Josep Vilarasau, former La Caixa president, dies at 95

Former La Caixa director‑general and later president Josep Vilarasau died at the age of 95. He led the savings bank’s transformation from a small regional entity into a national financial group, overseeing expansion outside Catalonia, adopting a modern banking model and acquiring significant stakes in companies such as Telefónica, Gas Natural, Aigües de Barcelona and Repsol. Vilarasau also served as president of the Fundación la Caixa and later held the honorary role of president of the foundation.

Born in Barcelona in 1931, Vilarasau was an industrial engineering doctor and economist, taught at the Polytechnic University of Madrid, and held senior positions in public bodies during Spain’s late‑Franco era, including the Spanish Industrial Financing Bank and the state oil company CAMPSA. He stepped down from La Caixa’s board in 2003 after new regulations limited the tenure of savings‑bank council members.