Belén Frau, IKEA Global Head of Communication

“Every city has its own character, but Bilbao is special to me”

Belén Frau (Bilbao, 1974) is an economist who lives in Copenhagen. But she returns four times a year to the city where she was born. “In summer and at Christmas and whenever I have a spare moment. My whole family is there. And my parents, who are still around, are elderly and they’re great“, she reveals.

Frau is part of the management team of the Swedish furniture and decoration multinational. She is a global Bilbao native. “When I come back, I have my own little tour. Visiting the family always comes first. Then, I meet up with my friends. And afterwards, I go for a steak with my colleagues from Deloitte. I try to go to San Mamés to watch an Athletic match, my children are huge supporters. The little one goes to school every day in Copenhagen, wearing an Athletic hat and backpack. I go for gildas in Indautxu, which is my neighbourhood, or to buy ham to bring back home. I have a great bond with Plentzia and we always go to the beach for a walk, even if it’s winter. Or to Barrika“.

I have lived in Madrid, Milan and Peoria (Illinois, USA). And he assures that “each city has its own thing: Copenhagen is a fantastic city, very comfortable; everything works well with super quality public services; in Milan you are just a stone’s throw from the mountains, the sea, and it is full of artistic and gastronomic richness”.

But Bilbao is something else. “It is special to me, I feel my colours. Bilbao has given me a lot. I studied my degree and began my professional career there. I try to give all that back despite my time limitations“, she stresses.

The economist suggests that Bilbao should take a step beyond the Guggenheim effect. “We must open up more to the world. We are humble and we don’t show off, we don’t make our goodness known. In addition, we need to reinforce English. When people come from far away, you need to improve your English. I also believe that we need to make business hours more flexible to guarantee tourists’ leisure time“, she proposes.

“Very few cities have the beach, the mountains and a gastronomic offer like ours; it has a lot to give”, she concludes.