María Carolina Schmidt Zaldívar (born 9 September 1967) is a Chilean politician and businesswoman who was the Minister of the Environment between August 2018 and November 2021, in the second government of Sebastián Piñera. She also served as the Minister of Education from April 2013 to March 2014.
Carolina Schmidt | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Minister for the Environment | |
| In office 9 August 2018 – 22 November 2021 | |
| President | Sebastián Piñera |
| Preceded by | Marcela Cubillos |
| Succeeded by | Javier Naranjo Solano |
| Minister of Education of Chile | |
| In office 22 April 2013 – 11 March 2014 | |
| President | Sebastián Piñera |
| Preceded by | Harald Beyer |
| Succeeded by | Nicolás Eyzaguirre |
| Personal details | |
| Born | September 9, 1967 Santiago |
| Nationality | Chilean |
| Political party | Independent |
| Alma mater | Pontifical Catholic University of Chile |
Education and early career
editShe graduated from the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile with a degree in commercial engineering, and also studied a short non-degree specialization course in Marketing at New York University.[1] After finishing her studies, Schmidt worked as a saleswomen in the United Kingdom under entrepreneur Alfonso Swett. After ten years, she became general manager of the Chilean branch of Nine West Holdings, focusing on expanding the brand to Latin American countries.[2]
Political career
editIn 2000, Schmidt was named general manager of the magazine Capital, serving in that role for eight years, and was later appointed by President Michelle Bachelet to the President’s Advisory Council, where Schmidt focused on children and women's work, specifically the "Chile Grows With You" program.[2] In March 2010, President Sebastián Piñera appointed her Minister-Director of the National Women's Service. Her primary accomplishment during her time as Minister-Director was extending parental leave from three to six months.[3]
In April 2013, Minister of Education Harald Beyer was impeached for "having failed to investigate complaints against universities allegedly engaged in profit-making"; Schmidt was highly regarded in Piñera's cabinet, and as a result she was appointed to the position, serving until Piñera's term ended on 11 March 2014.[4] In August 2017, Schmidt was named general manager of media at Copesa.[5]
Representing the original host country, Schmidt serves as President of the 2019 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP25) held in Madrid, Spain.[6][7]
References
edit- ^ "Carolina Schmidt Zaldívar". Americas Society - Council of the Americas. 2017. Archived from the original on 7 November 2017. Retrieved 6 November 2017.
- ^ a b "Carolina Schmidt es la nueva ministra de Educación". Universia. 23 April 2013. Archived from the original on 26 July 2019. Retrieved 6 November 2017. (in Spanish)
- ^ "Schmidt festejó aprobación del postnatal: Ha nacido el niño después de un proceso larg". Radio Cooperativa. 29 September 2011. Archived from the original on 1 August 2017. Retrieved 6 November 2017.(in Spanish)
- ^ Hurtado, María Elena (25 April 2013). "Scandal-plagued higher education sector gets new minister". University World News. Archived from the original on 7 November 2017. Retrieved 6 November 2017.
- ^ "Andrés Benítez y Carolina Schmidt se incorporan a GrupoCopesa". La Tercera. 31 July 2017. Archived from the original on 11 November 2017. Retrieved 6 November 2017. (in Spanish)
- ^ "Team, Presidency & Vision". COP25. Archived from the original on 2020-02-22. Retrieved 2019-12-15.
- ^ "UN Climate Change Conference - December 2019". United Nations Climate Change. Archived from the original on 2019-12-15. Retrieved 2019-12-15.