Jorge Carlos Barrientos

As the project lead for the Disaster Risk Finance (DRF) unit in Guatemala, I've extended our influence, supporting regions like El Salvador, Honduras, and Haiti via our bureau in Panama. I've helmed the scale-up strategy for DRF in Guatemala, emphasizing Central America’s north cone in collaboration with the Partners for Central America climate insurance consortium. This involved designing a trigger-based Anticipatory Actions project, forging partnerships with local governments, climate entities, and UN bodies. Further, I've integrated Forecast Index Insurance to finance food reserve actions and offered strategic support to countries like El Salvador and Honduras. My initiatives also span regional remittances and digital currency evaluations. Notably, I innovated a community-led climate network supporting a national climate data hub. At the global level, I've championed innovation, contributed to Climate-peace building funds, and fortified resilience activities in Guatemala.

As Head of Growth for Guatemala, I spearheaded product expansion, partnering with aggregators and reinsurers to amplify our business. This entailed forging a new commercial infrastructure, encompassing product diversification and portfolio growth, all within the purview of local norms. I’ve nurtured ties with regulatory bodies, governments, and global entities, championing catastrophe risk management and climate change endeavors.

Transitioning to a Senior Tech Specialist, I evaluated IT systems, sculpted software frameworks, and optimized IT-business processes in nations like Guatemala, El Salvador, and Mexico. I helmed the MICAPP development—a platform leveraging satellite data for climate micro-insurance triggers. My investigative forays into technology have steered cost-efficient measures in micro-insurance operations and product dissemination.

Furthermore, I contributed to the Value-Added Program, augmenting product appeal via financial education and humanitarian partnerships. My recent endeavors include supporting a blockchain initiative for microinsurance, partnering globally to pioneer insure-tech solutions with Mercy Corps' Tech4Development.

As Guatemala's Sr. Project Manager, I focused on ORACLE eBusiness Suite ERP stabilization, supervising the integration of financial modules like Purchase to Pay and Accounts Payables. Collaborating with the Center of Excellence, I managed new module rollouts, reporting, and system alterations from both local and global views. Concurrently, I aligned audit objectives with ERP processes, prepping for a 2.0 system upgrade.