About us
AIRES – AI Research & Engineering Studio is an independent lab for artificial intelligence research, strategy, and implementation.
Pedro Liaño
Founder & CEO · AIRES – AI Research & Engineering Studio
In 2025, Pedro was named one of the Top 100 Global Innovators in Data, Analytics & AI, an annual international award that recognizes the 100 professionals with the greatest impact on how businesses put data and artificial intelligence to work.
A telecommunications engineer who completed an executive program at MIT Sloan School of Management, he has built a 25-year international career across Spain, the United States, Ireland, the United Arab Emirates (Dubai), and Malaysia, including fifteen years at IBM. He has worked in retail, manufacturing, banking, pharmaceuticals, and consulting, always turning data into business decisions.
He has held the most senior data roles: he served as Chief Data & Analytics Officer at Sulzer and is currently Fractional Chief Data & AI Officer at Bed Bath & Beyond.
He is a member of the Club Chief Data Officer — Spain & Latam, the forum that brings together data leaders from both markets, and was the Data & Cloud Host at Digital Enterprise Show 2026 in Málaga, one of Europe's major digital transformation events.
He also teaches executives: he is a specialist tutor at IE University's School of Science and Technology, in the Master in Business Analytics and Data Science, and a professor in the PEGD (Programa Ejecutivo de Gestión Directiva), the University of Cantabria's executive management program.
Over his career, he has led digital transformation projects worth more than $50 million and managed international technical teams of 100 people.
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Mónica San José
Chief Business Officer · AIRES – AI Research & Engineering Studio
Mónica San José has more than 25 years of experience leading sales strategy, international expansion, and business transformation in fashion and retail. She has held executive roles at companies including Sephora (LVMH), Roberto Verino, El Corte Inglés, VF Corporation, Levi's, Kontoor Brands, and Perry Ellis International, where she built omnichannel growth models powered by data and technology and managed international teams and operations. She has run businesses of up to $250 million, led teams of more than 400 people, served on international executive committees, and owned the P&L — with a growing focus on applying artificial intelligence to sales strategy and operations.
She currently works with Perry Ellis International, growing its brands across Europe, the Middle East, and India. She also advises companies on sales strategy, international expansion, business transformation, and applied AI.
She holds a law degree with the Premio Extraordinario (Spain's top academic distinction) and is an “Alumna Distinguida de la Universidad de Cantabria” (Distinguished Alumna of the University of Cantabria). She has served on the Advisory Board of Eco-Intelligent Growth; she is vice president and a member of the Governing Board of the Alumni association of the Escuela de Consejeros, backed by IESE, KPMG, and AED; a member of the Expert Committee of the Asociación Española del Retail (Spanish Retail Association), on its Technology Subcommittee; and an ambassador for The New Retail Business School.
She speaks regularly on business strategy, retail transformation, and applied AI at national and international forums, and has contributed to publications and working groups on digital experience and agentic AI. Rethink Retail nominated her as a Top AI Leader in Retail.
monica.sanjose@airesstudio.ai
John Picking
Co-founder · AIRES – AI Research & Engineering Studio
An artificial intelligence specialist with more than 15 years of experience helping small and midsize businesses modernize, automate processes, and adopt AI that makes a real difference. He has worked with companies in retail, logistics, manufacturing, healthcare, and professional services, supporting them from their first steps in digitalization to deploying predictive models and generative AI tools.
He pairs strategic vision with technical skill, so small and midsize businesses get fast, measurable results: lower operating costs, automated repetitive tasks, better sales and customer service, and new data-driven business models.
john.picking@airesstudio.aiWhat AIRES – AI Research & Engineering Studio is
AIRES stands for AI Research & Engineering Studio. The name reflects the project's two pillars: applied research on the AI market, and applied engineering to implement AI that works in real companies.
We're based at the Centro de Iniciativas Empresariales (CIE) in Santander, Spain, and work with companies across Europe, on site or remotely.
Unlike consulting firms that resell third-party technology or agencies that bolt on “AI” as a trendy service, AIRES – AI Research & Engineering Studio is independent: we have no commercial agreements with AI software vendors. We recommend what works for each client, not what earns us the highest margin.
That makes us especially valuable for audits, assessments, and AI strategy design, where impartiality is critical.
The three verticals of AIRES – AI Research & Engineering Studio
AIRES Lab
The implementation lab
The lab where we assess your company's AI maturity, tailor AI to your business, and scale it while managing the change. We work directly with your teams to implement AI with a measurable financial return and full regulatory compliance.
- Independent AI audits
- AI project management
- EU AI Act compliance
- Support for leadership teams
DALIA by AIRES
The methodology
The strategic judgment that comes before the technology. Our own proven framework for assessing, prioritizing, and governing AI adoption in your company, built around five phases.
- D · Diagnosis: opportunity and maturity
- A · Analysis: financial viability and ROI
- L · Leadership: organizational readiness and sponsorship
- I · Strategic implementation: prioritization and launch
- A · Adoption: governance, measurement, and scaling
AIRES Observatory
The research observatory
Our unit for independent research and analysis on the AI market. We publish trend reports, tool comparisons, and regulatory impact analyses for companies and professionals who need real intelligence on the AI ecosystem.
- Regular AI trend reports
- Benchmarks of business AI tools
- Regulatory analysis (EU AI Act, GDPR)
- Signals from the global AI ecosystem
How we work
We don't implement AI because it's trendy. We only recommend what has a proven financial return for that specific use case.
No commercial agreements with technology vendors. We recommend what's best for the client, not for our bottom line.
We talk about what AI can do today, not what it promises for 2030. Realistic expectations from day one.
Our goal isn't to make you dependent on us. We train your teams to be self-sufficient, so they can maintain and evolve the solutions we implement.
Contact
Our project leads handle every initial inquiry personally.