In the 1980s, he immersed himself in IT engineering in Valladolid, Spain, marking the genesis of a career spanning over three decades. The digital landscape has undergone a seismic shift since those early days, witnessing the transformation of start-ups into BigTech entities, the survival struggles of traditional hardware, and the recent ascendancy of Artificial Intelligence—tracing its roots back to Alan Turing’s groundbreaking paper in 1950.
With 34 years navigating the intricate terrain of ICT in Spain and Belgium, a substantial portion at the European Commission, he arrived during the tenure of Jacques Delors. Over the years, he has served under seven different European Commission presidents, each shaping the trajectory of his work. Described by his son as the one who facilitates tablet play, and by others as the human side of ICT, he acknowledges our existence in a digital world while recognizing our fundamentally analogue nature.
Following academic pursuits at the London Business School and Harvard Kennedy School, he now leads the “Algorithmic Transparency” unit (aka ECAT) at the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission. This unit focuses on the scientific aspects of A.I. and algorithm transparency, providing support for crucial EU legislation such as the DSA and the forthcoming AI act. Personal details take a backseat during working hours, but one notable aside includes a brief radio stint in Brussels at Radio SI, 109.1 FM. Outside of work, he finds joy in globetrotting, music, photography, basketball, animated cartoons, and cherishing moments with his beloved family.
