María Luisa Tierno Centella

Head of the International Unit, DG Comp at European Commission

Speaker

María Luisa (Marisa) Tierno Centella is Head of the International Relations Unit at DG COMP. Former Director-General for Competition at the Spanish Competition Authority (CNMC) for three years until September 2024.

Previously, she has led cartel investigations at DG COMP, such as Forex, European Government Bonds and SSA bonds, Gas Insulated Switchgear, and Animal Feed Phosphates (a record 35-year cartel). She drafted the legislative package introducing EU settlements and the 2006 Leniency Notice. She was an official of the Dutch Competition Authority for seven years, having practiced law for five years at Gómez-Acebo & Pombo (Brussels office). Marisa has a law degree (Universidad Complutense de Madrid) and a Master’s in European law (Université Libre de Bruxelles). She has multiple publications in the field of competition.