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Antonio Huertas
Antonio Huertas MAP.MC
Chairman & CEO, Mapfre
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Honorary Doctorate from the University of Salamanca for Antonio Huertas

📅 May 20, 2026 Universidad de Salamanca 93 MIN 957 VIEWS 81 SEGMENTS · 4 SPEAKERS
Conferral of an Honorary Doctorate upon Antonio Huertas May 20, 2026 11:00 a.m. Assembly Hall of the Escuelas Mayores

What Antonio Huertas said

Written from the verified transcript and checked against it. Every figure links to the moment it was said.

Antonio Huertas, Chairman and CEO of MAPFRE, received an honorary doctorate from the University of Salamanca on May 20, 2026, in a ceremony marking the fifth centenary of the School of Salamanca. In his address, Huertas traced the School's influence on Ibero-America, arguing that its principles of just price, distributive justice, and risk mitigation are embodied in the insurance industry. He cited the Consulate of Burgos (1494) as an early insurance hub, predating Lloyd's of London. Huertas highlighted the Ibero-American insurance protection gap of over $315 billion and the region's 2.8% share of the global insurance market. He proposed five strategic axes: quality education, catastrophe protection, digital inclusion, insurance as a gateway to the formal economy, and anticipating demographic aging. He emphasized public-private partnerships and cited MAPFRE's 40-year presence in Ibero-America as a model of social purpose.

Key takeaways

  1. Huertas proposed five strategic axes for Ibero-America: education, catastrophe protection, digital inclusion, formal economy entry, and demographic aging.
  2. The Ibero-American insurance protection gap exceeds $315 billion, with the region holding only 2.8% of the global market.
  3. Huertas argued that the Consulate of Burgos (1494) predates Lloyd's of London as a modern insurance institution.
  4. Huertas stated that life expectancy in Latin America rose from 59 years in 1970 to 76 in 2025.

Numbers and commitments

FigureWhat it refers toTypeAt
1551 Founding year of San Marcos and Mexico universities timeline 43:55
1494 Year the Consulate of Burgos was established timeline 52:48
1514 Year of the official policy declaration in Burgos timeline 52:48
over 215 billion dollars Ibero-American insurance market premium volume metric 58:12
2.8% Ibero-America's share of the global insurance market metric 58:12
nearly 8% Ibero-America's share of global GDP metric 58:12
315 billion dollars Ibero-American insurance protection gap metric 58:12
81% Protection gap against natural catastrophes in Latin America metric 59:51
59 to 76 Life expectancy in Latin America from 1970 to 2025 metric 1:11:35

Chapters

  1. 0:00Ceremony and laudatio
  2. 36:59Huertas's opening remarks
  3. 42:37University of Salamanca and Ibero-America
  4. 47:14School of Salamanca's economic ethics
  5. 52:01Insurance as heir to Salamanca
  6. 57:10Ibero-American insurance gap
  7. 1:01:10MAPFRE's Ibero-American legacy
  8. 1:05:38Five strategic proposals
  9. 1:13:17Epilogue and conclusion
Unknown 0:47 ↗
Good morning.
Turn around. I didn't catch that. What's happening? What's going on? Are we ready or not? Go ahead, a doctor has just arrived now.
Let's take the photo with the rector. Take the photo quickly. Let's take the photo.
Thank you. Hello, good day.
Amen.
Sir.
The solemn investiture ceremony of His Excellency Mr. Antonio Huertas as Doctor Honoris Causa is now open. Candidatum.
[Singing in Latin] Generosa turbam estudiosa... Vivat.
Rector Magnífico.
María Ángeles Guervós 13:59 ↗
Rector Magnífico, most excellent and illustrious authorities, Vice-Rectors of the governing team of the University of Salamanca, distinguished members of the Faculty of Doctors, and doctors from other universities who honor us with your presence, esteemed members of the university community, ladies and gentlemen: Today, May 20, 2026, I have the high honor of delivering, as spokesperson for the University of Salamanca, the laudatio of Mr. Antonio Huertas Mejías, who will be invested in this solemn ceremony as a new Doctor Honoris Causa of this institution.
It is a privilege for me to deliver this laudatio in a ceremony so full of solemnity and meaning. I wish to express my gratitude for this honor to the governing team and to the Rector Magnífico for entrusting me with this pleasant charge. I also want to express my most sincere thanks to the Governing Council and the Faculty of Doctors, whose endorsement has made possible this institutional recognition that allows us to experience once again a moving moment for our university in this year in which we celebrate the fifth centenary of the School of Salamanca. Allow me also to add a word of gratitude to my beloved Faculty of Law and my colleagues, without whose support I would not be here today, making the honor of speaking these words on behalf of our academic community even more special to me.
Before continuing with the laudatio, we will now watch a video outlining the merits of Mr. Antonio Huertas Mejías.
Narrator 16:03 ↗
Antonio Huertas Mejías was born in Villanueva de la Serena, Badajoz, in 1964. By origin, he is from Extremadura; by adoption, a native of Salamanca; and by vocation, a humanist committed to the world around him. He graduated in Law from this university, and it was here that he forged his legal rigor and an ethical vision of management that defines his professional career. In 1988, he joined MAPFRE, and in this company, which he has chaired since 2012, he continues to develop a brilliant career. He has consolidated this multinational present in 40 countries, leading its digital transformation and its commitment to sustainability.
He is also president of Fundación MAPFRE and believes that business must act as an engine of social and human progress, serving to promote education, culture, employment, and solidarity. A great example of this commitment to society is the bond that unites him to the University of Salamanca through Alumni. Antonio Huertas chairs this alumni network, which has become a strategic pillar of support for the university. From a very vibrant ecosystem, it contributes to promoting employment and the return of talent. He is part of Alumni's achievements, such as its historic growth that has led it to exceed 52,000 members worldwide today.
In Salamanca and as president of Alumni, he received the Gold Medal of the city and also the medal of the university itself in 2025—a recognition of this association's work as a strategic bridge between the university and society. His appointment as Doctor Honoris Causa is personal. This is the highest academic recognition from his alma mater, an honor that reflects his brilliant executive career and his service to the university community. His list of honors is extensive. It includes the medal of his hometown, Villanueva de la Serena, which he received in 2018 for maintaining a humble and generous bond with his roots.
Also this year, he has been accredited by the King as an Honorary Ambassador of the Spain Brand in the business management category. This recognizes his work projecting the excellence and reliability of Spanish institutions into the global market. Antonio Huertas has dedicated himself to senior management and the presidency of MAPFRE, but he has also developed a side as an author and communicator. His testimony has focused on demographic challenges and the role of older adults in the modern economy. His book, 'The Gray Hair Revolution,' reflects his ability to generate intellectual thought beyond executive management.
His success lies in understanding business as an engine of well-being and protection for people, in understanding that technology only has value if it serves to improve life and make us more human, and in reaching the top of the corporate world while keeping his feet on the ground and staying true to his roots. It lies in his institutional loyalty and his support for the University of Salamanca as an example of gratitude.

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APA, MLA, BibTeX
APA

Huertas, A. (2026, May 20). Honorary Doctorate from the University of Salamanca for Antonio Huertas [Interview transcript]. Universidad de Salamanca. CEOInterviews.AI. https://ceointerviews.ai/interview/1330886/

MLA

Antonio Huertas. "Honorary Doctorate from the University of Salamanca for Antonio Huertas." Universidad de Salamanca, 20 May. 2026. Transcript, CEOInterviews.AI, https://ceointerviews.ai/interview/1330886/.

BibTeX 
@misc{huertas2026_1330886,
  author       = {Antonio Huertas},
  title        = {Honorary Doctorate from the University of Salamanca for Antonio Huertas},
  howpublished = {Interview transcript, Universidad de Salamanca. CEOInterviews.AI},
  year         = {2026},
  month        = {may},
  url          = {https://ceointerviews.ai/interview/1330886/},
  note         = {Speaker-attributed transcript with timestamps}
}