Marta Ortega

Marta Ortega, daughter of Inditex founder Amancio Ortega, became the company’s nonexecutive chair in 2022, inheriting the world’s largest fashion retailer as the industry faced reputational headwinds and fierce competition from ultrafast rivals like Shein and Temu. Under her strategic direction, Inditex-owned Zara has pushed deliberately toward premium positioning—partnering with John Galliano, for instance—while Inditex’s underlying machine has continued to hum. The company posted approximately $45 billion in sales in 2025, up 3.2%, with net income rising 6% to about $7 billion. Investments in AI are also fueling customer engagement. The company in December launched Zara’s Try-on tool, an AI-based virtual fitting system that allows shoppers to dress a personalized avatar in real products. It’s been deployed in 43 markets, with plans for further expansion. Ortega sits atop a company with a market capitalization nearing €150 billion ($169 billion)—roughly a tenth of Spain’s entire GDP.