CEO of Zara, Amancio Ortega – Childhood and Education
Amancio Ortega was born in a tiny town in northern Spain in 1936, just as the Spanish Civil War was beginning, and his family later relocated to Galicia in northwest Spain. His mother worked as a maid, his father was an itinerant railway worker, and the family resided in a row home next to the tracks. The only official biography of Amancio Ortega claims that a terrible event that occurred soon after the family moved to their new town served as the catalyst for his lifelong ambition for success.
He saw his mother pleading for a credit one evening as they walked home together, but the store owner wouldn’t extend her line, so she left the store empty-handed. Ortega was so humiliated at the time that he chose to quit school and go to work instead. This choice would later pave the way for one of the greatest retail careers in history.
Who is the CEO of Zara?
Amancio Ortega, the richest person in Spain and one of the richest persons in the world, is the founding chair of retail behemoth Inditex, the parent company of Zara, the largest worldwide fashion store. As one of the early and most successful forerunners of fast fashion – a retail concept centered on the quick creation and distribution of affordable versions of designs directly lifted from pop culture icons or fashion runways – Ortega developed a retail empire. Ortega was the 25th richest person in the world as of April 12, 2022, with a net worth of $46.9 billion.
The clothing chain Zara was founded in the Spanish province of Galicia. It represents the Inditex brand internationally and is the group’s flagship store. Brands including Pull&Bear, Massimo Dutti, Bershka, Stradivarius, Oysho, Zara Home, and Uterqüe are part of the fashion conglomerate’s portfolio. As of now, 2,220 of the company’s locations can be found in 88 different nations. Using a very flexible supply chain, Zara has always been ahead of the curve in fast fashion. Our innovative business approach revolves around our customers and encompasses product development, manufacturing, distribution, and retail sales.