American Express Meetings & Events has confirmed the appointment of Jose Antonio Ruiz as head of EMEA.

Previously, Ruiz was the director of Meetings & Events for American Express Global Business Travel España, a joint venture between American Express Global Business Travel and Barceló.

“I am pleased to officially announce Jose Antonio as the EMEA leader for American Express Meetings & Events,” said Issa Jouaneh, vice president, American Express Meetings & Events.

“Jose Antonio brings a wealth of meetings industry experience to his role, and is the right leader during a time of high growth and end-to-end services expansion.

“The EMEA region is a dynamic and transforming space for Meetings & Events.

“Jose Antonio has a deep understanding of the fundamentals of meeting management, as well as the innovative mindset to continue to evolve, automate and transform our business to meet the needs of our clients.”

As part of his newly expanded role, Ruiz oversees over 600 meeting professionals throughout EMEA providing group air, meeting planning, creative and communication services to local, regional and multinational customers.

Ruiz joined American Express in Spain in 1999 as a meeting planner, and subsequently transitioned to American Express Global Business Travel España as the country head for Meetings & Events.

Over the past 15 years he has played an integral role in successfully positioning the Meetings & Events business at American Express Global Business Travel España as one of the leading Meetings Management companies in Spain.

Ruiz holds a degree in Tourism from the University School of Barcelona and is based in Barcelona, Spain.