Andrés Llombart is the General Director of CIRCE since April 2016. His career has always been closely linked to the energy sector, guided by the vision of bridging the gap between research and business. Aware of the importance of internationalizing R&D&I, Mr Llombart stands firmly behind the Innovation & Promotion Unit which he created in May 2009. He also strongly supports the Brussels Delegation, thanks to which CIRCE has managed to boost its presence in Europe and become an international benchmark on the energy scene.
OUR TEAM
GENERAL DIRECTOR
ANDRÉS LLOMBART ESTOPIÑÁN
SUBDIRECTORATE GENERAL
ELENA CALVO GALLARDO
Elena Calvo is the Head of the Innovation Management Unit, which is the department in charge of administration, finance and HR, as well as securing CIRCE’s positioning within Spain and in Europe. Ever since 2009, Ms Calvo has been steering the development and implementation of the Centre’s internationalization strategy in collaboration with Management. This has involved a range of activities such as coordinating the Brussels Delegation and work in Latin America, managing and coordinating multi-lateral projects, implementing the communication strategy, and arranging and preparing international R&D collaboration projects, where CIRCE has achieved excellent results in terms of participation and financial returns.
Elena Calvo is a qualified Industrial Engineer who specializes in Mechanical Engineering and Power, Heat and Fluid Transfer. She went on to further her education by studying management and administration, having taken several courses such as Managerial Development at the IESE, Judgement and Decision Making for Management at the London School of Economics and Political Science, the Postgraduate Degree in International and Community R&D&I Projects and Actions at the Polytechnic University of Madrid, and the Masters in European Communities and European Union at the Royal Institute of European Studies.
INDUSTRY AND ENERGY DEPARTMENT
Eduardo Cembrano is the Head of the Industry and Energy Department where he and his team work on developing innovative solutions to make businesses more competitive in the field of sustainability, resource efficiency and renewables, with a special focus on the industrial sector.
Mr Cembrano is a qualified Technical Engineer in Industrial Chemistry from the University of Zaragoza whose career has always been tied to innovation in the energy sector in industrial environments. He boasts a wealth of experience in sectors such as agri-food, paper, petrochemicals and renewables, which he gained whilst working for large firms, SMEs and technology centres..
Before joining the CIRCE team, he worked for the Quality and R&D Department at Compañía Logística de Hidrocarburos (CLH), where he was in charge of ensuring the lab’s technical competitiveness and taking part in national and European projects that involved developing technological solutions in the fuel and biofuel sectors.
Later, in 2014, he entered the CIRCE Foundation to work as a project manager, as the head of the project planning and management area, and lastly as the Head of the Industry and Energy Department.
EDUARDO CEMBRANO BURGOS
ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS DEPARTMENT
SAMUEL BORROY VICENTE
Samuel Borroy is the Head of the Electrical Systems Department providing comprehensive technological solutions for the electric sector’s needs and challenges in the fields of generation, transport, distribution and use of electric energy as it heads towards a more sustainable and smarter future.
His career has been bound to the electric sector since the outset. After spending his first spell at CIRCE working on R&D&I developments in electric transportation and distribution grid protection, Mr Borroy joined the Spanish Electric Grid (REE) to work for the Department of Grid Safety and Analysis, where he contributed towards the goal of ensuring a safe electric system. He later returned to CIRCE to become the head of the Grid Protection and Automation Group within the Electrical Power Systems Department. He has been the Head of the Department since 2015.
Mr Borroy is a qualified Industrial Engineer by the University of Zaragoza with a Master of Advanced Studies and is currently writing his doctoral thesis. These university qualifications are further enhanced by specific training in technical programmes, management and business administration.
DIRECTOR OF THE PEOPLE AND FINANCE UNIT
Sara Olivera is the Director of the People and Finance Unit, and since 2018 she has led the People and Talent, Finance, Administration and Legal Service teams at the CIRCE Foundation.
She holds a degree in Business Administration and Management from the University of Zaragoza and a Master in Auditing and Management Development, and her professional career has been linked to the analysis and management of organisations.
Prior to joining Deloitte, she worked as an auditor, analysing the financial statements of companies and verifying their true and fair view, specialising in sectors such as the automotive, viticulture, textile,…
In 2012, she joined the CIRCE Foundation team where she dedicated her first 5 years to the administrative, financial and legal management of CIRCE’s public projects, providing services internally and to project partners. Subsequently, she held the position of Head of Project Planning and Justification prior to her current position.
SARA OLIVERA
DIRECTOR OF THE PUBLIC PROGRAMMES UNIT
DAVID RODRÍGUEZ
David Rodríguez is Director of the Public Programmes Unit, where he coordinates CIRCE’s participation strategy in competitive public funding projects. This Unit covers the entire life cycle of these projects, including positioning in associations, forums and sectoral platforms, the preparation of proposals and the technical and administrative management of the initiatives awarded.
He holds a degree in Industrial Engineering from the University of Zaragoza and a degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of La Rioja. He has developed his professional career in CIRCE, where he has held various positions related to public programmes until becoming Director of the Unit. In addition, he has complemented his engineering studies with specialisations in the field of public programmes, such as the Expert in Promotion and Management of International R&D&I Projects and Actions at the Polytechnic University of Madrid, or in the field of management and leadership, such as the Management Development Programme at IESE.
DIRECTOR OF THE SYSTEMS UNIT
JOSE LUIS VADILLO
Jose Luis Vadillo is Director of the Systems Unit, which includes the IT, Prevention, Quality and Sustainability, Infrastructures and Purchasing departments.
An Industrial Engineer from the University of Zaragoza, he has worked as head of production and quality in the automotive auxiliary industry and as head of wind farm installations at VESTAS.
To his professional experience he has added training in foreign trade, Negotiation (London School of Economics and Political Science) and the Master in European Communities and European Union (Royal Institute of European Studies).
Since 2009 he has been part of Fundación CIRCE, where he has been European project manager, as well as responsible for the planning and project management section.