Mallorca female entrepreneur honoured with top CaixaBank business award

One of Mallorca’s best-known tourism leaders has been recognised with one of Spain’s most prestigious awards for female entrepreneurs, highlighting the continuing importance of the island’s hotel industry to both the Balearic and national economy.

Susana Carrillo, the general manager of Globales Hotels, has been named the Balearic Islands winner of the 2026 CaixaBank Empresaria Award. The annual prize celebrates women whose leadership, business vision and social commitment have made a significant impact in their region.

Carrillo will now go on to represent the Balearic Islands in the national stage of the competition, where she will compete alongside winners from the other autonomous communities across Spain. The overall winner will also be invited to take part in an international business event alongside leading female entrepreneurs from around the world.

Leading one of Mallorca’s biggest hotel groups

Carrillo has been at the helm of Globales Hotels since 2015, taking over leadership of the family business founded by her father, José Luis Carrillo. During that time, she has overseen the continued expansion and modernisation of the company while navigating one of the tourism sector’s most challenging periods during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Today, Globales Hotels operates 57 hotels across Spain, Argentina, Belgium and Nicaragua, employing more than 4,000 people. The company has an especially strong presence in the Balearic Islands, where it runs 39 hotels across Mallorca, Menorca and Ibiza, making it one of the region’s largest hotel groups.

Under Carrillo’s leadership, the company has also continued investing in its portfolio and developing new concepts, including the premium adults-only Caramelo Hotels brand.

Recognition beyond business success

The CaixaBank award is not based solely on financial performance. Judges also consider innovation, international growth, job creation, sustainability and diversity, alongside the long-term impact a business leader has on their industry and local economy.

CaixaBank said Carrillo was chosen because of her leadership of one of Spain’s leading hotel groups, her commitment to professionalising the tourism sector and her contribution to economic development and employment across the Balearic Islands.

María Cruz Rivera, CaixaBank’s Territorial Director for the Balearic Islands, said Carrillo’s career demonstrates how female business leadership not only transforms companies but also provides role models for future generations of entrepreneurs.

A milestone for Mallorca’s tourism industry

The recognition comes at a time when Mallorca’s tourism sector continues to evolve, with hotel groups investing in higher-quality accommodation, sustainability initiatives and new hospitality concepts while balancing visitor demand with local concerns.

For Globales Hotels, the award is another significant milestone, reflecting both the company’s continued growth and the role that family-run businesses continue to play in shaping Mallorca’s tourism industry.

Carrillo now joins a national network of award-winning businesswomen before competing for the overall CaixaBank Empresaria Award later this year, bringing further recognition to Mallorca’s hospitality sector on the Spanish business stage.