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Puente Nuevo A new initiative to build bridges between IRM and risk professionals in Latin America and Spain is underway, as the Institute’s ambassador for the region José Morago CFIRM explains BY ARTHUR PIPER
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hen José Morago was invited to become IRM’s ambassador for Latin America and Spain, he felt both excited and a little daunted. As a native Spanish speaker – originally from Madrid – a highly experienced risk leader, and a former chair of the board of IRM, he is ideally qualified. But COVID-19 has made travel and video communication more difficult – and the region is richly heterogeneous in culture, languages and economic development. Understanding both the complex opportunities and risks the region faces, as well as taking a nuanced approach to each part of the vast geographical area, will be key to success. Latin America is a difficult area to define accurately – but Morago’s remit will include Spain, South and Central American countries, the Caribbean – as well as Mexico (see map). The region is unified more by language than geography strictly speaking because its inhabitants mostly speak Romance, or Latin, Languages – Spanish, Portuguese and French. There are an estimated 450 million Spanish speakers globally, and most live in that zone, so it is no surprise that there is common cultural ground between parts of Europe and Latin America. “It is worth highlighting the fact that Spain has been
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Given its size, Latin America is a region with significant growth potential and represents a great opportunity for IRM
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