Óscar García Maceiras
Chief executive of Inditex
Óscar García Maceiras is the chief executive of Inditex, the Spanish owner of Zara, a role he has held since November 2021. A lawyer by training with a background in banking, he joined Inditex as general secretary shortly before being named to run the world's largest fashion retailer.
| Role | Chief executive, Inditex |
|---|---|
| Since | November 2021 |
| Previous role | General secretary, Inditex (2021) |
| Predecessor | Carlos Crespo |
| Background | State lawyer, Banco Santander |
| Works alongside | Chair Marta Ortega |
Who is Óscar García Maceiras?
Óscar García Maceiras is a Spanish executive and, since November 2021, the chief executive of Inditex, the group behind Zara, Massimo Dutti, Pull&Bear, Bershka, Stradivarius, Oysho and Zara Home. He runs the business day to day, working alongside non-executive chair Marta Ortega.
Career
García Maceiras is a law graduate and qualified as a Spanish abogado del Estado, or state lawyer. He then moved into the private sector, where he held legal and governance positions in banking, at institutions including Banco Pastor, Banco Popular, the asset management company SAREB and Banco Santander, where he was director of legal advisory and deputy secretary of the board of directors.
He joined Inditex in 2021 as general secretary and secretary of the board of directors. In November 2021 the board named him chief executive, succeeding Carlos Crespo, as part of a leadership reorganisation in which Marta Ortega was announced as the next chair in place of Pablo Isla. When Isla left the group in spring 2022, García Maceiras became the company's most senior executive.
Influence on the fashion business
His tenure has covered a period of strong sales and profit growth for Inditex after the pandemic, during which the group consolidated its store network around larger flagship formats and continued to develop an integrated model in which stores and online operate on a shared inventory and logistics platform. Inditex's online business, which began with Zara Home in 2007 and Zara in 2010, is now a core channel across its brands.
- Integration of physical stores and online sales
- Investment in logistics and distribution capacity
- Focus on larger, more productive stores
- Sustainability and circularity commitments across the supply chain
Modaes reports that under his leadership Inditex has also entered sustainability partnerships with other large apparel companies, reflecting pressure on the sector to address textile waste and supply chain impacts.
Why it matters
García Maceiras did not come from a retail or operations background. His appointment reflected the board's confidence in Inditex's established management structure and its emphasis on governance, with commercial and product teams continuing to run the brands under a central group framework.
Inditex sets benchmarks for speed, sourcing proximity and omnichannel retail across mass market fashion. As chief executive, García Maceiras is responsible for how that model evolves under new pressures from competition, regulation and sustainability, which makes his strategy closely watched by competitors, suppliers and investors.
Frequently asked questions
Who is the CEO of Inditex?
Óscar García Maceiras has been chief executive of Inditex, the owner of Zara, since November 2021. He succeeded Carlos Crespo and works alongside non-executive chair Marta Ortega.
What was Óscar García Maceiras's background before Inditex?
He is a lawyer who qualified as a Spanish state lawyer and held legal and governance roles in banking, including deputy secretary of the board at Banco Santander. He joined Inditex as general secretary in 2021.