Vallformosa Foundation Chair of Business and Social Transformation

Chair: Luis Palencia

The Vallformosa Foundation Chair of Business and Social Transformation promotes research and knowledge creation on the challenges and opportunities shaping territorial transformation and the sustainable development of rural communities. Its work focuses on understanding how business and territorial governance can adapt to major challenges such as climate change, generational succession and technological change, helping to foster sustainable, competitive and inclusive development.

The Chair has been established thanks to the commitment and support of Josep Graells, President of Vallformosa Foundation and an IESE alumnus (PADE-07).

Objectives

  • Advance research on topics that are critical to the future of management and business leadership, with a particular focus on the agri-food ecosystem, territorial transformation and the sustainable development of rural communities.
  • Establish itself as a leading academic reference point for business, institutional and social stakeholders connected to the agri-food and cooperative sectors.
  • Promote the development of high-impact research, studies and academic materials that disseminate innovations and best practices in management, including the analysis of business and territorial transformation models linked to the agri-food ecosystem.
  • Develop teaching materials, including case studies and technical notes, for use in IESE programs and for dissemination among business schools worldwide.
  • Foster talent development and support the education of executives, entrepreneurs and future generations connected to the agri-food sector through academic activities, seminars and educational initiatives.
  • Organize conferences, forums and academic and business events that encourage dialogue, knowledge sharing and the dissemination of research generated within the framework of the Chair.
  • Contribute to the debate on the major economic, social and environmental challenges affecting territories and rural communities.

All activities carried out by the Chair are academic in nature and pursued in the general interest.

Chair.

Luis Palencia is a Professor in the Accounting and Control Department at IESE Business School and Chair holder of the Vallformosa Foundation Chair of Business and Social Transformation. He holds a degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Cantabria and an MBA from IESE.

His research focuses on business valuation using accounting-based models and on the impact of accounting conservatism and financial reporting standards on valuation outcomes. He is also interested in managerial decision-making, particularly in complex and unstructured environments.

Sponsor.

Vallformosa Foundation

Publications

Books

PALENCIA, L. (2010). Accounting Conservatism in Accounting-Based Valuation Models. Interaction Between Conservatism and Growth. Saarbrücken, Germany: Lambert Academic Publishing. ANDREU I CIVIT, R., BERASATEGUI RODRÍGUEZ, L., CARDONA SORIANO, P., CASTAÑOSA, C., FERNÁNDEZ, A., GARCÍA PONT, C., GRAU, A., LARA E., MAIR, J., MARCÉ, C., MONS, J., PALENCIA, L., PARÉS CANALIAS, F., PIN ARBOLEDAS, J. R., RENART, L. G., RIVEROLA, J., RODRÍGUEZ BADAL, M. Á., SACHON, M., SANTOMÁ, J., SEELOS, C., SERRANO, G., SIEBER, S., SUSAETA ERBURU, L., VALOR SABATIER, J., VELAMURI, R., ... VIVES L. (2006). Mejorar la gestión de las empresas. Agunos de los mejores casos del IESE. Edición 2005. Aravaca: McGraw-Hill Interamericana de España.

Book Chapters

PALENCIA, L. (2006). Análisis del proceso de toma de decisiones: Un método de resolución de problemas no operativos. En Jaume Ribera, José A. Gutiérrez Fuentes, Magda Rosenmöller (Eds.), Gestión en el sector de la salud. Vol. 2: Elementos de gestión en las instituciones (pp. 509 - 527). Madrid: Pearson-Prentice Hall.

Studies

FONTRODONA, J., CARRILLO, J., SEGARRA, J. A., PALENCIA, L., POBLETE, M. J. (2019). Libro Blanco para la formación, ocupación y empleo de las personas con discapacidad y especiales dificultades en los centros especiales de trabajo de Cataluña. IESE. FONTRODONA, J., CARRILLO, J., SEGARRA, J. A., PALENCIA, L., POBLETE, M. J. (2019). Llibre blanc per a la formació, ocupació i treball de les persones amb discapacitat i especials dificultats als centres especials de treball de Catalunya. IESE.

Cases

BELLOSTA, M., PALENCIA, L. (2026). Nordic Cooling Industries (Abridged). EU regulation and US companies. IESE, ASN-119-E. GARCÍA PONT, C., SOLER, E., PALENCIA, L., VÁZQUEZ-DODERO, J. C. (2025). Tenis Costa Blanca. IESE, ASN-114-E. GARCÍA PONT, C., SOLER, E., PALENCIA, L., VÁZQUEZ-DODERO, J. C. (2025). Tenis Costa Blanca. IESE, ASN-114.

Technical Notes

PALENCIA, L., HIETANIEMI, L. (2025). El modelo de los seis pasos. Plan de acción. IESE, ASNN-24. KLUETER, T. M., PALENCIA, L. (2025). Six-step framework for decision-making: Criteria. IESE, ASNN-19-E. STEIN, G., PALENCIA, L. (2022). De la decisión a la acción. IESE, ASNN-15.

Outputs in other media

FONTRODONA, J., PALENCIA, L. (2019). Les dificultats de l'especial dificultat. Ara, Barcelona. FONTRODONA, J., PALENCIA, L. (2019). Las dificultades de la especial dificultad. Ara, Barcelona. PALENCIA, L. (2012). Los que más tienen. ABC (Edición Cataluña), Barcelona.