Education:
- Holder of equivalent master’s degrees in law, political science and sociology.
- Honorary doctorate in humanities from Georgetown University and winner of the 2016 Sandra Day O’Connor Justice Prize granted the title of Officier de la Légion d’Honneur by the Republic of France (2016).
Professional experience:
- Lawyer, founder of Palacio & Asociados law firm.
- Independent Leading Director of Enagás, Director of Ecoener and of Emissions Reduction Corp.
- Member of the External Advisory Council of Energy Future Initiative (EFI).
- Member of the Advisory Committee of SATEC.
- Member of the Executive Board of the Atlantic Council of the United States.
- Member of the Industry Advisory Committee of the International Energy Forum (IEF).
- Honorary Co-Chairwoman at the International Tax and Investment Center.
- Member of the governing bodies of a number of research centres and public institutions: the MD Anderson Cancer Center, the Science Board of Real Instituto Elcano and the Global Leadership Foundation.
- Elective member of the Spanish Council of State (20122018).
- Member of the European advisory council of The European House - Ambrosetti (2015-2016).
- Coordinator of the Trans-European Transport Network (2014).
- Member of the Advisory Council of Foreign Affairs and Security (2010-2014) and of the Committee for the Appointment of Judges and Advocates-General of the European Union Court of Justice and the General Court (2010-2013).
- Advisor to the European Commission on justice, fundamental rights and citizenship (2010-2012).
- Vice President and member of the Executive Committee of AREVA (2008-2009).
- Senior Vice President and General Counsel of the World Bank (2006-2008).
- Secretary General of the International Center for the Settlement of Investment Disputes (2006-2008).
- Member of the Spanish Parliament, Chairwoman of the Joint Committee of the Two Houses for EU affairs (2004-2006).
- Spain’s first woman Minister of Foreign Affairs (2002-2004).
- Member of the Presidium of the Convention for the Future of Europe: participated in the drafting and legal discussions on the European Constitution project (2001-2003).
- Member of the European Parliament, Chairwoman of the Legal Affairs and Internal Market, Citizen Rights, Justice and Internal Affairs Committees, and Chairwoman of the Conference of Committee Chairmen (1994-2002).
Other information of interest:
- Guest lecturer at Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University and at the Mohamed VI Polytechnic University.
- She writes regularly for Project Syndicate and El Mundo, among other media.
- Regularly participates as a panelist in international conferences and forums.
