After 3 month of international open call, 2 month of interviews, reference
checking, analysis and debates, the HIC Board has selected the new General
Secretary:
Álvaro Puertas Robina, a Spanish architect and 37 years old. He holds a Master degree in Built Environment and Sustainable
Development from the University of New
South Wales Sydney (Australia).
Among 6 candidates, the criteria that determinated the decision were his dynamism
and commitment with HIC mission, his skills in managing projects, his ability
to manage complex issues, to communicate and work with others and
his adaptability to different cultural contexts.
The main benefit for the new General Secretariat is the real possibility of continuity in the
strengthening process of the Coalition:
– Álvaro is actually living in Chile and will start straight away his
training process at the current GS office in Santiago.
– The team of the next General Secretariat is already set: Isabel Pascual, also
a Spanish architect, is currently working at the HIC-GS office since November
2012. Isabel, in charge of communication will move to the new GS office; and
Marie Bailloux, a French sociologist, part of the GS staff since 2004 and responsible
of the HIC membership management will be part of the team, in a decentralized
way, from Santiago, Chile.
Regarding the location of the next GS office, the Board agreement to move
the Secretariat to Cairo is maintained, nevertheless, further Board meetings
will be held during the next months to go on monitoring the situation in Cairo and
find the best solution.