Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs
What position did Elena Salgado take in Jul 2011?
Elena Salgado Elena Salgado Méndez ( ) ( born 12 May 1949 in Ourense , Galicia , Spain ) is a Spanish politician of the Spanish Socialist Workers Party ( PSOE ) who served as Deputy Prime Minister of Spain and held several ministerial portfolios during her political career . Education . Salgado is a graduate of industrial engineering . She has a masters degree in business administration . Career . Early in her career , Salgado held high-level positions at the finance and industry ministries ; Josep Borrell was considered to be a mentor to her . From 1996 until 1997 , she briefly served as manager of the Teatro Real in Madrid . From 2004 until 2007 , Salgado served as Minister for Health and Consumer Affairs . In this capacity , she tried to implement the so-called wine law , a project to prevent alcohol consumption among minors ; she confronted Burger King and urged the company to withdraw advertising for XXL hamburgers ; and she advocated for genetic selection of embryos for therapeutic purposes . Most notably , she became known as the architect of legislation that banned smoking in public places . In 2006 , she was Spains candidate for the post of Director General of the World Health Organization ( WHO ) . Following a selection process with 11 candidates , she emerged as the only non-medical professional among the five finalists who also included Kazem Behbehani , Shigeru Omi , Margaret Chan and Julio Frenk ; the position eventually went to Chan . As Minister for Public Administrations from 2007 until 2009 , Salgado played a key role in overseeing the roll-out of a stimulus package of €8 billion ( $10.7 billion ) for infrastructure projects by city governments . Despite her Galician origin Salgado later served as a deputy for Cantabria province since the 2008 general election . From 2009 until 2011 , Salgado served as minister of Economy and Finance and as first and second vice president of Spain , in the Socialist Party government of José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero . Amid a cabinet reshuffle , she succeeded Pedro Solbes as Minister of Finance in April 2009 in what was considered a surprise move by Zapatero and thereby became the first woman to hold this position . At the time , she was one of the few to have been in all of Zapateros governments , alongside María Teresa Fernández de la Vega , Elena Espinosa and Miguel Ángel Moratinos . She held the office until the fall of the Zapatero Administration in the 2011 general election . When Spain held the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union in 2010 , Salgado chaired the meetings of its Economic and Financial Affairs Council . During her time as chair , EU finance ministers agreed on a deal that provided $560 billion in new loans and $76 billion under an existing lending program to countries facing instability amid the European debt crisis . Also in 2010 , she helped launch the Global Agriculture and Food Security Program ( GAFSP ) , then a $875 million fund to help poor farmers , alongside several of her counterparts – Tim Geithner , Jim Flaherty and Yoon Jeung-hyun – , World Bank president Robert Zoellick and Bill Gates . On 12 July 2011 , Salgado became Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs , equivalent to the position of First Deputy Prime Minister , a position that Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba decided to leave to prepare his candidacy for the 2011 general election . In this capacity , Salgado led the central governments efforts in 2011 to force new budget controls on Spains powerful autonomous communities – that control one-third of spending in the country – to ensure it meets its ambitious budget-deficit targets , including by establishing penalties for the regions that fail to meet their budget targets . She also temporarily reinstated a wealth tax on people with net assets of more than €700,000 ( $962,780 ) in 2011 and 2012 , a measure designed to help close what was one of Europes largest budget gaps at the time while easing widespread voter discontent with spending cuts . Life after politics . Since 2016 , Salgado has been serving as president of the Asociación Española de Empresas de Consultoría ( AEC ) , a lobby group . Other activities . International organizations . - African Development Bank ( AfDB ) , Ex-Officio Member of the Board of Governors ( 2009-2011 ) - Asian Development Bank ( ADB ) , Ex-Officio Member of the Board of Governors ( 2009-2011 ) - European Bank for Reconstruction and Development ( EBRD ) , Ex-Officio Member of the Board of Governors ( 2009-2011 ) - European Investment Bank ( EIB ) , Ex-Officio Member of the Board of Governors ( 2009-2011 ) Corporate boards . - Doppel Farmaceutici , Member of the Board of Directors - Trilantic Europe , Member of the Advisory Council - Saba Infraestructuras , Member of the Board of Directors ( since 2020 ) - Motion Rail , Member of the Board of Directors ( since 2019 ) - Nueva Pescanova , Member of the Board of Directors ( since 2016 ) - Chilectra , Member of the Board of Directors ( 2011-2015 ) - Abertis Telecom , Member of the Board of Directors ( 2003-2004 ) - Hispasat , Member of the Board of Directors ( 1991-1996 ) - Renfe Operadora , Member of the Board of Directors ( 1985-1991 ) - Trasmediterránea , Member of the Board of Directors ( 1985-1991 ) Personal life . Salgado has a daughter .