Group management

Mike Smith, Executive Chairman of Applus+, joined the company following the buy-out by TDR Capital and I Squared Capital.

In addition to this role, Mike is also the Chairman of Aggreko the world’s largest provider of rapid deployment power and industrial cooling / chilling. After TDR and I Squared took Aggreko private, Mike joined the company in October 2021 to lead the next phase of its growth.

Previously to Aggreko, Mike was Chairman of Modulaire Group (formerly Algeco) which was successfully sold to Brookfield in November 2021.  He has also served as the Chairman of International Car Wash Group (ICWG), leading the successful exit of ICWG by TDR Capital to Roark Capital in 2017.

Mike studied at Aston University. He started his early career at Mobil ending up as head of its Retail business in his early thirties and then held senior roles at BP before leaving to go into Private Equity in 1999.
 

In June 2025, Richard Bartlett joined the Applus+ company as Group CEO. The company was until recently listed on the Spanish stock exchange before being acquired by TDR Capital and I Squared Capital.

Originally from the UK and fluent in Spanish, Richard believes in visible leadership and performance delivery. 

Richard brings significant global experience from multiple leadership roles in bp and Mobil. He has led global businesses and brings a deep strategic and operational approach to transforming business performance. He is known for his people-first management style and his focus on operational safety. 

Richard completed a Bachelor of Commerce with Spanish in Business Administration and Management at the University of Birmingham and studied Business Administration (Empresariales E2) at ICADE, Universidad Pontificia Comillas in Madrid. He also completed executive education programs at Harvard Business School, INSEAD and Northwestern University (Kellogg School of Management).

Fernando Ballester is the CFO of Applus+, bringing nearly three decades of international experience across Europe and the Americas.

Known for his pragmatic, results‑driven approach, he has led large, diverse finance organisations and delivered strong performance across multiple business cycles. Fernando has managed complex integrations, restructurings, carve‑outs, ERP deployments and transformation programmes in both high‑growth and turnaround environments.

At Applus+, he leads the global finance organisation with a clear focus on operational excellence, capital efficiency, sustainable growth and value creation.

Fernando completed a Public Accountant (CPA) degree from the Pontificia Universidad Católica Argentina. He later did an Executive MBA at BSP (Business School São Paulo). In addition, he did executive programs in Managing in the Global Economy at the University of Toronto (Rotman School of Management) and Strategy in the Age of Digital Disruption at INSEAD.
 

José Delfín Pérez is SVP for Human Resources at Applus+. 
  
He began his professional career launching a technology startup. Afterwards, he worked at Meliá Hotels Group, in operations, finance, e-business and human resources, where he was Director of Organization, Director of Change Management and Director of Human Resources of the Group. 
  
Since he joined Applus in 2006, José has been the Human Resources SVP. From 2019 to 2024, among other responsibilities, he also led Marketing. 
  
José holds a Master of Science & Telecommunications Engineering degree (Vigo), MBA (ESADE), Senior Management Programme (IE), Advanced HR Executive Programme (Michigan) and is an Accredited Executive Coach. 
 

Anna Díaz is Chief Compliance Officer at Applus+, where she leads the company’s global Compliance function and the strategic management of corporate insurance.

She began her professional career at Old Kent Bank in the United States in 1994, where she gained solid experience in financial operations. In 1996, she joined AON, working in the International and Large Accounts departments, managing complex global risk portfolios for multinational clients.

She later joined Applus+ as Global Risk Manager and, since her appointment as Chief Compliance Officer, has played a key role in strengthening the company’s corporate governance, ethics and regulatory compliance standards, ensuring the integrity and sustainability of the business worldwide.

Anna holds a degree in Economics from Hope College (USA), as well as an MBA from ESADE and a General Management Programme (PDD) from IESE.
 

Eva Argilés is General Counsel for Applus+.  

With over 25 years international experience in leading global companies, both publicly traded and privately owned, she started her career with Cuatrecasas, where she worked in both the Brussels and Barcelona offices. After, she joined PUIG where she became Commercial Legal Director until joining Applus+ before its IPO. She oversees legal matters on a global scale, advising the board of directors and executive management on corporate governance, cross border M&A, financing, whilst leading the legal team that partners with the global business.

Eva holds a degree in Law from the University of Valencia and a Master in European Union Law from the Carlos III University of Madrid. Eva was former president of the Association of Corporate Counsel in Europe, the largest chapter of the leading association of in-house lawyers and has received several professional recognitions.
 

Andrew Malley is the SVP of HSSEQ at Applus+.

With over 30 years experiences, he is known for integrating safety and quality across all areas of the business, streamlining processes, understanding risks and fostering cultures where safety & quality is a shared value. 

Throughout his career across the globe, he has contributed to shaping and implementing global quality & safety systems, not only as a designer but as a leader and mentor, empowering teams to lead within a strong safety culture.
 

Graham Thompsett, SVP for Performance and Marketing at Applus+, is a global experienced professional in leading transformations and driving businesses and its teams forward. He believes that open and direct communication is key to achieving success, and throughout his career, he has had the opportunity to be part of high-performing teams and organizations. 

Graham studied at the University of Gloucestershire. He has spent much of his career working internationally and more recently has supported Mike Smith at Modulaire and Aggreko. 
 

Fernando Vallejo Lázaro is the Global CIO | SVP Technology of Applus+. 

He joined the Group in June 2025 and is a member of the Executive Committee, leading the technology strategy and digital transformation agenda. He also oversees Applus+ Ventures and the Digital Community.  

Previously, he was Chief Innovation, Information and Sustainability Officer at Globalvia and Managing Director of Openvia Mobility. Earlier in his career, he worked in strategy/operations/HR and R&D environments (including Capgemini Consulting, Alcatel Group and Thales Alenia Space). 

Fernando holds a Telecommunications Engineering degree (UPM), an Executive MBA (ESADE) and an Advanced Certificate for Executives from MIT Sloan 
 

Cristina Baschwitz García is the SVP of Corporate Development at Applus+.

Strategy and M&A professional with over 20 years of experience. Investment banking career with a strong international background in both M&A and Capital Markets transactions. Public and private equity-backed experience. Strategic partner focused on unlocking value creation opportunities.  

Cristina holds a degree in Business Administration from the University of Comillas (ICAI - ICADE). 

Leah McGimpsey is EVP of the Environmental Services Division at Applus+ and CEO of APEM Group. She’s leading our global teams in providing progressive environmental and technical advisory solutions, underpinned by science and data, to our clients across their asset lifecycle. 

By combining all this expertise and experience, we can improve how we solve complex challenges, unlock new opportunities for our people and protect our teams and the environment. Under Leah’s leadership, APEM Group has increased in headcount from 350 colleagues to 1,500+ over 4 years, with presence across UK and Europe, Asia Pacific and the Americas.
 
Leah holds a first-class bachelor’s degree in Law and Accounting from the University of Manchester and is a chartered accountant with the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales.
 

Aitor Retes is CEO for the Automotive Division at Applus+.

He started his career with Adecco, where he held different senior positions as Financial Operations Director for Spain and Chief Financial Officer for Latin America, based in Buenos Aires; and Chief Operating Officer for Canada, Mexico and Puerto Rico, based in New York. After, he was Managing Director of Doctor Clic for three years.

Aitor holds a degree in Law and Economics from the University of Deusto, and he has completed an MBA from IE and the MAF in CEF.
 

 Josep-Maria Farran is the CEO for the IDIADA Division at Applus+. 

He joined IDIADA in 1992 when it was still a small research institute and has developed his entire professional career within the company, progressing from Test Engineer to CEO. Throughout his tenure, he has held different management positions including Head of New Facilities, Chief Operating Officer, and has led Business Development and Business Strategic Agreements. 

Josep-Maria holds an Industrial Engineering degree from the Polytechnical University of Catalonia and completed a Programme for Management Development (PDD) from ESADE. 

Mauricio Úbeda Soriano is the EVP of the Laboratories Division at Applus+.

Dynamic and results-driven executive with 15+ years of leadership experience in the Testing, Inspection and Certification (TIC) industry. Proven track record of driving high impact expansions across the US, Europe and China, scaling businesses through strategic M&A, and successfully integrating over 25 companies, doubling the business in the last 3 years. 
 
Mauricio holds a degree and master in Business Administration from ESADE Business school .
 

Ildefonso Boto López is the EVP of the Energy & Industry Division at Applus+.

He is an executive with 20 years of experience in global businesses across the energy, mobility, construction and raw materials sectors, 15 of which were in senior management roles at bp. 

He holds a degree in Civil Engineering from the Polytechnic University of Valencia and an MBA from IE Business School. Ildefonso has a strong track record in launching and expanding new business lines, managing large teams and achieving outstanding financial results.
 

Carey Boethel, CEO of North America at Applus+, brings more than 30 years of executive leadership experience in technology services, with deep expertise in high-availability and mission-critical applications including security, fire/life safety and advanced building management systems. 

He has a strong track record of driving growth through disciplined M&A execution, rigorous operational integration and the development of scalable, high-performance platforms across multinational markets. 

Carey completed a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Design (Architecture) from Texas A&M University. Most recently, as President of Allied Universal Technology Services, he led significant expansion across North America, strengthening the company’s competitive position and delivering sustained enterprise value. 
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