Rodrigo de Rato – Keynote Speaker

In 2004, Rodrigo De Rato became the Managing Director of the IMF (International Monetary Fund), taking over from Anne Krueger. He held the post until 2007.

Prior to that Rodrigo de Rato was a member of Spain’s parliament from 1982 to 2004. In March 1996 the PP party won the Spanish general election. Jose-Maria Aznar became Prime Minister of Spain, and Rodrigo de Rato became both second Vice President and political minister for Economic Affairs, which included commerce and tourism. In March 2000 the PP won power for a second time.

In his capacity as Minister of Economy, Rodrigo de Rato was also Governor for Spain on the Boards of Governors of the IMF, the World Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank, the European Investment Bank, and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. He regularly attended the European Union’s Economics and Finance Ministers meetings, and represented the EU at the Group of Seven Finance Ministers meeting in Ottawa, Canada, in 2002, when Spain held the EU Presidency. He was also in charge of foreign trade relations for the Government of Spain, and represented Spain at the World Trade Organisation’s ministerial meetings in Seattle, United States, in 1999, in Doha, Qatar, in 2001, and Cancún, Mexico, in 2003.

His current appointments include being Senior Managing Director of the Lazard Bank and member of the Management Boards of both La Caixa and Banco Santander.