Gus Manger

Gus Manger is a politician and businessman who serves as the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development in the Rayne administration. Gus Manger has been a United Sordland Party member since 1933 and served as the Minister of Development under the Alphonso government. He is the only cabinet member who managed to retain a ministerial position from the Alphonso administration. Gus was born in Valgen in 1899 to a family of old landowners who cultivated many farms in the Gruni region and exported crops, fruits, and other products to Lespia. He studied business at the University of Valgen, and later worked with OMEC in 1931 to help develop local agricultural, logistical, and energy companies. Manger used his OMEC connections to help Gasom, a company that contracted him, to attract top engineering talent. After helping his home region find foreign direct investment, he diversified his investments. Gus saw great potential in Anrica, as a middle-ground between the most prominent cities. He made significant investments there in the early 1940s, founding and running a successful logistics and tourism company. His strong relations with the city led him to acquire minority ownership in FC Anrica, the city's football club. In 1943 he was appointed deputy to the Minister of Economy, Commerce, and Energy of Tarquin Soll's 4th cabinet. After the party congress of 1946 and the loss of party leadership of Tarquin Soll, Gus joined the Alphonso government as Minister of Development. Gus was particularly successful in helping rural poverty reduction through international investment attraction, arranging high-value export routes for locally produced agricultural goods, and adjusting import and export taxes to drive the generated economic value up in Sordland. Between 1950 and 1952, he was crucial in arranging landmark trade deals with countries like Rizia, Lespia, and Anraka to improve the trade deficit of Sordland and help the economy to stabilize. Manger worked tirelessly during and after the 51 recession with the "Three Econs," consisting of Edith Agnoc, Mikail Aven, and Symon Holl, and helped Sordland avoid economic depression. He eventually supported Anton Rayne in 1953 after the collapse of the Alphonso cabinet. He was given the adjusted position of Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development in the Rayne administration in 1954.