José Manuel Soria
José Manuel Soria López (born 5 January 1958) is a Spanish politician and businessman. He was involved in the regional politics of the Canary Islands before being elected to the national congress and serving as Spain's minister of industry, energy and tourism from 2011 to 2016. He was forced to resign in April 2016 after being linked with offshore companies in the Panama Papers. Early life and education Soria was born in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria in 1958. He holds a graduate degree in economics and business studies. Career Soria was a market analyst for Venezuela and the Caribbean at the Spanish Embassy in Venezuela from 1980 to 1981. He then served as the head of the imports service at the ministry of trade in 1984. He was lecturer of macro economics and international economics at the Centre for Trade Studies in Madrid from 1984 to 1989. He also served as the head of foreign trade at the ministry of trade in 1985, advisor to the minister of finance from 1986 to 1987 and chief of staff of the general secretariat of commerce from 1988 to 1989. He was the mayor of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria from 1995