UNESPA is the association that represents insurance in Spain. It is a member of the Spanish Confederation of Employers’ Organizations (CEOE) and Insurance Europe, among other institutions.

What is UNESPA?

UNESPA is the Spanish Association of Insurers. The association was founded in 1977 and represents approximately 200 insurers that together cover almost all the insurance business in Spain. These undertakings have a turnover of 62,000 million euros every year, or in other words, almost 5.1% of Spanish gross domestic product (GDP). Insurance is an industry that resolves tens of thousands of unforeseen events every day. These mishaps range from small setbacks, such as a flat tyre or leak; to big challenges, such as performing a complex surgical operation or prudently managing someone’s life savings for retirement.

To do this work, insurance companies directly employ over 54,000 people, which is almost equally divided between men and women. Added to these workers are the indirect jobs existing in the field of insurance distribution. The provision of care services of all kinds makes insurance a first-rate service platform to society and, as such, it is an important creator of jobs and catalyst for the economy.

What is its purpose?

UNESPA is the voice of insurance. The association expresses the position of the insurance sector on matters that concern society. It represents its associates before all kinds of institutions and bodies, both national and international, and transmits the perspective of insurance to them. The association aims to be present in all major social debates regarding the insurance activity and to constantly transfer the values and progress reported by insurance.

In the end, the purpose of UNESPA is for Spanish society to know of the existence of insurance. So it knows that insurance provides the necessary certainty for anyone starting a project and for society to progress. In short, that insurance is an essential ally to move towards a fairer and more sustainable economy.

Spanish Insurance, at a glance.

This factsheet abridges what is the insurance business like in Spain.

 

Who is behind the Association?

UNESPA unites around 200 insurance companies that cover almost the entire national insurance market. The association supports the interests of the insurance industry and does so led by a team of professionals with extensive experience.

 

María Aránzazu del Valle Schaan

President

Mirenchu del Valle Schaan (Madrid. 1963) is the president of UNESPA since 2023. She holds a degree in Law from the Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM), together with a MA of Community Law at the Instutute for European Studies of the Université Libre de Bruxelles (UBL) (Belgium). 

Her career started at the General Directorate for Regional Policy management of the European Commission. She joined UNESPA as head of Foreign Affairs in 1988. She was promoted to general secretary of the association in 1996. She held that position until 2023, when she was named president of UNESPA. She currently represents the Spanish insurance industry in several Spanish and multinational organizations. Between 2016 and 2018, she chaired the Insurance and Reinsturance Stakeholders Group (IRSG) of the European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority (EIOPA).

Luis Miguel Ávalos Muñoz

Secretary-general

Luis Miguel Ávalos Muñoz (Madrid. 1960) is the secretary-general of UNESPA since 2023. His role is to coordinate all the work within the association, together with the execution of the action plan of UNESPA and the tasks set by its governing bodies. He represents the Spanish insurance industry in different organizations, both national and international. He was director of Personal insurance and Tax advisory of UNESPA between 1999 and 2023. As such, he was in charge of all issues related to the life, health and burial insurance lines. He also monitored regulations related to tax and mutual insurers. Ávalos holds a degree in Law of the Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM). He also has a diploma in Tax Law (1987) and a MA in Corporate advisory. He held the position of technical secretary and, later, director of the Spanish Fonderation of Mutualities (CNEPS) between 1984 and 1999.

Manuel Mascaraque Montagut

Director Legal and HR

Manuel Mascaraque Montagut (Madrid. 1961) is the director of General Insurance at UNESPA since 2004. He is responsible for coordinating the committees overseeing different types of general insurance (motor, multi-risk, liability and transport and reinsurance).

He holds a degree in Economics and Business Administration from the Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM). He is an insurance actuary, has a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) from the Instituto de Empresa, and also holds two other postgraduate degrees in insurance. Almost all his entire professional career has been linked to the insurance industry. Between 1999 and 2004, he held management positions at several insurers.

Daniel Tomé Aróstegui

Director General Insurance

Daniel Tomé Aróstegui (Bilbao. 1974) is director of Legal and HR at UNESPA since 2023. He holds a Bachelor Degree in Law from the Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM), as well as a MA in Insurance Management from ICEA. He has worked at PwC for 15 years, were he held the position of Head of Insurance Legal Services and Regulation. He joined UNESPA in 2017. From that year until 2023 he was head of the Legal, HR and Regulatory department. He has been the representative of UNESPA in the negotiations around the insurance collective bargaining agreement (2020-2024).

 

 

Carlos Esquivias Escobar

Director Personal Insurance and Tax

Carlos Esquivias Escobar (Madrid. 1974) is the director of Personal Insurance and Tax UNESPA since 2023. He holds a Bachelor Degree in Economics from the Colegio Universitario de Estudios Financieros (CUNEF). He worked for seven years as head of the Tax & Financial Department of Garrigues LLC. For 18 years he has been the head of the Life & Pensions Commission of UNESPA. As such he has lead relevant projects suchs as the matching adjustment of Solvency II, the build-up the the Public registry of life insurance policies as well as the donation program carried out by the Spanish insurance industry in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

How are we organised?

The work at UNESPA is organised through technical committees, functional committees, territorial unions and working groups. Throughout the year, almost a thousand professionals from different insurance companies take part in these bodies. Their work makes it possible for insurance to provide better service to clients. Or in other words, to society as a whole.

 

Presidency

First executive of UNESPA. The president is of a professional nature and is elected by the General Assembly for four years.

General Assembly

All the associated entities form part of this body and have the right to vote.

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Board of Directors

Governing body between assembly meetings. Formed by 33 insurance companies.

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Executive Committee

Responsible for the management of the association. Comprises 18 insurance companies.

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Audit and Control Committee

Supervises the financial information of the association and internal control systems. Three representatives from insurance undertakings comprise this committee.

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Presidential Committee

Analyses all those matters that may affect several branches of insurance. It comprises the presidents of the Technical Committees, as well as of the Reinsurance and Mutual Societies Function Committees.

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Associations to which we belong

 

UNE

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Where are we?

If you require any information, please contact us at:

Main Offices
Núñez de Balboa, 101
28006 - Madrid (Madrid)
Telf: +34 91 745 15 30
comunicacion@unespa.es

Brussels office
Rue du Champ de Mars 23
(Insurance Europe Headquarters)
B-1050 - Brussels (Belgium)
Telf: +32 2 894 30 00