Javier Gándara Magaña

Javier Gándara Magaña (b. Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico 23 November 1944) is a Sonoran businessman and politician. He is a member of the Partido Acción Nacional (PAN)(National Action Party). He was president of the municipal government of Hermosillo from 2009-2012. He is now the Sonoran government candidate for PAN.

He graduated in Business Studies at the Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México(ITAM). When he was young he joined the board of the business group Gemso, made up of milling companies Molino La Fama S.A., Molinera del Fuerte S.A., Harinera de Sinaloa S.A., and automotive companies, Autos de Hermosillo S.A., and Autos Kino S.A., where he began his business career. In 1997 he created Grupo Ganfer, a business group composed of agricultural industries, commercial and real estate businesses. Grupo Ganfer has become one of the most important business groups in the north-east of Mexico encompassing food companies, franchises, greenhouses, agricultural and real estate businesses. As a businessman he has been recognized as Businessman of the Year in 1992, Economic Promoter of Sonora in 2000, and Industria Maquiladora de Sonora.

In 1991 Gándara Magaña created, together with his wife Marcela Fernández de Gándara, a programme called "One Step at a Time", the first programme of the Ganfer Foundation, a private organisation which has as its principal objectives the support of young people and the prevention of alcohol problems and drug addiction, support for women, youngsters and girls for their overall development.Dissemination and support for indigenous groups in the State of Sonora, special support for young people with grants for study and sports projects as well as people with disabilities and people of the third age. Through the Ganfer Foundation successful programmes have been pushed forward, like the "Ganfer Fleamarket" (El Mercadito Ganfer), taking basic subsidized commodities to places where impoverished families live and "Entrepreneur Challenge" (Desafío Emprendedor), a competitive programme to promote Sonoran entrepreneurial talent together with Angel Ventures of México. The latter competition was won by a system to convert conventional television sets to smart televisions.

Gándara Magaña has been married to Marcela Fernández de Gándara, since 1972, and with whom he has six children: Javier, Luisa Alejandra, Germán, Ana Marcela, Gerardo and Adreana.