Ana Prado Blanco joined Mercedes-Benz España in 2012 as the general counsel and corporate secretary of the German automobile company’s Spanish subsidiary, which encompasses 12 different entities. Prado Blanco serves as the secretary of the board of seven different companies in Spain belonging to Mercedes-Benz España, which is the holding company of the Daimler Group in Spain.

Since her recognition in 2016’s GC Powerlist: Iberia, she has actively participated in the restructuring of the board of directors’ processes and organisation, assembling trainings on the new legal requirements, director’s duties and obligations in the last two years. She has also worked to further establish key principles on corporate governance such as leadership, integrity, accountability, sustainability and risk management.

‘I firmly believe that getting the commitment of the directors and promoting balanced and dedicated corporate governance has a positive impact on the business, increases the effectiveness of internal controls and risk management which leads to multiple benefits in a sustainable way’ says Prado Blanco. Over the years, Prado Blanco has been central to a number of changes including the implementation of an instant internal communication process, the offering a wide range of tools and resources available online for the whole company and providing information and support in an extremely accessible way. One example of this is an internal training scheme called “Know Your Legal Department” which Prado Blanco says has received a high level of participation and satisfaction from business colleagues. Prado Blanco cites the most important change during her time at the company has been the restructuring and reorganisation project that took place in 2016.

This reorganisation came as part of an overall strategy of the Daimler business aimed at strengthening the company, granting greater flexibility to increase the dedication and ability to provide a more personalised attention to the customers of each business unit. As a valued internal business partner in close contact with company management, she is an active member of the Daimler community and an advocate of the “Working out Loud” concept, helping organisations create more collaborative cultures and helping individuals access a better career and a better quality of life.