Diego Valero is one of Europe’s most influential and forward-thinking pensions experts. Over more than four decades, he has combined rigorous academic insight with practical innovation to reshape how retirement systems are designed, governed and communicated in Spain and internationally.

As co-founder and president of Novaster and a long-serving academic with roles at the University of Barcelona, IE University (a private university in Spain) and at the London School of Economics, Valero has championed evidence-based pension reform. His work bridges actuarial science, behavioural economics and public policy, offering implementable solutions to the challenges of ageing societies. Few practitioners have contributed so extensively across both public and occupational pension frameworks.

A defining feature of his contribution is his pioneering use of behavioural finance. Through BeWay, his behavioural science consultancy, he has advanced participant-centred approaches long before nudging became mainstream, influencing auto-enrolment design, default investment strategies and communication standards across multiple jurisdictions.

Valero’s international impact is equally notable. He has advised governments, supervisors and multilateral institutions on sustainability, governance and reform, including leadership roles with the World Bank’s Global Pensions Programme and work on the Pan-European Personal Pension. He is recognised for translating complex actuarial and economic issues into accessible guidance.

Beyond formal roles, Valero has been a tireless educator and thought leader. His publications, lectures and teaching have shaped pension discourse across Europe and Latin America, mentoring a generation of professionals and consistently emphasising long-term thinking, transparency and the social purpose of pensions.