Juan Carlos Ayala Calvo, a prominent figure in the field of financial economics and accounting, is set to receive the Gran Reserva 2026 award from the Colegio de Economistas de La Rioja on 22 October. This accolade recognises his professional and entrepreneurial achievements across various sectors, as well as his nearly three-decade commitment to applying knowledge for the benefit of his region.
This award, now in its eighth edition, is presented biennially to an economist with roots in La Rioja who has made notable contributions through their personal and professional journey. Ayala Calvo, born in 1961 in Hormilleja, exemplifies this spirit, having made the University of La Rioja his academic home and the study of local businesses his focus.
A legacy of educational advancement
During his tenure as rector from 2020 to 2024, Ayala Calvo left a significant legacy that continues to influence the university today. Under his leadership, the university signed an agreement to integrate a Nursing degree and established the Faculty of Health Sciences. Additionally, he initiated the development of a Language Technologies degree and a Medicine degree, both of which have been realised this academic year. These forward-thinking decisions are now benefiting new generations of students in La Rioja.
Prior to his rectorship, he served as the dean of the Faculty of Business Sciences from 2012 to 2020. His extensive involvement in university management dates back to his direction of the Department of Economics and Business from 2000 to 2004, and his role in the University Council from 1998 to 2004.
Bridging academia and local business
Ayala Calvo's career is characterised by his belief that universities should collaborate closely with the productive sector. From 2000 to 2020, he directed the Chair of Family Business and founded the Family Business Research Group (FEDRA). His work has been instrumental in understanding and strengthening the family business model, which is central to the region's economy. He also co-directed the Chair of Entrepreneurs from 2003 to 2008 and serves as treasurer and founding trustee of the Emilio Soldevilla Foundation for the Development of Business Economics (FESIDE).
A prolific academic
With a PhD in Business Sciences from the University of the Basque Country, Ayala Calvo has been a professor since 1997, contributing significantly to academic literature with 58 articles in scientific journals, 61 books, 74 book chapters, and 230 presentations at national and international conferences. He directed the journal Cuadernos de Gestión from 2003 to 2010 and chaired the organising committee for two international conferences on Business Economics. He has trained hundreds of professionals through doctoral, master's, and postgraduate programmes at various universities, including those in the Basque Country, Salamanca, Zaragoza, and La Rioja.
Ayala Calvo is a member of the European Academy of Management and Business Economics (AEDEM) and an accredited evaluator for the quality model of the European Foundation for Quality Management. Since 2000, he has collaborated with ANECA in evaluating the quality of universities. In recognition of his contributions, the University of La Rioja awarded him its Medal of Honour in 2025.
A celebration of a remarkable career
The award ceremony will take place on 22 October at 19:30 in Bodegas Franco Españolas in Logroño, and will be hosted by Domingo Mendi Metola, a member of the Colegio de Economistas de La Rioja. The president of the Colegio, Ernesto Ignacio Gómez Tarragona, will present the award, with participation from the president of the Government of La Rioja, Gonzalo Capellán. This event will honour a distinguished career and celebrate a person who has dedicated his life to demonstrating that economic knowledge can serve the public good. Like the region's finest wines, his career has deepened in richness over the years, making him a well-deserved recipient of the Gran Reserva award.
