Eduardo Aguirre was born on July 30, 1946 in Cuba. He emigrated to the US in 1961 via Operation Peter Pan.
Aguirre holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Louisiana State University. He is a graduate of the American Bankers Association’s National Commercial Lending Graduate School. He has received honorary doctorates from the University of Connecticut, the University of Houston, and the Universidad Tecnológica de Santiago in the Dominican Republic.
He was the United States Ambassador to Spain and Andorra, appointed by President George W. Bush, from June 24, 2005 until January 20, 2009.
Before his appointment as ambassador, Aguirre served from February 7, 2003, as the first Director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), an Under Secretary rank position in the Department of Homeland Security. At USCIS, Mr. Aguirre led a team of 15,000 employees serving over 6 million annual applicants seeking immigration benefits.
Aguirre was bestowed the Order of Isabella the Catholic Gran Cruz by Spain, Order of José Matías Delgado—Grade of Grand Officer—by El Salvador, and the Order of Christopher Columbus—Grade of Grand Officer—by the Dominican Republic. The Daughters of the American Revolution awarded him their 2004 Americanism Medal.
Aguirre is a member of the Delta Sigma Pi fraternity and received the Delta Sigma Pi Career Achievement Award in 2000. He received his Order of the Golden Helmet for 50 years of service with Delta Sigma Pi in March 2019.
He is currently the Chairman and CEO of Atlantic Partners Group L.L.C.; a consulting group offering strategic, geopolitical, and business advice to clients seeking to maximize their transatlantic business opportunities. Aguirre also serves on several corporate boards.
He resides in Houston, Texas.