
Josep A. Planell Estany (born Barcelona, 1951) graduated in Physics from the University of Barcelona in 1975 and earned his doctorate in Materials Science from Queen Mary, University of London in 1983. Since 1992 he has been full professor in the Materials Science and Metallurgy department of the Barcelona School of Engineering (UPC). He created, in December 2005, and then directed the Institute of Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC) located in the Barcelona Science Park (PCB).

Marta Aymerich is a medical doctor (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 1993) and has a doctoral degree in Medicine and Surgery (UAB, 2002) and a master's degree in Public Health (Harvard University, 1999). She is a member of the Translational Medicine and Decision Science Laboratory (TransLab) at the University of Girona, where she was a professor in the Faculty of Medicine from 2009 to 2014. She was director of the Government of Catalonia's Interdepartmental Council for Technological Innovation and Research (CIRIT) from 2004 to 2006 and led the Medical Research and Technology Assessment Agency from 2006 to 2008, where she had developed her research career since 1995.

Angels Fitó has a PhD in Business Sciences and Economics from the University of Barcelona. She has specialized in tax and financial management and management control and has taught courses on these subjects at a number of universities. She has been dean of the Faculty of Economics and Business from October 2010 to February 2019, where she also teaches in the field of financial management. Her teaching work has been awarded two teaching premiums. From 1995 to 2009, she combined her teaching work with a professional career in accounting and tax consulting for small and medium-sized businesses.

Pastora Martínez Samper has a doctoral degree in Physics from the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, an Executive MBA from EADA Business School and a master's degree in Leadership and Management in Science and Innovation (UB-UAB-UPF joint programme). Since 2008, she has been an evaluator for the Spanish National Research Evaluation and Analysis Agency (ANEP) in the area of technology transfer. Since April 2010, she has been managing director and the person in charge of international relations at the August Pi i Sunyer Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBAPS).

Carles Sigalés has a bachelor’s degree in Philosophy and Educational Sciences (Educational Sciences section) and a doctoral degree in Psychology from the University of Barcelona. Over recent years, he has carried out research into knowledge-building processes in virtual teaching and learning environments and into educational uses of the internet.
- The president is the highest academic authority at the University and, thus, takes on the corresponding responsibilities for representing and governing the University, without prejudice to those responsibilities assigned in the Statutes to the Board of Trustees.
- The appointment and dismissal of the president has to be ratified by the Catalan government, at the behest of the Foundation’s Board of Trustees, in accordance with the procedure established in the Statutes, after having heard the Council.
- The president chairs the Governing Council and any other meetings of the University’s governing bodies, apart from the Board of Trustees, the Standing Committee and the Council of the Foundation for the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya.
- The president, or the person they delegate, attends the meetings of the Board of Trustees and the Standing Committee of the Foundation for the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, in an advisory capacity.
- The president of the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya shall be appointed by an absolute majority vote of the trustees and shall remain in office for a maximum of seven years, without the possibility of extension, in accordance with that established in the Foundation’s Statutes, and after having heard the research and teaching staff.
- The president of the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya must have a doctoral degree.
- The president is assisted in their duties by the vice presidents. The president shall determine how many vice presidents there will be. The president shall appoint, dismiss and assign functions to the vice presidents in accordance with the regulations.
- The vice presidents are full members of the Governing Council.
- If the president is absent or ill or if the position is vacant, their functions shall temporarily be covered by the vice president they have delegated to or, should they not have done so, to the vice president with greatest seniority.