Adolfo Utor (Al Hoceima, 1961) is the president and the sole shareholder of Baleària, whose creation he captained in 1998. In addition, Utor is president of the ANAVE's Commission for Ships Operated by Alternative Energy Sources, the president of the Social Council of the University of Alicante, a full member of the Spanish Royal Academy of the Sea, and a member of the Board of Directors of the Valencian Association of Entrepreneurs (AVE), among other. www.adolfoutor.com @Adolfo_Utor
MEMBER OF OTHER ASSOCIATIONS
Exceltur
Spanish Tourism Board Advisory Board of the Spanish Network for Sustainable Development (REDS)
Bureau Veritas Spanish Naval Committee
Governing Board of the Association for the Advancement of Management
PARTICIPATION IN OTHER INSTITUTIONS
Conexus Foundation (patron)
EDEM Foundation (patron)
ADEIT Chair of Enterprise Culture
Marina Alta Business Federation (CEDMA)
Climate Community
Étnor Foundation
Gasnam
Empresa y Clima Foundation
Business and Climate Foundation
BatteryPlat
LAB Mediterráneo Foundation
Spanish Global Compact Network
Alianza Net-Zero MAR
Innovall
Club para la Innovación de la Comunidad Valenciana
ValgrAI
RECENT AWARDS
ESG Shipping Awards Silver Mention Environment Leader Award (2024)
Fine Award (2024)
AINOE's Outstanding Shipbuilding Award (2024)
Innovation Award of GasnamNeutral Transport (2024)
Alicante Chamber of Commerce
Business Innovation Award (2024)
Sustainability Award of Gaceta del Turismo (2024)
Innovation Award of Tourinews (2024)
Alicantinos Award of TodoAlcante (2024)
Lifetime Achievement Award, Premios Excelencia Turística de 8 Mediterráneo TV (2023)
Ecoísta Awards, Grupo Piñero (2023)
Outstanding Vessel, AINE Awards (2022)
Outstanding Shipowner. Fine Awards (2022)
A MAN PASSIONATE ABOUT THE SEA
Adolfo Utor was born in 1961 in Al Hoceima, Morocco, but from a very young age, he settled in the coastal town of Dénia, Spain, by the old Montgó Massif. The eldest of four brothers, today he is the president and sole shareholder of Baleària. As a student, he proved to be a young man committed to democracy, freedom, and social progress.
At the age of 23, he joined the former Flebasa shipping company, a subsidiary of Isnasa, and the predecessor of today's Baleària. He held many jobs until he became the company's general manager in 1990. From this position, he led an expansion process by opening new routes that multiplied the company's turnover tenfold. After the bankruptcy of Isnasa and Flebasa, Mr. Utor's experience and leadership skills, and the commitment of a select group of people, led to the creation of Baleària. It was founded on June 20th of 1998, with 16 founding partners and 126 employees. From the outset, the company has been committed to new technologies, constantly improving the fleet and opening new lines. In 2005, Baleària merged with Umafisa, owned by the Matutes family, with Utor remaining the majority shareholder until the end of 2021, when he became the sole shareholder.
Today, Baleària is the leading shipping group in Spain with more than 25 years of history in the maritime transport of passengers, vehicles and goods, with routes that link the Peninsula with the Balearic Islands, the Canary Islands, Ceuta, and Melilla on a daily basis. It is also the only maritime company that links the four islands in the Balearic archipelago. Internationally, it operates in the north of Africa (Morocco and Algeria) and it links the United States and the Bahamas.
The company's growth is based on its awareness of being a local shipping company with a global outlook and on the conviction that Baleària is not just an economic agent. “Baleària is so much more than its income statement. It is a common good, a social agent that builds bridges between territories, facilitates the movement of people and the exchange of goods, culture, and knowledge”, says Adolfo Utor, who is convinced that good companies
make societies flourish. “Responsible, committed companies with a soul”, he says regarding Baleària, which aligns with the values of ethics, responsibility, innovation, solvency, and sustainability.
Its mission has been to renew every day its commitment to the welfare of the citizens of the territories in which this maritime company operates. Baleària aspires to be a good company, committed to the Sustainable Development Goals, an eco-efficient fleet, and digital transformation. Mr. Utor defines this philosophy as “green heart and intelligent spirit”
Adolfo Utor is a born leader and, as such, he emphasises that there is no personal or business leadership without a project or a team. With the same energy and enthusiasm from the beginning, the president of Baleària continues to work to ensure that the maritime company he manages will keep on conquering new ports. It is no coincidence that he names his ships after women such as Hypatia of Alexandria, Marie Curie and Eleanor Roosevelt, all pioneers and civil rights activists. With these important gestures, Utor and Baleària express their tribute and their commitment to modernity, innovation, and excellence. It is a declaration of principles by Adolfo Utor, a man passionate about the sea, Dénia, and Baleària.
BALEÀRIA
Baleària is Spain's leading passenger and cargo shipping group, an international company with deep local roots and operations in five countries.
Baleària is synonymous with a vocation for quality public service within a strategic sector that contributes fundamental value to economic and social development in the regions where it operates.
Since it first set sail in 1998, Baleària has grown, driven by the innovation that is considered the key to its leadership, and through its responsibility to its customers and society. In line with this commitment, it continues to offer the highest levels of efficiency, punctuality and comfort, as well as increasing digitalisation
on all its routes, with a fleet of 43 ships and 2,600 employees who form a strong, cohesive and committed team.
The company is also a leader in sustainability thanks to its pioneering commitment to eco-efficient mobility, powered by cleaner energies including natural gas and electric propulsion. Its commitment to the energy transition is undeniable: part of its fleet runs on gas, it has two electrically-powered ships (and is going to build another two), it participates in projects linked to the use of renewable energies, like green hydrogen and biomethane, and it aims to achieve zero-emissions shipping by 2050. Thanks to this commitment, it was the first Spanish shipping company to receive the Green Marine Europe certificate.
From its very first construction, a highspeed vessel that was commissioned in 2001 and which revolutionised transport links between the Balearic Islands and the Spanish mainland, to the 2024 launch of the world's second fast ferry with dual gas engines, Baleària has charted a course based on responsibility, innovation, sustainability and solvency
