Jose Angel Gurria

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José Ángel Gurría — Life, Career, and Legacy

Discover the life and legacy of José Ángel Gurría: Mexican economist and diplomat, former Secretary-General of the OECD, and architect of modern economic governance.

Introduction

José Ángel Gurría Treviño (born May 8, 1950) is a prominent Mexican economist, diplomat, and public servant who has played a central role in both national and global economic policy.
He served as the Secretary-General of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) from June 1, 2006 until May 31, 2021, becoming one of the longest-serving leaders of that institution.
Before that, he held top cabinet roles in the Mexican government, including Secretary of Foreign Affairs and Secretary of Finance.
Gurría’s career reflects a blend of national governance, international diplomacy, and economic reform—making him a key figure in Latin America and global economic affairs.

Early Life and Education

José Ángel Gurría was born on May 8, 1950 in Tampico, in the state of Tamaulipas, Mexico.
He earned his bachelor’s degree in Economics from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM).
He pursued postgraduate studies in economics and related fields at University of Leeds (UK) and also undertook programs at Harvard University in the U.S.
Fluent in multiple languages—Spanish, English, French, Portuguese, Italian, and some German—Gurría brought a global mindset to his roles.

Career & Major Appointments

Early and Mid-Career in Mexico

• Early in his professional life, Gurría worked in Mexico’s public financial sector, including at entities like the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE), the National Development Bank (Nafinsa), and in local government roles.

• From 1976 to 1978, he was Mexico’s Permanent Representative to the International Coffee Organization in London.

• In the late 1980s and early 1990s, he became a key negotiator in Mexico’s external debt restructuring and international finance affairs.

• He became President and CEO of Bancomext (Mexico’s foreign trade bank) and also led Nacional Financiera (NAFIN), the national development bank.

Cabinet Positions

• From December 1994 to January 1998, Gurría served as Secretary of Foreign Affairs under President Ernesto Zedillo. In that role, he engaged in issues of international trade, diplomacy, and regional integration.

• From January 1998 to November 2000, he was Secretary of Finance and Public Credit of Mexico. During this period, he managed fiscal policy, government spending cuts, and economic stabilization.

During his time in finance, Gurría is credited with implementing multiple rounds of spending cuts (six times under the Zedillo administration) to help stabilize Mexico’s economy.
He also played roles in negotiating Mexico’s position in NAFTA and addressing the 1994-95 peso crisis.

Leadership at the OECD

In 2005, Gurría was selected to become Secretary-General of the OECD, and began his term on June 1, 2006, eventually serving through three terms until May 31, 2021.
Under his leadership, the OECD expanded its membership to include countries such as Chile, Estonia, Israel, Latvia, and Slovenia, and strengthened relationships with major emerging economies.
He spearheaded initiatives aimed at upgrading the OECD’s policy frameworks, promoting inclusive growth, tackling tax evasion (e.g. Base Erosion and Profit Shifting, BEPS), modernizing governance, and reinforcing the OECD’s role in global economic governance.
He also oversaw OECD responses to global crises, strengthened cooperation with non-member countries, and advocated for sustainable development and reforms.

After his OECD term ended in 2021, he has continued to remain active in global policy forums and networks.

Contributions & Impact

• Gurría repositioned the OECD from being seen primarily as a “club of wealthy nations” toward a multilateral hub of policy best practices, extending its reach into emerging economies and developing nations.

• He promoted “New Approaches to Economic Challenges” (NAEC) at the OECD, a reflective effort to rethink conventional growth models in light of crises and inequality.

• His leadership enhanced the OECD’s role in tax reform, encouraging adoption of transparency standards, exchange of information, and tackling profit shifting.

• He advanced inclusion, sustainability, gender issues, and social goals within economic planning and international cooperation.

• In Mexico, his policies helped steadiness during volatile economic times, and his fiscal discipline is often viewed as a stabilizing influence in the transition between presidential administrations.

Personal Life & Honors

Gurría is married to Lulu Quintana de Gurría, an ophthalmologist who leads an eye hospital in Mexico City focusing on underserved populations.
They have three children.
He has received numerous honorary doctorates from institutions such as Universidad de Valle de México, University of Leeds, University of Haifa, and Bratislava.
He has been honored by governments in over 30 countries with high orders and decorations—for example, the Grand Officier de la Légion d’honneur (France), Grand Cross of the Order of Orange-Nassau (Netherlands), and Gwanghwa Medal (South Korea).

Lessons & Legacy

• Bridging national and multilateral leadership: Gurría demonstrates how one can carry experience from domestic governance into meaningful leadership on the global stage.

• Adapting institutions: His work at the OECD shows how international bodies can evolve—expanding membership, modernizing mandate, and responding to new challenges.

• Balanced reform: His emphasis on fiscal discipline, inclusion, and sustainability offers a template for governments seeking growth without neglecting equity.

• Global dialogue and cooperation: Gurría’s multilingualism, diplomacy, and consensus-building traits were key in forging connections beyond borders.