IFCO has appointed Elia Lecea as Country General Manager for Iberia, effective February 2026. The appointment positions Lecea to lead IFCO’s operations and growth strategy across Spain and Portugal.
Lecea brings more than 15 years of international experience spanning supply chain management, key account leadership, and commercial strategy. She most recently served as Director of Retail Sales at IFCO North America, a role she has held since 2022, where she led major retail partnerships and helped strengthen strategic customer relationships in the North American market.
Before joining IFCO, Lecea spent a decade with CHEP, where she held several senior commercial roles, including European Key Account Director. Her background includes extensive experience working with multinational retailers and supply chain partners across multiple regions.
Lecea holds a degree in Business Administration and Management with a specialization in Finance from ICADE Business School in Madrid. She has also completed an executive development leadership program at CEDEP in Fontainebleau.
In her new role, Lecea will be responsible for the overall management and development of IFCO’s Iberia pooling business. Her mandate includes strengthening customer partnerships, driving sales performance, identifying new market opportunities, and supporting customers in improving both efficiency and sustainability across fresh food supply chains.
“Elia Lecea’s strong international background, combined with her deep understanding of retail and supply chain dynamics, makes her well-positioned to lead our Iberia business. We are confident that she will further strengthen our customer relationships in the region,” said Francesca Amadei, Vice President Southern Europe at IFCO.
“Iberia is a strategically important market for IFCO, with a central role in supplying European food markets. IFCO works closely with retailers, growers, and producers across Spain and Portugal to support efficient, resilient, and sustainable fresh food supply chains through its reusable packaging solutions,” Lecea said.
Lecea succeeds Lucía Aragonés, who has served as Country General Manager Iberia and played a key role in the development of IFCO’s business in the region. Aragonés will continue her career at IFCO Digital, where she will focus on advancing digital solutions for IFCO’s retail customers.
Source: IFCO
Rick LeBlanc, EMBA, is the founder and editor of Reusable Packaging News (subscribe to the free newsletter) and editor of Western Pallet Magazine. A supply chain journalist with more than 30 years of experience, he specializes in pallets, reusable packaging, material handling and related operations. Rick is co-author of Pallets: A North American Perspective and Pallets & Progress: A Collected History of Pallets and Palletized Handling 1922–1945. He is also an advisory board member of the Virginia Tech Center for Packaging and Unit Load Design. Read Rick’s full bio.
