Dirección
Section title Director
Antón Leis García
Director of the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation – AECID
The Director is responsible for directing and managing the main institution of Spanish Official Development Assistance, the AECID, whose purpose is the promotion, management and implementation of public policies of international cooperation for development, aimed at combating poverty and achieving sustainable human development in developing countries.
AECID, an institution of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, has more than 900 workers at its headquarters in Madrid and in its 48 Cooperation Units abroad - 31 Technical Cooperation Offices, 13 Cultural Centers and 4 Training Centers - located in Latin America and the Caribbean, the African continent, the Middle East and Asia.
Antón Leis García
Born in Santiago de Compostela in 1981. Married and father of two children.
Antón Leis García has an extensive career in the field of international development and multilateral affairs both in international organisations and the Spanish government. Prior to his appointment as AECID Director, he held several positions at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) both in the Global Relations Secretariat and the Office of the Secretary-General. Most recently, Mr. Leis García was Counsellor to the OECD Secretary-General, with the rank of Head of Division.
From 2018 to 2020 he was Senior Advisor at the General Secretariat for International Affairs, EU, G20 and Global Security of the Cabinet of the Spanish Prime Minister, where he coordinated the participation of Spain in the G20 and was responsible for other multilateral dossiers. He also worked as an advisor to the Secretary of State for International Co-operation.
As a development practitioner, Mr. Leis García specialised in economic governance, competitiveness and private sector development. He worked at the African Development Bank as a Senior Governance and Private Sector Specialist in Tunisia and Côte d’Ivoire after joining as a Young Professional. He also worked at the World Bank in Washington DC as Legal Counsel covering the Africa and Latin America and the Caribbean regions.
Mr. Leis García holds a Law Degree from Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, a Master of Laws (LLM) Degree from Harvard Law School and a dual Master in Public Administration (MPA) Degree from the London School of Economics and Sciences Po Paris. In addition to Spanish, he is fluent in English, French and Portuguese.
Information updated on: 30/06/2023
