Manuel Pizarro

Manuel Pizarro is a Spanish business mogul who is also a vocal critic of President Zapatero's economic policies. During Spain's 2008 general election, Mariano Rajoy appointed Pizarro as his candidate for Minister of Economy and Finance.Associated Free Press: Manuel Pizarro could be minister of Rajoy (January 15, 2008) Because Rajoy's People's Party of Spain failed to win a parliamentary majority in the elections, Pizarro has not assumed an official governmental position.

Pizarro's career began in business finance. He started working as a stock broker in 1987. In 1991, he was appointed Chairman of the Sociedad Rectora de la Bolsa de Madrid (the governing board of the Madrid Stock Exchange). In 2002 he was appointed Deputy Chairman of Bolsas y Mercados Españoles (BME), a company that manages and regulates Spain's stock exchage. He resigned from his posts in 2008 to prepare for the election.Mondovisione.com: Manuel Pizarro Resigns As Deputy Chairman Of Bolsas Y Mercados Españoles And Of Bolsa De Madrid. (January 24, 2008)