Laura Halpern appointed as the new president of Fundación Occident

"Laura Halpern, who is replacing the recently deceased Federico Halpern, has been the vice-president of the Board of Trustees of Fundación Occident since 2018. "

Today, 26 September, Fundación Occident appointed Laura Halpern as the president of the Foundation's Board of Trustees. The appointment took place following the death last August of Federico Halpern, who was a member of GCO's Board of Directors and president of the Board of Trustees of Fundación Occident. The vice-presidency, until now represented by Laura Halpern, will be assumed by Jorge Enrich, a member of the Board of Trustees and Board Member of GCO.

Laura Halpern holds a degree in Economics and Business Studies from the Complutense University of Madrid, a Master in Financial Markets from the CEU Institute of Professional Studies, and is a certified European Financial Advisor of the European Financial Planning Association (EFPA) and has almost a decade of experience in the Spanish financial sector, occupying various positions in financial management and in the commercial field. Over the last twelve years she has been associated with Fundación Occident as managing director between 2012 and 2018 and then as vice-president since then.

The Foundation, formerly known as Fundación Jesús Serra, has channelled GCO's commitment to society for more than 25 years. Its activity is materialised through five main areas: social action, promotion of the arts, support for sports, fostering research and promotion of training and its impact on the company. 

In recent years, under the leadership and vice-presidency of Laura Halpern, Fundación Occident has launched several pioneering initiatives, such as its different scholarship programmes, which were created with the aim of preserving the principle of equal opportunities in training. The most recent example is the Jesús Serra Degree Scholarships. Launched in 2024, these scholarships help students who want to be the first in their family to study at university, or, in the case of women, to be the first in their family to obtain a STEM degree. 

Following along the path traced in recent years, Fundación Occident has also focused on fostering projects in the field of scientific research, especially geared towards young researchers in Spain. The Foundation has also supported various programmes to support children and their families. 

As part of its sporting initiatives, Fundación Occident is committed to young talent and the promotion of adapted and inclusive sport, through championships such as the inclusive Spanish Cup for Alpine skiing and the Xpress Tennis Cup, among other programmes. In the area of promotion of the arts, the company's work is particularly focused on encouraging piano playing and poetic creation, with initiatives such as the Jesús Serra Poetry Competition or the 'Your city is full of pianos' project.