Josu Jon Imaz
Encyclopedia
Zumarraga
Zumarraga or Zumárraga can refer to:*Zumarraga, Samar, the Philippines*Zumarraga, Spain*Juan de Zumárraga, the first bishop in Mexico...
, Gipuzkoa, 6 September 1963) is a politician and chemist in the Basque Country
Basque Country (autonomous community)
The Basque Country is an autonomous community of northern Spain. It includes the Basque provinces of Álava, Biscay and Gipuzkoa, also called Historical Territories....
autonomous community, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. He was president of the Basque Nationalist Party
Basque Nationalist Party
The Basque National Party is the largest and oldest Basque nationalist party. It is currently the largest political party in the Basque Autonomous Community also with a minor presence in Navarre and a marginal one in the French Basque Country...
(EAJ-PNV), until he left his position because of his political differences with the Basque region governor
Lehendakari
The President of the Basque Government , usually known in English as the Basque regional president, is the head of government of Basque Country. The president leads the executive branch of the regional government....
, Juan Jose Ibarretxe
Juan José Ibarretxe
Juan José Ibarretxe Markuartu is a Basque politician of Spain. A leading member of the Basque Nationalist Party , he was President of Spain's Basque Country autonomous community from January 2, 1999 to May 7, 2009....
.
Imaz gained a doctorate in Chemistry from the University of the Basque Country
University of the Basque Country
The University of the Basque Country is the only public university in the Basque Country, in Northern Spain...
and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Chemistry from the Science Faculty in Donostia. In December 1986 he was seconded by the INASMET technology centre to the French centre CETIM in Nantes
Nantes
Nantes is a city in western France, located on the Loire River, from the Atlantic coast. The city is the 6th largest in France, while its metropolitan area ranks 8th with over 800,000 inhabitants....
under a grant from the Ministry of Industry and Energy as part of its programme for training researchers abroad.
He was head of the Composites & Polymers Area of INASMET from 1987 to 1989.
Imaz was recruited by the Mondragón Cooperative Corporation
Mondragón Cooperative Corporation
The MONDRAGON Corporation is a corporation and federation of worker cooperatives based in the Basque region of Spain. Founded in the town of Mondragón in 1956, its origin is linked to the activity of a modest technical college and a small workshop producing paraffin heaters...
in 1989-1991 as an industrial promoter and trained in general business management in 1989-90. He was head of the Department of Marketing and Foreign Relations of INASMET 1991-1994.
Imaz joined the Basque Nationalist Party in 1978 and became chairman of the youth wing (EGI
Euzko Gaztedi
Euzko Gaztedi Indarra-EGI is the youth wing of the Basque main nationalist political party, the Basque Nationalist Party . Their presence is in the Basque Country, in the Basque Autonomous Community, Navarre and in the Northern Basque Country...
) of his local party 1979-82. He served on the regional and national committees of the youth movement until 1986. He also served on the Zumarraga municipal assembly of the PNV-EAJ and was a delegate to the national assembly 1983-85, 1986–88 and 1992-94. He served on the Gipuzkoa party executive 1988-90. He also served as Deputy Mayor and Councillor for Treasury Affairs and Development of Zumarraga 1991-95.
Imaz was elected as a Member of the European Parliament
Member of the European Parliament
A Member of the European Parliament is a person who has been elected to the European Parliament. The name of MEPs differ in different languages, with terms such as europarliamentarian or eurodeputy being common in Romance language-speaking areas.When the European Parliament was first established,...
in June 1994, and served until 7 January 1999, when he was appointed Minister of Industry, Trade & Tourism and spokesman of the Basque Government
Basque Government
The Basque Government is the governing body of the Basque Autonomous Community of Spain. The head of this government is the lehendakari or Basque president that is appointed by the Basque Parliament every four years...
. He was re-elected as Minister of Industry, Trade & Tourism and spokesman by a Basque Cabinet meeting on 17 July 2001, having become a member of the Basque Parliament
Basque Parliament
The Basque Parliament is the legislative body of the Basque Autonomous Community of Spain and the elected assembly to which the Basque Government is responsible....
, and held these posts until 13 January 2004.
At the Basque Nationalist Party's general assembly on 17–18 January 2004, Imaz was elected chairman of the Euzkadi Buru Batzar (EBB), the national executive of the Party.
After he left active politics, he expressed an interest on going to the private sector but keeping a relation to chemistry.
As of 2008, he is the executive president
Executive president
An executive president is a president who exercises active executive power in a certain systems of government. Executive presidents are active in day-to-day governance of a nation, and are usually popularly elected....
of the Basque-based Petronor oil company.
He convinced the Athletic Club Bilbao football team to break its no-logos policy and wear the Petronor logo on their 2008-2011 kit.
He is married with three children, resident in Donostia.