Ángel Gurría

Ángel Gurría
Name	Ángel Gurría
Caption	Gurría in 2018
Office	Secretary-General of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
Term start	1 June 2006
Term end	31 May 2021
Predecessor	Donald Johnston
Successor	Mathias Cormann
Office2	Secretary of Finance and Public Credit of Mexico
Term start2	1 January 1998
Term end2	30 November 2000
President2	Ernesto Zedillo
Predecessor2	Guillermo Ortiz Martínez
Successor2	José Francisco Gil Díaz
Office3	Secretary of Foreign Affairs of Mexico
Term start3	1 December 1994
Term end3	21 December 1997
President3	Ernesto Zedillo
Predecessor3	Manuel Tello Macías
Successor3	Rosario Green
Birth date	8 May 1950
Birth place	Tampico, Tamaulipas, Mexico
Alma mater	National Autonomous University of Mexico (BA), University of Leeds (MA)
Party	Institutional Revolutionary Party
Spouse	María del Pilar Ochoa

Ángel Gurría. He is a Mexican economist and diplomat who served as the Secretary-General of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development from 2006 to 2021, the first person from outside Europe to hold the position. His long career in international economic policy was preceded by high-ranking positions within the government of Mexico, including as the country's Secretary of Foreign Affairs and Secretary of Finance and Public Credit. Throughout his tenure at the OECD, he was a prominent global advocate for policies addressing issues like climate change, tax evasion, and income inequality.

Early life and education

He was born on 8 May 1950 in Tampico, a major port city in the state of Tamaulipas. He pursued his undergraduate studies in economics at the prestigious National Autonomous University of Mexico, graduating in 1972. For his postgraduate education, he attended the University of Leeds in the United Kingdom, where he earned a Master of Arts in economics. His academic foundation in economics at these institutions prepared him for a career focused on international finance and development policy.

Career at the Mexican Ministry of Finance

He began his professional career in 1972 at the Mexican Ministry of Finance, quickly rising through the ranks. He held various positions related to international finance and public credit, working under several administrations of the Institutional Revolutionary Party. During the 1980s, a period marked by the Latin American debt crisis, he played a significant role in Mexico's debt negotiations with international creditors like the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. His expertise was further honed through postings at the Inter-American Development Bank in Washington, D.C..

Secretary of Foreign Affairs (1994–1997)

Appointed by President Ernesto Zedillo in December 1994, he led Mexico's diplomatic corps during a complex period following the enactment of the North American Free Trade Agreement and the 1994–1995 Mexican peso crisis. His tenure focused on managing bilateral relations with key partners like the United States and Canada, while also engaging with multilateral forums such as the United Nations and the Organization of American States. He worked to restore international confidence in the Mexican economy following the financial turmoil.

Secretary of Finance and Public Credit (1998–2000)

In 1998, he returned to lead the Finance Ministry, succeeding Guillermo Ortiz Martínez. His mandate centered on stabilizing the public finances and overseeing the repayment of emergency loans from the United States Department of the Treasury and the International Monetary Fund that were extended during the peso crisis. He also managed Mexico's relationship with major credit rating agencies like Standard & Poor's and Moody's Investors Service to improve the country's sovereign credit rating before the end of the Zedillo administration.

Secretary-General of the OECD (2006–2021)

Elected in 2006, he began a transformative 15-year leadership of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, succeeding Donald Johnston. Under his guidance, the organization expanded significantly, welcoming new members including Chile, Estonia, Israel, and Colombia. He launched major global initiatives such as the Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) project to combat corporate tax avoidance and the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises. He also championed the OECD Principles of Corporate Governance and steered the organization's work on critical issues like climate change mitigation, digital taxation, and the Sustainable Development Goals.

Post-OECD career and other roles

Since concluding his term at the OECD in 2021, succeeded by Mathias Cormann, he has remained active in global economic governance. He serves on several high-level advisory boards, including for the United Nations Development Programme and the World Economic Forum. He is also a member of the Group of Thirty, an influential international consultative group on economic and monetary affairs. In recognition of his service, he has been awarded honors such as the Legion of Honour from France and the Order of the Aztec Eagle from his native Mexico.

Category:Mexican economists Category:Secretaries-General of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development Category:1950 births