Carlos Gutierrez facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Carlos Gutierrez
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Official portrait, 2008
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| 35th United States Secretary of Commerce | |
| In office February 7, 2005 – January 20, 2009 |
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| President | George W. Bush |
| Preceded by | Donald Evans |
| Succeeded by | Gary Locke |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Carlos Miguel Gutiérrez
November 4, 1953 Havana, Cuba |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Edilia Gutierrez |
| Children | 3 |
| Education | Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education, Querétaro |
Carlos Miguel Gutierrez (born November 4, 1953) is an American businessman and former government official. He used to be the head (CEO) of the famous Kellogg Company, which makes cereals. He also served as the 35th United States Secretary of Commerce for the U.S. government from 2005 to 2009.
Contents
Early Life and Moving to the U.S.
Carlos Gutierrez was born in Havana, Cuba, in 1953. His father owned a pineapple farm. When Carlos was six years old, in 1960, his family had to leave Cuba. This was because of changes happening in the country after the Cuban Revolution. They moved to Miami, United States.
When they realized they wouldn't go back to Cuba, Carlos's father got a job in Mexico. Carlos learned his first English words from a hotel worker. Later, he and his family became U.S. citizens.
Carlos studied business at the Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education in Mexico. He did not finish his degree. This made him one of the few U.S. Cabinet members without a college degree.
Working at Kellogg Company
Starting at Kellogg's
Carlos Gutierrez joined Kellogg's in Mexico in 1975. He was 22 years old. He started as a sales person and a trainee. One of his first jobs was driving a delivery truck to local stores.
Rising Through the Ranks
Carlos moved up quickly in the company. By 1990, he was a vice president. In 1999, he became the president and CEO of Kellogg's. He was the only Latino CEO of a Fortune 500 company at that time. He was also the youngest CEO in Kellogg's history.
Fixing Kellogg's Sales
In 1999, Kellogg's faced a problem: cereal sales were not growing. Carlos came up with a plan to fix this. He focused on selling products that made more money. These included popular items like Special K, Kashi, and Nutri-Grain bars. The extra money helped pay for advertising and new product ideas. This plan helped Kellogg's grow its sales. Fortune Magazine called him "The Man Who Fixed Kellogg" in 2004.
Serving as Secretary of Commerce
Joining President Bush's Team
On November 29, 2004, President George W. Bush chose Carlos Gutierrez to be the United States Secretary of Commerce. This is a very important job in the U.S. government. The Senate approved him, and he started his new role on February 7, 2005.
Key Responsibilities
As Secretary of Commerce, Carlos Gutierrez worked on many important issues. He helped with U.S. policy towards Cuba. He also worked with Congress on new laws about immigration. He believed that securing borders was important, but also that immigrants help the economy.
He played a big part in creating trade agreements. These agreements help the U.S. trade more easily with other countries. For example, he helped with the CAFTA-DR and pushed for the Colombia Free Trade Agreement. He also helped businesses in the Gulf region after Hurricane Katrina.
After Government Service
After leaving his government job in 2009, Carlos Gutierrez continued to be active in business and public service. He became a co-founder and executive chairman of EmPath. He also joined the boards of several large companies, including Occidental Petroleum and GLW Corning.
He also became a scholar at the University of Miami and joined its board of trustees. He has spoken about important issues like immigration reform. In 2013, he supported same-sex marriage in a Supreme Court case.
In recent years, Carlos Gutierrez has shared his political views. He supported Hillary Clinton for president in 2016 and Joe Biden for president in 2020.
Personal Life
Carlos Gutierrez is married to Edilia Gutierrez. They have three children: a son named Carlos Jr., and two daughters named Erika and Karina.
See also
In Spanish: Carlos M. Gutiérrez para niños
- List of foreign-born United States Cabinet members
