| Dana Reizniece-Ozola | |||||||||
| Office: | Minister of Finance | ||||||||
| Primeminister: | Māris Kučinskis | ||||||||
| Term Start: | 11 February 2016 | ||||||||
| Term End: | 23 January 2019 | ||||||||
| Predecessor: | Jānis Reirs | ||||||||
| Successor: | Jānis Reirs | ||||||||
| Office1: | Minister of Economics | ||||||||
| Primeminister1: | Laimdota Straujuma | ||||||||
| Term Start1: | 5 November 2014 | ||||||||
| Term End1: | 11 February 2016 | ||||||||
| Predecessor1: | Vjačeslavs Dombrovskis | ||||||||
| Successor1: | Arvils Ašeradens | ||||||||
| Spouse: | Andris Ozols | ||||||||
| Party: | For Latvia and Ventspils, Latvian Farmers' Union | ||||||||
| Otherparty: | Union of Greens and Farmers | ||||||||
| Alma Mater: | Ventspils University College Riga Graduate School of Law International Space University | ||||||||
| Birth Date: | 6 November 1981 | ||||||||
| Birth Place: | Kuldīga, Latvia | ||||||||
| Module: | Chess career
| ||||||||
Dana Reizniece-Ozola (born November 6, 1981) is a Latvian politician and chess player. She has been managing director of the International Chess Federation (FIDE) since 2021.[1] She also served as minister of Economics (2014–2016) and minister of Finance (2016–2019) of the Republic of Latvia.[2] Reizniece-Ozola was elected as a member of the 10th, 11th, 12th and 13th[3] Saeima of the Republic of Latvia and worked as the chairperson of the Commission on Education, Culture and Science, Member of the Legal Affairs Commission and Member of the European Affairs Commission. In chess, Reizniece-Ozola was awarded the title of Woman Grandmaster by FIDE in 2001. She is presently vice-president of the European Chess Union.[4]
From 2006 to 2014, Reizniece-Ozola was Advisor to the Board, Board Member and Head of Ventspils High Technology Park. Before that, she was the Board Member of a research centre and industrial investment company. She has also worked at Ventspils City Council as the Head of the Investment Division.
Dana Reizniece-Ozola has studied International Business at Häme Polytechnic University of Applied Sciences (HAMK), Finland; law at the College of Law and linguistics at Ventspils University College in Latvia. She obtained a Professional master's degree in Translation and Terminology from Ventspils University College in Latvia and an Executive master's degree of Business Administration from the International Space University in France.
She has managed several projects related to satellite and space technologies, with the development the first Latvian satellite "Venta-1" at Ventspils High Technology Park being one of them.
Reizniece-Ozola won the Latvian Chess Championship for women in 1998, 1999, 2000, and 2001. In 1998 and 1999, she won the Girls Under 18 section of the European Youth Championships.[5] [6] In 2000, Reizniece-Ozola competed in the Women's World Chess Championship, held in New Delhi, India; she was eliminated in the first round after losing to Nataša Bojković.[7]
In the 4th round of the 42nd Chess Olympiad in 2016, Reizniece-Ozola defeated Women's World Chess Champion Hou Yifan.[8]
Reizniece-Ozola played for Latvia in the Women's Chess Olympiad:[9]
Dana Reizniece-Ozola played for Latvia in the Women's European Team Chess Championship:[11]
Dana Reizniece-Ozola served as Minister of Finance from 2016 until 2019.[14] She was a member of the Union of Greens and Farmers (ZZS) and a deputy of the 10th, 11th, 12th and 13th[15] Saeima (Latvian Parliament) and has worked as the Chairperson of the Commission on Education, Culture and Science, as a Member of the Legal Affairs Commission and as a Member of the European Affairs Commission. Within the ZZS alliance she was a member of the Latvian Farmers' Union (before 2018[16] – For Latvia and Ventspils). She left 13th Saeima in 2021 to join FIDE in the role of managing director,[17] since May 2022 she is not a member of any political party.[18]
In November 2017, Reizniece-Ozola submitted her formal application for succeeding Jeroen Dijsselbloem as the next chairman of the Eurogroup.[19] At the vote on December 4, she withdrew after the first round and Mário Centeno was eventually elected to the post.[20] [21]
Reizniece-Ozola is married to Andris Ozols, former director of the Investment and Development Agency of Latvia.