Home Experts Gema Igual Ortiz
...

Gema Igual Ortiz

Mayoress of Santander

Born 10 September 1973. Studied to be a teacher. She worked in private enterprise and was manager of the Association of Young Entrepreneurs of Cantabria until her incorporation as councillor of Santander City Council in the areas of Tourism and Festivities in 2003.   

She was Councillor for Tourism and Institutional Relations from 2007 until November 2016, when she became Mayor of Santander, becoming the first woman to hold this position, which was revalidated after winning the elections in May 2019.  

Since December 2016, she has been a member of the Governing Board of the Spanish Federation of Municipalities and Provinces (FEMP) and in September 2019 she was appointed deputy spokesperson of the Popular Group in this body. From January 2021, she will represent the FEMP in the Local Forum for the Spanish Urban Agenda.  

She is also a member of the Plenary of the National Commission for Local Administration (CNAL).  

She has held the vice-presidency of the Spanish Network of Smart Cities (RECI) since February 2020.  

And she has been vice-president for Spain of the Conference of Atlantic Arc Cities (CAAC) until September 2021.