Isabel Riaño is Director General for Competitiveness and Trade (COMPET) at the General Secretariat of the Council of the European Union since January 2022.

Previously, and since 2017, she was Deputy Director General in the Office of the First Vice-President and Minister for Economic Affairs and Digital Transformation, in charge of European and international affairs and the preparation of the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan.

From 2008 to 2013, she served as Financial Counsellor at the Permanent Representation of Spain to the EU. She has an extensive career in various senior positions in the Spanish Administration, specialising in European Union policies and international economic affairs.

She was Director General of International Finance at the Ministry of Economy and Finance, Deputy Director of International Financial Institutions, member of the Board of Directors of the European Investment Bank (EIB), the European Investment Fund (EIF), the Council of Europe Bank and the Spanish Export Credit Agency (CESCE). Between 1999 and 2004, she was also Economic and Commercial Advisor in Toronto (Canada) and before that, Advisor on international issues in the Cabinet of the Minister of Economy, Finance and Trade.

She holds a Degree in Economics from the Pontificia University of Comillas (ICADE) and is a Commercial Technician and State Economist.