Spain’s higher education sector runs on digital services: learning platforms, research computing, identity systems, library and student records, campus networks, and a growing footprint of cloud and SaaS. That creates a unique risk profile—high volumes of personal data, open collaboration by design, and complex environments where students, faculty, researchers, and third parties all need access. The leaders below are shaping how universities and education groups improve governance, resilience, and security culture while still enabling teaching and research at scale.
Pedro Montero — Chief Information Security Officer and Governance, Risk, and Compliance Lead, Universidad Alfonso X el Sabio
Pedro Montero combines hands-on security leadership with deep governance and compliance experience. At Universidad Alfonso X el Sabio, he has progressed from Governance, Risk, and Compliance leadership into the group-wide CISO role, building and maturing security foundations such as ISMS implementation, risk management, and alignment with frameworks like ISO 27001 and ENS. With a strong background in privacy and compliance from earlier roles, he brings a structured, policy-driven approach to strengthening security in complex education environments.
Alvaro Martinez Pozos — Global Chief Information Security Officer, PROEDUCA
Alvaro Martinez Pozos is a long-tenured cybersecurity leader with more than two decades of experience across multiple industries, bringing a broad strategic view to the education sector. As Global CISO at PROEDUCA, he focuses on building security models and operating frameworks that protect users, platforms, and information while supporting business continuity and compliance. His career emphasis on strategy, governance, and operational alignment is well-suited to education organizations operating across multiple brands and digital services.
Rafael Rodríguez Ramiro — Chief Information Security Officer, ESIC Business and Marketing School
Rafael Rodríguez Ramiro brings long-term institutional experience to ESIC, where he moved from technology leadership into the CISO role. His profile reflects the realities of many education organizations: security leadership that is deeply connected to IT operations, long-term modernization, and continuity. With years of experience supporting a large academic environment, his work centers on safeguarding systems that support learning delivery, student services, and institutional operations.
José Luis Álvarez — Chief Information Security Officer, CEU Educational Group
José Luis Álvarez serves as Chief Information Security Officer at CEU Educational Group, bringing extensive leadership experience from large, complex environments. His background includes senior security leadership and long-term responsibility for communications and systems management in prior roles, giving him a strong foundation in infrastructure security, governance, and operational oversight. In education, that blend supports the challenge of securing diverse campuses, services, and user communities while maintaining reliability and compliance.
Clara Beleña — Chief Information Security Officer, Universitat Oberta de Catalunya
Clara Beleña is Chief Information Security Officer at Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, with prior experience driving strategic governance within the CIO office and IT master planning. Her background reflects a security approach grounded in institutional planning, compliance, budgeting, and execution governance—critical elements for universities where security must be embedded into decision-making, procurement, and long-term digital programs. Her leadership supports protection of digital assets while enabling an always-online learning environment.
Carlos Vila — Chief Information Officer and Chief Information Security Officer, EUIT – Escola Universitaria d’Infermeria i Terapia
Carlos Vila combines CIO and CISO responsibilities, bringing a practical, operations-first approach to strengthening security and resilience. His profile highlights end-to-end IT leadership—budget and vendor management, architecture, cybersecurity strategy, and building security culture through policies, training, and simulations. In higher education, where teams are often lean and systems are interconnected, this integrated leadership model can be especially effective for driving consistent improvements across IT services and security controls.
Rafael Calzada — Information Security Lead, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid
Rafael Calzada has built deep, long-term expertise in university security operations, working on risk management, security monitoring, incident response, and defensive engineering in a complex academic environment. His experience includes building capabilities such as SIEM, automation, and web application defenses, along with coordination of incident response and technical security controls across Linux and Windows ecosystems. He also contributes to the broader Spanish academic and research security community through collaboration and knowledge-sharing, reflecting the sector’s strong culture of peer learning and collective resilience.
Building Resilience in a High-Access, High-Trust Environment
Higher education security is a constant balancing act: protect sensitive student and staff data, secure research environments, and maintain service availability—while supporting openness, collaboration, and large, diverse user populations. As universities expand digital learning and research platforms, the leaders featured here stand out for combining governance, operational rigor, and culture-building to strengthen cybersecurity without slowing down academic mission delivery.