Voices A total of 38 countries come together within the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) with the mission of designing policies that address social, economic and environmental challenges and, in doing so, improve people’s lives. In such a Tower of Babel, keeping the numbers under control is key. At the helm is Ana José Varela, Chief Financial Officer of the OECD and the highest- ranking Spaniard in the organization. A graduate in Law and Business Administration from ICADE and holder of an MBA from Columbia Business School, her more than three decades of professional experience span consulting, banking, insurance, strategy, finance, non-profit organizations and multilateral institutions. She has also been the only Spaniard selected for the Eisenhower Women’s Leadership Program. As Chief Financial Officer of the OECD, Ana José Varela is responsible for the organization’s financial management, including budgeting, the work programme, treasury, internal control, reporting, accounting and procurement. She also serves as Secretary to the Budget Committee, one of the three Permanent Committees of the organization, composed of representatives from all 38 member countries, which adopts decisions by consensus. Varela’s team leads the negotiations on financial rules and reforms, especially budget negotiations, which are often complex and painstaking, as the budget is the instrument that allows the organization to implement its work programme. 84