Management Team
More than 500 professionals dedicated to delivering personalized service and energy-efficient solutions for the company.
>500
Employees
>10
Languages
>6
Regional offices
Leadership Team
Sofoklis Papanikolaou
Chief Executive Officer
Sofoklis has served as CEO of Molgas since December 2023. Prior to this role, he was the founder and CEO of Blue Grid, a downstream LNG and clean fuels supply and distribution company based in Athens, Greece. Molgas acquired Blue Grid in 2023, after which Sofoklis joined Molgas.
He began his career as a Management Consultant at Monitor Group (now Monitor Deloitte) in London and later worked in the shipping industry. Sofoklis holds a BA in Economics from Brown University and an MBA from Columbia Business School.
Fernando Sarasola
Chairman
Fernando Sarasola has been the CEO of Molgas from December 2007 to 2023 becoming Chairman of the Board from 2024. He started his career in the banking industry as responsible of Project Finance in Banco Santander and Bank of Scotland and worked in Private Equity following that. He bought a majority stake in Transmol Company (origin of Molgas) and incorporated in 2020 Infravia as main shareholder help the growth of the Company. He holds significant participations in different non competing companies of the energy sector. He holds a BA in Economics from Complutense University, and an MBA from Spanish Business School.
Arnaud Coca Bachelard
Chief Financial Officer
Arnaud oversees all aspects of financial management and strategy at Molgas. With over 15 years of experience in energy and infrastructure sectors, he has held senior finance roles including CFO at Velto, Controlling Director at X-Elio, and CFO at Plenitude Renewables.
He holds a Master’s Degree in International Finance from CUNEF University and a Bachelor’s in Business Administration from the University of the Basque Country (UPV).
Javier Romeo Montes
Chief Legal Officer
Javier joined Molgas in 2015 to lead the Group’s legal and compliance functions. With 20 years of experience, he began his career at Uría Menéndez, a top-tier Spanish law firm, specializing in corporate law and litigation. Before Molgas, he worked as a senior lawyer in the legal department of a major Spanish cement company, gaining expertise in industrial, energy, and mining sectors.
He holds a Law Degree from Universidad de Burgos and an LL.M. from Instituto de Empresa. Currently, he is pursuing a degree in History and Geography at UNED.
Juan Fco. Menchero
Chief Operating Officer
Juan has built a distinguished career in the cryogenic gases sector and at Molgas Energía SAU. He has held leadership roles in Logistics, Commercial, Technical, and International Business Development, and has actively participated in M&A processes.
He holds degrees in Chemical Engineering and Business Administration from Madrid.
Cristina San Miguel Avedillo
Chief QHSE Officer
Cristina holds a degree in Environmental Sciences and brings over 15 years of experience in sustainability and QHSE, implementing international standards across projects on five continents. She has multiple master’s degrees and an MBA, and was recognized as Best Executive Student (2021–2022).
Her expertise includes critical infrastructures such as gas, water, and energy, and she has developed technological tools to monitor sustainability and QHSE compliance.
Jaime Romero Rodríguez
Executive Managing Director – Energy
Jaime joined Molgas in November 2023, bringing more than 23 years of experience in the gas industry. He served as Trading Director at Union Fenosa Gas for nearly 20 years, including 12 years as a member of the Shareholder Management Committee of Qalhat LNG. His experience also includes roles at Naturgy, Pavilion, and as an external advisor to major gas consumers.
Jaime holds a PDD from IESE Business School and a Mining Engineering degree from Universidad Politécnica de Madrid.
Ieltxu Carcar
Chief Human Resources Officer
Ieltxu joined Molgas in May 2025, bringing over 20 years of HR experience across strategic and operational roles worldwide. He has served as HR Manager in Brazil, HR Director for APAC (China), Global HR Transformation Manager at Siemens Gamesa, and International HR Director at Saur.
He holds a Bachelor’s in Sociology and a Master’s in Human Resources Management.
Alexandros Lagakos
Managing Director – Southern Europe (SEE)
Alex leads Molgas operations in Southern Europe. Previously, he held roles as Managing Director at Blue Grid (acquired by Molgas), Freight Trader and Market Strategist at Thenamaris Ships Management, Senior Gas Analyst at Shell Energy Europe, Risk Analyst at Gazprom, and Energy Economics Consultant at Mott MacDonald.
He is co-founder of the Greek Energy Forum and a member of the UN Gas Experts Group (UNECE). Alex holds an MEng in Electrical Engineering (Aristotle University of Thessaloniki) and an MSc in Sustainable Energy Futures (Imperial College London).
Anders Torp Rod
Managing Director – Molgas Nordics
Anders was appointed Managing Director for Molgas Nordics in December 2024. Previously, he served as CEO of Gasnor, a Molgas subsidiary, and held leadership roles at Caera, Gasum, and Teekay Shipping.
He holds a Master of Arts in International Business from London Metropolitan University and a Bachelor in Business Administration from the Norwegian School of Management.
Gloria María González Melero
Chief Communications and Marketing Officer
Gloria holds a Cum Laude Ph.D. in Journalism, Communication, and Information Science, as well as a degree in Journalism, Communication, and International Relations. She complements her academic background with master’s degrees in Corporate Communications Management, Investigative Journalism, Business Marketing, Media, Influencer Marketing, and Audiovisual Journalism.
A distinguished communications and marketing leader, Gloria currently serves as Chief Communications and Marketing Officer at Molgas Energy Group. Throughout her career, she has led communication and marketing functions in multinational companies across sectors such as telecommunications, tourism, and advertising and public relations agencies, as well as in public institutions and various media outlets.