Luz Usamentiaga, born in Bilbao, holds a degree in economic law from the University of Deusto, a master's in corporate legal advice from IE, and postgraduate studies from ESADE, EM Lyon, and Cranfield University. The new president of Euskaltel brings over 25 years of experience in the telecommunications sector, having been a driving force behind the sector's liberalization at the beginning of her professional career, coinciding with Euskaltel's inception.
She was a co-founder of the employers' association Digitales, serving as its general secretary since 2018. Luz Usamentiaga will combine her presidency of Euskaltel with her roles as general director of Regulation, Public Affairs, and Sustainability at MasOrange and president of the Euskaltel Fundazioa Board of Trustees.
“"It is an honor to preside over Euskaltel, a company that has been and is a benchmark in the sector. Euskaltel has played a key role in the deployment of next-generation connectivity in Euskadi and in the digitalization of Basque citizens, companies, and Public Administrations."
The Euskaltel Board of Directors has expressed gratitude to Jon Ander de las Fuentes for his “effort and dedication” during his presidency. Under his leadership, “a large number of significant successes” were achieved, including Euskaltel's integration, first into the Masmovil Group and then into MasOrange, the modernization of the old cable network to the most advanced fiber, and the development of Euskadi's most modern 5G mobile network, reaching the highest market share levels, territorial leadership, and customer satisfaction.
Following these changes, the new Board, alongside Luz Usamentiaga, will include Meinrad Spenger as CEO, and Jasone Altuna, Cristina Sustacha, and Julio Gomez as members. The Board of Directors features a majority of Basque representatives, with four of its five members –Luz Usamentiaga, Julio Gómez, Jasone Altuna, and Cristina Sustacha– having “direct and significant ties to the territory,” reflecting Euskaltel's “firm commitment to the development and innovation of Euskadi.”
The historical investment of the MasOrange/Euskaltel Group totals nearly 4.9 billion euros, primarily allocated to the development of advanced telecommunications networks, new services, technological innovation, training, and talent development. Additionally, an extra three-year investment plan of 200 million euros is underway. The Euskaltel and MasOrange brands in Euskadi serve nearly 2 million lines, positioning the Group as a market share leader in the region.
