Koldo Saratxaga

Koldo Saratxaga was born in Sopuerta (Vizcaya) in 1947. He is a Technical Engineer and possesses two Master degrees from the University of Deusto and the University Autonoma of Madrid. Once he had completed his engineering studies, Koldo started his professional career in Vidrierías, Llodio-Villosa where, for fourteen years, he was responsible for different departments. The following seven years, from 1984, were dedicated to the primary sector, as a promoter and a manager in ETORKI, S. Coop, in CAJA LABORAL, working in cooperatives that were in crisis, and in UROLA, S. Coop, where he spent a little more than two years achieving great results.

From 1991 to 2005, Koldo took over IRIZAR, S. Coop as the General Coordinator of the Irizar Project whilst also acting as President of the Irizar group.

Koldo Saratxaga has been presented, amongst others, with the following prizes: Premio Empresario Guipuzcoana del Año (Business Person of the Year in Gipuzkoa) awarded by the Chamber of Commerce of Gipuzkoa (1997), Premio Emprendedor del Año en España (Entrepreneur of the Year in Spain) awarded by Ernst&Young, La Caixa and Cinco Días (1997), Premio al Mejor Empresario del Pais Vasco (Prize for the Best Business Person of the Basque Country) (2001).

Irizar is currently the only Spanish public company in Europe to obtain the European EFQM prize, in the year 2000, as well as the Best Coach of the Year in Europe in 2004. In 2005, Koldo was named the ´Manager with the highest reputation´ of the Basque Country, according to the leaders who were consulted for the report Recor Euskadi 2005.