From 2011 to 2015, Antoni Vives served as the Deputy Mayor of Barcelona, Vice-president of the Metropolitan Area, and Vice-president of the Port of Barcelona. He was responsible for the Smart City and Urban Innovation Strategies in Barcelona, leading more than 10 municipal and metropolitan bodies. During this period, he was also in charge of the internationalisation of Barcelona, leading the city branding abroad, attracting investment, and connecting Catalan companies to the world.

During his leadership, Barcelona received numerous awards, including the 2014 European Innovation Capital (European Union), the 2014 Challenge Award from Mayor Bloomberg Philanthropies (Vincles Project), and the 2015 Juniper Research Ranking as the No.1 Global Smart City.

Previously, Antoni Vives served as the Secretary of the Cabinet Office of the Catalan Government. During that period, he created the first e-Government Consortium in Spain and founded the Institute of Advanced Architecture of Catalonia. His career began at Nissan Motor Company in Spain.

He graduated in Business Administration from Barcelona University and undertook the Leadership & Public Management Programme at IESE, Madrid. Currently, he is a senior advisor at the London School of Economics and a regular contributor to the National Press. He has published award-winning essays and novels.