Romano Prodi

Italian politician and educator, he became Prime Minister in 2006. Prodi was a university professor who became President of IRI in 1982 and the Counsel of Italian-American Relations in 1983. Moving into the industrial executive positions from 1983, Prodi continued his professorships at various universities but also sat on numerous management boards, the editor of "Energia e Industria" and two other quarterly publications and member of executive scientific committees on geopolitics. He is the recipient of awards and holds an Honorary Fellowship to the London School of Economics and Political Sciences.

In 1999, after a nomination from the European Council, he was chosen President of the European Commission.

In 2005 Romano Prodi became president of the "Unione", Italy's centre-left parties' coalition. In October 2005, he won political leadership of the "Unione" and was positioned to be "Ulivo" 's main candidate for the April 2006 political elections.The election was close and the sitting Prime Minister, Silvio Berlusconi, hotly contested the results, but eventually ceded the post to Prodi. On May 17, 2006, at the bidding of the country's president a new government was formed, with Prodi as Prime Minister.

Prodi has degrees in economics with postgraduate studies from the London School of Economics. He is married with two kids.