Julio Bruno
Julio Bruno is a London-based international chairman, investor and former public-company CEO with more than 25 years of leadership experience across travel, media, technology, consumer and hospitality.
Since 2024, he has served as Executive Chairman of Lío Group, the international luxury dining and entertainment business born in Ibiza. Working with shareholders, the board and executive management, he focuses on strategy, governance, operating performance, brand development and international growth across the group’s destinations in Ibiza, Mykonos and London.
From 2015 to 2021, Julio was Executive Chairman and subsequently Chief Executive Officer of Time Out Group plc. He led the company’s AIM IPO and £90 million capital raise, subsequent financing, digital transformation and multi-year turnaround. He also oversaw the international expansion of Time Out Market and led the group through the profound operational disruption created by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Earlier in his career, Julio held senior international leadership roles at TripAdvisor, Travelport, Cendant, Regus/IWG, Energizer and Diageo. His responsibilities extended across the Europe, North America, Latin America, Asia and the Caribbean and included commercial growth, restructuring, digital transformation, market entry and cross-border operations.
His board, advisory and investment experience has included Pacha Group, GOIKO, Mercato Metropolitano, CoverWallet, Flyt, Floe, Audicus, Cervantes Theatre and the Central Saint Martins/Birkbeck MBA Advisory Board. He has advised owners and investors including L Catterton, Trilantic Capital and ¡Hola!.
From 2023 to 2026, Julio founded and built BeBeMe Wine Merchants, a London wine-import, distribution and hospitality platform that supplied more than 50 venues and included Bottles Osteria & Enoteca at Old Spitalfields Market.
Described by El País as “El mago del ocio”—“The Wizard of Leisure”—Julio writes a fortnightly column for La Nueva España on international affairs, politics, economics and culture. He is the author of Passion to Lead, a number-one business book on Amazon in the United Kingdom and Spain, and previously hosted The Internationalist and Time Out’s Your City or Mine? podcasts.
Julio has received two Spanish state honours awarded by His Majesty King Felipe VI: the Officer’s Cross of the Royal Order of Isabella the Catholic in 2025 and the Officer’s Cross of the Order of Civil Merit in 2019. He was also named Business Leader of the Year – Consumer Media by Campaign in 2021 and included in Forbes Spain’s Top 50 LGBT Leaders in 2025.
A Spanish and United States national based in London, Julio is bilingual in English and Spanish, fluent in Italian and has working proficiency in French. He holds an MSc in International Business from the University of London, Birkbeck.
International executive:
INVESTOR / BOARD MEMBER / ADVISOR:
Honours & Recognition
Julio is the recipient of two Spanish state honours, conferred by His Majesty King Felipe VI of Spain: The Officer’s Cross of the Royal Order of Isabella the Catholic (2025) and the Officer’s Cross of the Order of Civil Merit (2019).
He has also been recognised on the HERoes Advocate Executives, EMpower Advocate Executive and OUTstanding LGBT+ lists (2021), and was named Business Leader of the Year – Consumer Media (Campaign Publishing Awards, 2021).
- 'Royal Order of Isabella the Catholic – Officer’s Cross' - 2025
- 'Order of Civil Merit of Spain – Officer’s Cross' - 2019
- 'Business Leader of the Year – Consumer Media' by Campaign UK - 2021
- 'Top 100 OUTstanding LGBT+ Role Model global list' - 2021
- 'HERoes Advocate Executive' - 2021
- 'Top 50 EMpower Advocate Executive' - 2021
