- blog
Dear Community members,
What a sad way to start off a new year. Our friend and fellow Page member José Antonio Llorente has passed away after a battle with cancer at age 63.
José Antonio was a dynamic and active member of Page. He was the founding partner and chairman of LLYC (formerly known as LLORENTE & CUENCA), a leading communications, public affairs and digital marketing consultancy in the Spanish and Portuguese-speaking world with offices in 12 countries and more than 1,200 professionals.
His influence on the profession in Europe, the U.S. and Latin America was profound, and he was always quick to engage and share with his fellow members. Up until the end, he was actively posting on LinkedIn his gratitude for the work of his colleagues and his optimism for their success in 2024.
According to this touching tribute posted to the LLYC website, José Antonio was a trustee of El Museo del Barrio in New York, a member of the International Patronage Council of the Reina Sofia Museum Foundation, and a member of the advisory board of the ARCO Foundation. His philanthropic work included his commitment to the LLYC Foundation and the Spanish Association for the Fight Against Cancer.
José Antonio is remembered fondly by Page colleagues:
Mike Fernandez, SVP & chief communications officer at Enbridge and former U.S. CEO for LLYC:
José Antonio was an insightful strategist and dynamic business leader who transformed the practice of public relations across the Spanish and Portuguese speaking worlds. An early advocate for strategic stakeholder management and thought leadership he built what became the most significant agency across Latin America, Spain and Portugal. It was a terrific privilege to know him and work with him.
Juan Llobell, VP Communications and Institutional Relations, Cepsa:
José Antonio is a great loss for the world of communications. Endowed with great vision and leadership skills, he was able to anticipate major trends and create from scratch a great communications company with more than a thousand employees, a clear reference point in the Spanish speaking countries. He was a master with great values and a strong humanist profile, and his teachings have had and will have great followers in Spain, Latam and beyond.
Paulo Nassar, president of Aberje:
José leaves behind a distinguished legacy in the Spanish and Latin American corporate communications industry. He will be remembered for his intellectual brilliance, his entrepreneurial spirit and his affection for the field of human relations.
Hamilton Dos Santos, executive director of Aberje:
José Antonio Llorente was a kind, refined and cultured man. He was one of the most skilled crisis management strategists in the corporate world. Jose will be sorely missed by the global communications community.
Peter Debreceny, VP international, Page:
Having worked with José Antonio in his role as country chair for Spain, I was grateful for his efforts to grow the Page community there. It was always a treat to see him in person at Page conferences. He was a very active participant and brought a refreshing perspective from an important part of the world. His colleagues and friends in Spain and Latin America held him in the highest esteem as a valued member of the communication community, and he will be missed.
The LLYC website noted that today, January 2, his family was gathered at the Parcesa La Paz Funeral Home in Alcobendas, near Madrid, to celebrate his life.
I know the entire Page community joins me in expressing to José Antonio’s family and friends our heartfelt condolences for the loss of this dear colleague.
Best,
Roger
Roger Bolton
President, Page
