Juan-Miguel Villar Mir: Spaniard of the Year 2012

Juan-Miguel Villar Mir, president of the OHL Group, has been named as Spaniard of the Year 2012 in the fifteenth edition of Fundación Independiente. Ignacio Buqueras y Bach, president of the institution, handed out the award at a tribute dinner in Madrid on 11 April. The ceremony was attended by Mayor Ana Botella and more than 170 important figures from within the country’s economic and political spheres, some of whom were themselves past winners of this prize.

During the celebration ceremony, Ignacio Buqueras underlined the great rise to prominence and the international renown of the OHL Group’s president, as well as “his commitment to and love of Spain”.

Juan-Miguel Grupo Villar Mir acknowledged that “what has given me the most professional satisfaction in my life has been working as an entrepreneur” and being able to provide “income, wealth and employment” to the country of Spain.

Ever since 1996, the Independent Foundation (which this year celebrates its XXVI anniversary), has been giving out these awards in recognition of the professional renown of various key figures, their defense of civil society, and of their democratic principles. Among others, the following people have been given awards in past editions: Plácido Domingo, Valentín Fuster, Margarita Salas, Federico Mayor Zaragoza, Miguel Induráin, Father Ángel Garcia, Pedro Duque and Rafael Nadal.