María Jesús Montero, born in 1966 in Seville to teachers, María Jesús Montero graduated in Medicine and Surgery from the University of Seville and completed a master's degree in Hospital Management. She worked as the Deputy Medical Director at the Virgen de Valme University Hospital in Seville from 1995 to 1998, later becoming Deputy Medical Director and then Managing Director at the Virgen del Rocío University Hospital in Seville.

Montero served as Deputy Minister of Health for the Junta de Andalucía (2002-2004), Minister of Health (2004-2012), and Minister of Health and Social Welfare (2012-2015). She was a member of the Andalusian Parliament from 2008 to 2018 and held the position of Minister of Finance and Public Administration for the Junta de Andalucía from 2015 to 2018.

Since December 29, 2023, she has been the First Vice President of the Government of Spain and Minister of Finance. She previously served as Minister of Finance from 2018 to 2020, and was the Government spokesperson from January 2020 to July 2021. From July 2022, she has been the Deputy Secretary General and the number two of the PSOE.