#WeLeadComms: Núria Manchado

Barcelona-based communication leader Núria Manchado is today’s #WeLeadComms honoree.

Núria is a corporate communication and strategy professional with a multidisciplinary background bridging law, institutional affairs, and brand positioning. She currently serves as Corporate Communications Officer at MedWaves, the UNEP/MAP Regional Activity Centre for Sustainable Consumption and Production, legally hosted by the Government of Catalonia, where she designs and implements strategic communication frameworks to strengthen visibility, stakeholder engagement and institutional positioning in the field of sustainability -an area central to today’s most pressing global challenges.

With over nine years of experience across public organisations and the private sector, Núria has led integrated communication strategies, managed corporate channels, overseen high-level events and institutional relations, and coordinated cross-functional teams in dynamic environments. Her expertise spans strategic storytelling, media relations, multi-format content creation, crisis and reputation management, and aligning communication initiatives with organisational values and impact goals.

Previously, in the fields of culture and science, she led communications at Next Door Publishers, positioning the company as a national benchmark in scientific dissemination. Her proactive and results-oriented approach led to an 85% increase in press coverage within her first two years, significantly strengthening the publisher’s national presence. Earlier in her career, she practiced as a lawyer at the J&A Garrigues the largest law firm in Spain and one of Europe’s leading legal practices, specialising in Public Law and Competition Law. This legal background provides her with strong analytical skills, strategic rigor, and a deep understanding of regulatory and institutional ecosystems. Multilingual, Núria thrives in international and multicultural contexts.

Núria understands communication as a prism: a single tool capable of refracting ideas into multiple dimensions of impact. When used strategically, it can bring a story from the margins to the front page of a leading newspaper, shape and mobilise a highly specific audience through a well-crafted campaign or give a project such a distinctive identity that it becomes instantly recognisable through its branding alone. For her, every communication initiative must be grounded in a compelling narrative, offer meaningful insight, and strike the right chord to capture attention and inspire action. And although artificial intelligence permeates much of what we do today, she still believes that the most revolutionary act of communication remains a simple conversation with a stranger on a train journey.

She is currently completing a Master’s Degree in Corporate Communication, Protocol and Events at the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC), reflecting her ongoing commitment to continuous learning and professional development.