Legend of Eurovent: Marta San Román
Eurovent was pleased to give Marta San Román the ‘Driving Force of the Eurovent Commission’ award during the Eurovent Summit in Prague. She remains fully committed to supporting the continued advancement of the Eurovent community and staff.
Marta San Román has built her extensive career at the intersection of technology, sustainability, and leadership, working across continents, industries, and corporate cultures. As the Director General of AFEC, the Spanish Association of HVAC Equipment Manufacturers, and Board Member of UNE, Spain’s Standardisation Body, Marta represents and promotes the interests of the HVAC sector nationally and internationally. Her professional background spans a variety of technology-driven industries, from electronics, refrigerants, and HVACR to renewable energy and indoor air quality. She has led projects and teams in mature markets where competition is fierce as well as in emerging markets, where agility and creativity are essential for success.
Marta holds a five-year degree in Physics, a foundation that shaped her way of thinking through both technical rigour and curiosity. Combined with her business acumen and broad experience in regulatory affairs and institutional relations, this background enables her to move fluently between the technical and strategic spheres, from discussions with engineers to dialogues with CEO’s and policymakers.
At AFEC, Marta channels her passion for sustainability and energy efficiency, positioning the HVAC sector not only as a provider of comfort but also as a key driver of health, decarbonisation, grid flexibility, and renewable integration. She actively promotes technologies such as heat pumps, solar thermal systems, building automation (BACS), ventilation, filtration, and indoor air quality (IAQ) solutions, firmly placing the HVAC industry at the centre of Europe’s sustainability and competitiveness agenda.
Upon receiving her Legend of Eurovent award, she stated: “If there is merit in this award, it belongs to AFEC and colleagues, partners, and friends who make Eurovent what it is: a true European family. I learn far more from this community than I could ever give back, and this recognition, to me, reflects that collective spirit. The essence of Eurovent reminds me of the Pink Panther, a perfect icon: universal, beyond politics, religion, gender, or race. A playful instinct that belongs to everyone and to no one. That is precisely Eurovent. Cool in complexity, reaching consensus without losing composure; clever with purpose, using technical and strategic insight to find solutions; firm yet respectful in advocacy; playful in connection, the human side that fosters collaboration and charming in representation; building confidence among policymakers and stakeholders.”
She further added that: “I am deeply grateful to be part of this story and keep working towards a sustainable future together. Eurovent, just like the Pink Panther, is more than a symbol: pushing the sector toward cleaner, smarter technologies. It has been a timeless figure since 1958! and agile for tomorrow’s challenges; a cultural bridge, beyond language and nationalities; and a gentle rebel, daring enough to question and, graceful enough to unite. Thank you, and stay a little pink.
Continue following our special ‘Legends of Eurovent’ series to learn about this year’s Hall of Fame of personas who have significantly contributed to the European HVACR industry.