Isabel Roig
Former BEDA President, Executive Director of the Barcelona Creativity & Design Foundation, President of the World Design Weeks, Isabel Roig is a prominent figure in international design leadership, recognised for her commitment to advancing design as a driver of innovation, sustainability, and economic development. Since 2000, she has served as Executive Director of the Barcelona Creativity & Design Foundation, that fosters creative talent and strengthens Barcelona’s global position as a creative hub.
With a degree in Tourism Business Administration from the University of Girona, Roig brings strategic and cross-disciplinary expertise to her work. In 2006, she founded the Barcelona Design Week, now a significant event on the global design calendar, spotlighting the transformative power of design in society and business.
Her leadership extends beyond national borders. She has been a European Design Leadership Board member under the European Commission’s Design Innovation Initiative and served as President of The Bureau of European Design Associations (BEDA) from 2013 to 2015. Currently, she is President of World Design Weeks, a global network uniting major design festivals across continents, including those in Tokyo, Helsinki, San Francisco, and Mexico City.
‘I support MADres as I am particularly interested in creative resilience, the ability to face adversity with intelligence and creativity. In a world marked by accelerating climate crises and societal disruption, the future will demand more adaptability than ever. Design, supported by human ingenuity combined with data insights and the use of advanced technologies can become a powerful force for resilience, reinvention, and regeneration.’
– Isabel Roig