Starting in September of this year, lawyer Iván Marambio will assume the presidency of the Association of Exporters of Chile, a leadership that will mark a new stage in the history of Asoex, an entity that has been in existence for 87 years contributing to the development and growth of the fresh fruit export sector in Chile, the people of the fruit and the country.
To learn more about his professional and personal life, as well as how he sees the future of work at ASOEX, we spoke with Iván Marambio, a lawyer from the Diego Portales University, who has been linked to the fruit industry for much of his professional life.
He was born in 1966 and has been married for 27 years to Isabel González Retamal, with whom he has three daughters. Two of them are in college and one has already graduated. He is a football fanatic and defines himself as “crossed at heart”. He also practices golf and running.
He studied at the Colegio San Ignacio El Bosque in Santiago. His work as a lawyer initially led him to work in various law firms, arriving in the fruit industry in 2000, as an executive of Dole Chile SA, where he has played leadership roles in the legal areas for Chile, Latin America and South Africa, in matters related to sustainability and the export of fresh fruit from different countries.
Since 2014, he has served as a member of the ASOEX Board of Directors, and within the next few months, he will assume the role of president of the entity, a position he said he assumes with great commitment and optimism. “It is a huge responsibility. I think that leading the Chilean fruit export industry is a job, a mission and a very important and necessary task in several aspects. On the one hand, for the associates, but also for the country, for the people who are behind the fruit export. The world of fruit export is huge, therefore, I take on the work for the future with a lot of responsibility, but also optimism regarding what we can build in the future to take the industry where, as a sector, we want to place it.”, Marambio said.
Deep down, he said that he takes this nomination “It is an honour to represent the people I have worked with for much of my life.”
Leadership based on dialogue and agreements
Although Marambio indicated that he has not thought about imposing a special seal as future president of ASOEX, he did point out that the way in which he has developed his professional career “It has been based on dialogue, agreements and leading by uniting wills, bringing out the best in the people I have worked with. The idea is always to make the teams count, to make the people on the other side of the table count. Not to push anyone around, to listen and reconcile. I care a lot about the way the work is done. It is not only the end that is important, but also the means, for me the means are crucial. fair play, develop what one does through the use of good instruments and in a good way," he said.
Challenges
Regarding the topics and actions that will mark the future work in ASOEX, the professional explained that he is committed to “to address the problems we face today as an industry in a determined and creative manner, with the aim of solving them in a coordinated and joint manner, both in the short, medium and long term.”
Along these lines, he pointed out that addressing the issues related to Water It is a key task, especially in the context of the drought and climate change that have affected the country for more than a decade. “It is important to ensure water for human consumption, but it is also essential to have this resource to supply industries, such as the food industry, because without water there is no food or fruit for people's subsistence.”
He also stressed that it is necessary to work so that Chile maintains its leadership as a global fruit exporter. “We have to focus decisively on some countries that compete with us. We need to maintain the distance we have built up, in the sense of continuing to lead the race. This is not because I think that leadership has been lost, but because there is greater competition today, and that requires greater efforts from us.”
Within these efforts, he said that it is vital "to see how we can make our companies more competitive." Emblematic Fruits, such as grapes and apples. We need to put a special focus on growing these sectors. New varieties have been strong in grapes and in newer species, such as cherries and blueberries, but we need to make progress in this area, especially in apples as well.”
The Phytosanitary and its protection are also issues that concern the future leader of fruit exporters. “We have been fortunate, but also based on good work, to be a privileged country in these matters. There is a culture of phytosanitary care that accompanies the geographical location of the country, and this must be strengthened in order to make a difference compared to countries with which we compete,” he asserted.
Another important topic is the Sustainability of the sector in its three dimensions (environmental, economic and social), but based on very well-focused actions. “I think it is easy to take on too much, and therefore, it is also easy to lose direction. The industry must focus on specific issues that have these three dimensions as their objective, one of them being, of course, water, as well as moving towards being carbon neutral and being aligned with communities, through good communication and relationships. But you have to be selective about what you can and cannot do. I am of the idea of selecting issues and actions and moving forward as a sector in this regard.", accurate.
Logistics and Public Sector
There is no doubt that, especially in recent times, the logistics issue has become relevant for the development of Chilean exports, not only of fresh fruit, but for all its products, which is why advancing in first-class national logistics is also a task for the future.
“The season that is ending has had a conclusion where logistics has played a very adverse role, which will undoubtedly leave a lot of damage. However, I am optimistic and I believe that we must concentrate on the future, on what is coming and how to solve the problems, for example, in the logistics chain for the next seasons. It is vital to act jointly with other associations or organizations that are also being affected, in such a way as to build private work in unity, but also with the authority and the public sector, in order to position Chile as a country with world-class logistics."Marambio said.
«The work of everyone and with all the actors in the logistics chain, private and public, is vital to build a catalogue of actions for what is coming and what is required in the future. Short-term actions must be defined to face the new season that is approaching, but also in the medium and long term, thinking about the investments that will be required, for example, in infrastructure to cope with the increase in exports.” he sentenced.
In this context, he stressed the importance of continuing to consolidate relations with public bodies and authorities, as well as “consolidate relationships with stakeholders, social organizations, with people who work in our industry, with Chile, its regions and its inhabitants.”
Finally, Iván Marambio also had words of recognition for the work of ASOEX led by Ronald Bown. “I greatly respect what ASOEX has done over the years. Without a doubt, the fruit export industry today is a reflection of what the Association, led by Ronald, has done. Now, the task is to continue growing and facing new challenges together and based on agreements,” hill.
