best ambassadors Andalusia can have. In any forum, colloquium, even in a lunch or work meeting, we need your voice and your testimony to transmit everything that is changing in Andalusia… But, undoubtedly, to do this, it is the administrations that must first make the grade”.
Award winners
In addition to Grupo Azvi, other winners were the Chairman of Mapfre, Antonio Huertas, for the Best Executive Ambassador for Southern Spain; Grupo Konecta, for the Company with the greatest commitment to Southern Spain; and the world- renowned psychiatrist, Luis Rojas-Marcos de la Viesca, for the Best Universal Ambassador for Southern Spain.
The jury was made up of the institutional partners of the awards (IESE, Junta de Andalucía, Unicaja Banco, Junta de Extremadura and Loyola University); the presidents and CEOs of the main national media groups (Atresmedia, Cope, El Confidencial, El Español, Europa Press, Grupo Joly, Grupo Prisa and RTVA) and a representation of CESUR businessmen and women.
The event was attended by the President of Extremadura, Guillermo Fernández-Vara; the Minister of Finance and European Funds of the Regional Government of Andalusia, Juan Bravo, and the Minister ofFinance and Public Function of the Community of Madrid, Javier Fernández-Lasquetty, among other authorities. In addition, 250 Spanish and southern Spanish executives and businessmen and women, foreign diplomats, major media groups and representatives of the main political parties and institutions attended the event.
These awards are held alternately in Madrid and a province of southern Spain, with Seville hosting last year’s event.
