Mauricio González-Gordon y Díez

Mauricio González-Gordon y Díez, Marquis of Bonanza (18 October 1923 – 27 September 2013) was a Spanish sherry maker and a conservationist. Most of his life he worked for the family company, González Byass, where he increased its exports to a worldwide level. His family estate was located in the wetland region called Doñana in southern Spain and was threatened by drainage efforts in the early 1950s. González-Gordon with the help of researchers and international support managed to preserve the site, while at the same time donating some of his family land to the conservation effort. Afterward, González-Gordon became one of the founders of the Spanish Ornithological Society in 1954. His conservation efforts for Doñana culminated in the creation of the Doñana National Park in 1969. The area was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994.

Early years González-Gordon was born on 18 October 1923 in Hampton Hill, London, United Kingdom, At the time of his birth, González-Gordon's father Manuel was the chairman of González Byass and was actively promoting the brand in the United Kingdom. He was homeschooled by private tutors and attended La Salle Buen Pastor college. He later attended the Instituto Padre Luis Coloma. His primary studies were followed up by economic studies at the Jerez College of Commerce, where he licensed as a teacher of trade. While working for the firm he was involved in the making, tasting and commercialisation of sherry and in later years he also helped the company expand into producing brandy and several sorts of wine. Immediately after he finished his studies in 1946 he joined the business and started at the bottom with the picking and crushing of grapes. During this time he also learned about the solera system, which is used to age different type of liquids. During this period González-Gordon managed to expand the business by exporting all over the world, including to the United States, United Kingdom, China and East Asia. After his time as president he continued to serve as an advisor to his son, Mauricio Junior, who took over his position. The trio wrote a memorandum which was presented to Franco himself by Mauricio's father Manuel. By November 1953, Bernis had finished a report on the value of the Doñana, which showed that the area had exceptional ecological value. The group sought international support for their goals and found it. The efforts of González-Gordon to dissuade Franco exposed him to some danger, After winning their fight against the construction plans González-Gordon, Bernis and Valverde wished to create a Spanish foundation for ornithology. The idea to start the organisation had already come up in their first meeting. In May 1954 they founded the Spanish Ornithological Society (SEO) in Madrid, which currently is the Spanish affiliate of BirdLife International. The trio had written the founding statutes among themselves. The organisation was supported by visits to Doñana of famous ornithologists as Edward Max Nicholson and Julian Huxley, with González-Gordon guiding them around.

Apart from his work at González Byass and his conservation efforts at Doñana he was also president of the local Red Cross organisation in Jerez de la Frontera, serving as its president for thirteen years, between 1974 and 1988.

Honours and decorations Mauricio González-Gordon y Díez was Marquis of Bonanza, obtaining the title after the death of his father in 1980. During the course of his life he received several honours and decorations:

Cross of Naval Merit with White Decoration awarded by the King of Spain for his dedication to sailing. Knight of the Order of the Dannebrog awarded by the Queen of Denmark (1985). Member of the Gran Orden de Caballeros del Vino awarded by the British embassy in Spain. Golden medal awarded by the Red Cross (1986). Golden medal of Oenologic Merit and Grand Cross of Agricultural Merit by Miguel Arias Cañete, Spanish Minister for Agriculture, Food and Environment (2011).

In 2004 he received the Bernis Award for Ornithology from the Spanish Ornithological Society/BirdLife for his pioneering work and lifetime contribution to conservation, especially of Doñana. He was awarded the Premio Andalucía de Medio Ambiente, the Andalusian Prize of Environment, by the government of Andalusia in 2005. In 2009 he was made hijo predilecto, favourite son, of the municipality of Jerez de la Frontera.