Antonio Garza serves as Counsel in the Mexico City office of White & Case LLP, one of the world's leading global law firms. Prior to joining White & Case, Mr. Garza served a U.S. Ambassador to Mexico. Drawing on decades of high-profile political, legal and business experience, Garza serves as a counselor to CEOs, investors and entrepreneurs. He is recognized for his knowledge of US-Mexico relations and of the business and political environments of both nations.
Ambassador Garza currently serves as a director of Kansas City Southern (NYSE: KSU), a rail-based transportation company and is Chairman of its Mexican subsidiary Kansas City Southern de México (KCSM), and MoneyGram (NYSE: MGI), a global money transfer company. Additionally, Mr. Garza serves as independent director to Grupo ODH, a privately held Luxemburg domiciled holding company, focused on the ultra-deep water drilling industry in Mexico. Ambassador Garza formerly served on the boards of BBVA Compass and the US holding companies of BBVA (NYSE: BBVA).
Garza is a member of the Board of Trustees of Southern Methodist University and the Development Board of The University of Texas at Austin, and past Chairman of Texas Exes, the University's alumni association and amongst the largest organizations of its type in the country. Mr. Garza is a Director at the Council of the Americas/Americas Society, member of the Council on Foreign Relations and has been honored with the Aguila Azteca or Aztec Eagle, the Mexican government's highest honor bestowed upon a foreign national.
From 2002 to 2009, Mr. Garza was the US Ambassador to Mexico. Prior to that time, Garza served as chairman of the Railroad Commission of Texas, first elected to statewide office in 1998. Mr. Garza served as Secretary of State of the State of Texas and Senior Policy Advisor to the Governor of the State of Texas from 1994 to 1997, and prior to that as Cameron County Judge from 1988 to 1994.
Ambassador Garza holds a BBA from The University of Texas at Austin and a Doctor of Jurisprudence from Southern Methodist University School of Law and has been honored as a distinguished alumnus at both institutions. He is a member of the State Bar of Texas and the District of Columbia Bar, and is admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court.