The college of European commissioners has appointed Nadia Maria Calviño Santamaria as the next director-general for budget.
She is to replace Hervé Jouanjean of France when he retires later this year after five years as director-general. Calviño, who is Spanish, is currently a deputy director-general in the Commission’s department for the internal market and services, a post to which she was appointed in October 2010.
Calviño, an economist and lawyer by training, joined the Commission in 2006 as the youngest deputy director-general, in charge of mergers and anti-trust in the competition department. She was 38 at the time. Before joining the Commission, she held several posts in Spain’s national government, including as director-general for competition in the ministry of economy and finance.
The college today (2 April) also made three other senior appointments.
Olivier Guersent has been appointed as deputy director-general for mergers in the Commission’s competition department. Guersent is currently the head of the private office of Michel Barnier, the European commissioner for internal market and services. He is to take over from Bernd Langeheine, a German who retires on 1 June.
Guersent joined the Commission in 1992 after eight years in the French civil service. His last Commission assignment before moving to Barniers cabinet was as director of cartels in the competition department (2009). He was deputy head of the private office of Neelie Kroes in 2004-06 and adviser to Commissioners Barnier (1999-2001) and Karel Van Miert (1996-99).
Agnieszka Ewa Kazmierczak of Poland has been appointed as director of the resources directorate shared between the energy department and the department for mobility and transport. She is currently director for horizontal affairs and audit in EU agencies in the Commission’s internal audit service and is to take up her new post, which is currently vacant, on 1 June.
The Commission also appointed José Leandro as director of resources and communication in the department for economic and financial affairs. He is currently the principal advisor on socio-economic questions to Herman Van Rompuy, the president of the European Council. Before joining Van Rompuy’s cabinet, he was a head of unit in the Commission’s departments for development and for economic and financial affairs.
Click here for a 2006 European Voice profile of Nadia Calviño.