- The executive, with more than 25 years of experience in multinational market leaders in Education such as Oxford University Press, The British Council or Pearson, will lead the technological impulse of the group, the expansion of the B2B business lines and the optimisation of the B2C model.
EDUCA EDTECH Group, the leading Spanish technology-educational holding company in Spanish-language online training, today announced the appointment of Santiago Ruiz de Velasco Aranguren as the group's new Chief Executive Officer (CEO), effective 1 April 2026.
Ruiz de Velasco succeeds Rafael García-Parrado, who will continue to be linked to the organisation, accompanying the transition process.
The new CEO of EDUCA EDTECH Group joins the company from Oxford University Press, where he was Managing Director of the global English Language Teaching division -one of the three major divisions of OUP-, leading a team of around 1,000 professionals and an income statement with double-digit profitability. At OUP, Ruiz de Velasco has driven the strategy of institutional partnerships and the expansion of the B2B business model with universities, governments and corporations on a global scale.
He previously headed the English language teaching division at the British Council, He was responsible for the launch of English Online, a premium global English language teaching business for adults, which has since become one of the fastest growing products for the institution. His tenure at the British Council combined direct-to-consumer sales with a strong B2B and institutional strategy, managing relationships with governments and large organisations in over 100 countries.
His career also includes 17 years in Pearson, He started his career as a trainee and ended up leading several regions in both Latin America and Europe at a time marked by the digital transformation of these regions. At Pearson, he developed and scaled B2B business models with educational institutions, distribution networks and strategic partners, managing P&L in excess of £40M.
Ruiz de Velasco holds a degree in Business Administration and Management from the University of the Basque Country and an Executive MBA from the University of the Basque Country. IESE Business School.
His appointment comes at a turning point for EDUCA EDTECH Group.
After consolidating a sustained growth that has taken the group from 28 million euros in turnover in 2022 to 60 million euros in 2025, with a presence in more than 50 countries and a base of 120,000 students per year, the company now faces an ambitious Strategic Plan 2026-2029 aimed at scaling its model, improving its profitability and consolidating its position as a global benchmark in online education and technology applied to it. It should be noted that the group's B2B business lines already make a significant contribution to operating profitability, with EBITDA margins of over 70%, which positions B2B as the main driver of value generation for the group in the new strategic cycle.
A plan focusing on B2B scalability and B2C efficiency
The group's Strategic Plan is structured around two complementary axes. The first, and of particular relevance to the company's strategic vision, is focused on to leverage and scale B2B business lines. In the field of Corporate Learning, the SaaS platform Educa Pro already serves more than 400 corporate customers, with a recurring subscription model complemented by differentiated artificial intelligence capabilities. The objective is to multiply this base through geographic expansion, attracting large accounts and technological differentiation. In the B2B Content segment, the group has established itself as one of the main players in the Spanish training content market, with a 360º platform strategy that integrates editorial production, technology and services, and profitability margins that make it a fundamental pillar of the group's cash generation.
The second axis seeks to optimising commercial efficiency in the B2C segment, EDUCA EDTECH operates through brands such as Euroinnova, INESEM, CEUPE and Structuralia, with a catalogue of more than 18,000 training programmes. The strategy incorporates artificial intelligence in the entire acquisition and conversion cycle, adapting the
model to the new dynamics of generative search and digital consumption, with the aim of significantly reducing the cost of learner acquisition and improving the scalability of the model.
At the university level, the group operates through UDAVINCI in Mexico and the Miami International University (Unimiami), The group's own creation in the United States, which extends the scope of the official academic offer to three continents.
Artificial intelligence as a cross-cutting catalyst
Across all business units, artificial intelligence acts as a catalyst for the group's growth. EDUCA EDTECH has developed proprietary capabilities that include PHIA, an AI-based virtual tutor that personalises the learning experience and improves learner retention, and Educate LLM, a proprietary language model designed for the creation, updating and mass customisation of educational content. Both solutions represent differentiating technological assets with direct application in the group's four business lines.
Statements
Santiago Ruiz de Velasco Aranguren, new CEO of EDUCA EDTECH Group, he pointed out:
«I am extremely excited to join EDUCA EDTECH. I have been involved in the education sector all my working life and I firmly believe in the power of education to create opportunities that change lives.
We are living in an exciting and disturbing time. Solutions that have been working for a long time need to evolve. There is an unquestionable transition towards continuous learning that adapts to the speed of available tools and the needs of society.
EDUCA EDTECH is in a privileged position to be an international benchmark company with its vocation to use technology in the service of learning, a catalogue of products focused on continuous learning and a team with the talent and ambition necessary to become the organisation
of trust from our customers and partners who seek excellence through educational innovation.
This is an extraordinary opportunity and I am committed to using all my experience to make EDUCA EDTECH a global reference to help our partners and students develop their full potential and change lives.»
Jesús Moreno Hidalgo, Chairman of the Board of Directors of EDUCA EDTECH Group, he said:
«Santiago's appointment marks a new phase for EDUCA EDTECH Group. We were looking for a leader with proven experience in transforming complex education organisations on a global scale, and his track record of leading divisions at Oxford University Press, Pearson and the British Council is exactly what the group needs for its next phase of growth. The addition of such a senior figure reflects the institutional maturity of the company and our determination to compete at the highest international level.»
Value creation trajectory
Over the past three years, EDUCA EDTECH Group has undergone a profound transformation. The group has integrated strategic acquisitions - including Structuralia, CEUPE and CAPMAN - that have strengthened its presence in key verticals and international markets. It has created Miami International University as its own university platform in the United States. It has developed proprietary artificial intelligence capabilities applied to education. And it has professionalised its governance and management structure, laying the foundations for a new phase of sustainable and profitable growth.
With the incorporation of Santiago Ruiz de Velasco, the company reaffirms its ambition to position itself as the benchmark EdTech group in the Spanish-speaking market, with a global vocation and with artificial intelligence at the core of its value proposition.
About EDUCA EDTECH Group
EDUCA EDTECH Group is a Spanish technological-educational holding company that integrates leading educational institutions in online training, including Euroinnova International Online Education, INESEM Business School, Structuralia, CEUPE, Red Educa, UDAVINCI and Miami International University (Unimiami). With more than 20 years of experience, the group offers bachelor's, master's, postgraduate and continuing education programmes in digital format, backed by self-developed technological platforms and artificial intelligence solutions. It operates in more than 50 countries, trains 120,000 students a year and has a catalogue of more than 18,000 programmes. EDUCA EDTECH Group is backed by Aurica Capital as a reference shareholder. Its mission is to democratise access to quality education anywhere in the world through technology and innovation.
