Former CaixaBank CEO Jaume Giró will be next economy minister

The former Caixabank CEO Jaume Giró will be the next Catalan economy minister, as daily Ara published on Friday evening.

Following the coalition deal signed on Monday by Esquerra and Junts, the economy department will be managed by the latter, who has proposed Giró although he is not a party member. 

Senior official and former minister Elsa Artadi was expected to hold the post, but, in the end, on Wednesday she said she would not be part of the cabinet as she is focused on her role in the Barcelona local council. 

Giró had also been in charge of the financial institution's foundation, Fundació La Caixa (2014-2019) and was one of the top names of Joan Laporta's run for FC Barcelona president earlier this year – although their bid succeeded in the Barça election, Giró in the end declined to join the club's board.

The also former Director of Communication and Presidency's Office for Gas Natural (1990-2004) and for Repsol (2004-2009) will succeed the newly elected Catalan president, Pere Aragonès, as economy minister – yet, according to Ara, unlike his predecessor, he will not combine this position with the vice president post because he wants to focus on the ministry. 

Giró was CEO of the Catalan-born bank when it was called La Caixa from 2009 to 2011, and went on to be deputy CEO when it was reorganized to Caixabank.

He agreed to quit from the financial institution in 2019, around two years after the Catalan independence push, which prompted Caixabank to move its offices to Valencia.

In 2020, he launched a reputation and strategy consulting firm, Giró Consultants, and was also editor for an online daily called The New Barcelona Post. 

Giró studied communication sciencies in Navarra university (1982-1987) and achieved a diploma in Business Administration and Management in Esade (1993-1994).