Carl Craen was born in Belgium and raised in Switzerland, where he completed his secondary and undergraduate education while playing basketball semi-professionally.

He then moved to Barcelona, where he completed his graduate studies.
He is the Vice President and Managing Director of EU Business School, as well as the co-founder of the Club of Young Entrepreneurs of Switzerland and the founder of Xblue Digital School.

Carl lives in Barcelona with his spouse and two children.

Carlos Galcerán was born in Barcelona, in November 1952.

After his studies at La Salle Bonanova, he got a Degree as Telecommunications Engineer at I.T.T. La Salle University. Later, he obtained the PADE-certification (Programa de Alta Dirección de Empresas) at IESE Business School.

Carlos has known his vocation from a very young age. When he was 16, he started working at COGESA, the insurance broker firm founded by his father in 1917. Since then, he has always been active as an Insurance Broker, both on the national and international market.

Carlos is Vocal of the CCBLB Board of Directors, Head of the Intl. Business of Cogesa and Vice President of “Colegio de Mediadores de Seguros de Barcelona”.

Experienced Chief Executive Officer with a demonstrated working history in the non-profit organization management industry. Skilled in Strategic Planning, Marketing Strategy, Business Strategy, Event Management and Change Management. Strong business development professional, graduated from TIAS School for Business and Society.

Previously

– Stanford University, Executive Program in Leadership

– Harvard Business School, Strategic Perspectives in Non-Profit Management
– Vlerick Business School, VUB Master in Economic Sciences.

Raf Jacobs is a long-term Barcelona resident. While originally from Belgium, he started his
professional life working in the start-up world in Munich in the year 2000. In 2001 he relocated to
Barcelona, where -before taking the entrepreneurial path- he first developed his career at different
tier-1 international management consulting firms, Ariba and Accenture.
Raf is the founder and CEO of INSPIRE Property Experts, a real estate buyer agent and investment
advisory firm that helps you navigate the Spanish property jungle. Opposite to Belgium or
Luxembourg, the Spanish real estate sector is very poorly regulated, which can have severe
consequences for international buyers and sellers. Raf´s team of property finders, lawyers, architects,
deal makers, mortgage specialists and even builders, helps to prevent mistakes and to get you better
deals.
Raf runs his own YouTube real estate channel. He is also a lecturer at the Real Estate
Executive Program at the University of Barcelona and is Board Member of the Spanish association
of real estate Buyer Agents. He is frequently consulted by the media and in Belgium he contributes to
the Trends-Tendance magazine for their annual special on properties in Spain. The Barcelona City
Council has appointed Raf as the go-to-property-expert for the international community in and around
Barcelona.
In his free time you will find Raf enjoying a glass of good Spanish wine, or behind his piano – or both
combined.

Originally from Belgium, after completing my KUL degree in Romance Philology, I embarked on a journey to Barcelona in search of my professional calling. As a polyglot in Southern Europe, I quickly recognized the many opportunities in the field of multilingual communication.

A challenging interpreter assignment on a TV-show alongside Reinout Oerlemans and Ferran Adrià ignited my freelance career in the audiovisual industry, where I now work with a diverse range of companies, from small businesses to large multinationals.

As a voice artist, I have the privilege of delivering messages to global audiences, including renowned organizations such as The United Nations, Spotify, and Oceana. Additionally, as an accomplished host with a natural aptitude for engaging audiences, I am experienced in hosting both in-person events and virtual shows.

The only way to do great work is to love what you do. In the words of Steve Jobs, I can proudly say that I have found this love in bridging worlds together, through my voice and language skills. Driven by my passion and inspired by your brand.

As for CCBLB, I consider myself fortunate to be surrounded by an amazing community of dedicated individuals and diverse companies who place their trust in our Chamber of Commerce. I extend my heartfelt gratitude to everyone. Rest assured, CCBLB is there for you!

Contact: ccblb@ccblb.com

Paul is the official ‘historian’ of our Chamber. He is the author of the chapters of the series ‘Road to the Centenary’ published on social media. Paul is collaborating with CCBLB on a voluntary basis.

Tanya was born and raised in Antwerp, Belgium. Though fond of her beautiful home country, traveling and exploring different cultures has been on her mind as from an early age.

After her language studies at KVH, Tanya first explored the financial sector, working for KBC, Van Lanschot Bankiers and Citibank. A career-switch made her dream come true: she entered the world of ‘Travel and Luxury Destinations’ at XO Private. 

After 5 years roaming the globe, Tanya became Event Manager at Touring. Together with her husband, she moved to Toulouse and then Barcelona.

A decade ago, they settled in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, where she gave birth to their son. Representing several organisations over the years, Tanya has been working with Charities as well as the Belgian Embassy. Recently, the family returned from Continental Asia… to Barcelona!

Tanya thrives when she can connect people. She enjoys making you feel welcome and at-ease, especially in international contexts. If you’d ask Tanya where she feels at home, this quote says it all:

“Our homes are not defined by geography or one particular location but by memories, events, people and places that span the globe.”

Contact: events@ccblb.com