\n
\nMichael Grasty recuerda que cuando se incorpor\u00f3 a AmCham a fines de los a\u00f1os 70, lo hizo como \u201csoldado de infanter\u00eda\u201d. Pero continu\u00f3 trabajando para formar el Comit\u00e9 de \u00c9tica de la C\u00e1mara y su Centro de Arbitraje y para luego convertirse en su secretario, y posteriormente en su tesorero. Hoy d\u00eda, en su papel de nuevo presidente de la C\u00e1mara, Grasty -socio de Grasty Quintana Majlis & Compa\u00f1\u00eda, un estudio de abogados de Santiago- cuenta a bUSiness Chile sus planes para AmCham, por los dos pr\u00f3ximos a\u00f1os. <\/p>\n
Como presidente de AmCham \u00bfcu\u00e1les ser\u00e1n sus prioridades?<\/B> <\/p>\n
Lo que me entusiasma, pero a la vez me atemoriza, es que se pueden hacer tantas cosas. Sin embargo, me quiero centrar en el valor y abarcar lo suficiente para que podamos agregar valor sustancial a nuestros objetivos. AmCham tiene algunos directores muy talentosos, no obstante, ellos tambi\u00e9n son personas muy ocupadas y me interesa que se concentren en los aspectos importantes, es decir, en aquellas \u00e1reas que agregan valor para los socios de la C\u00e1mara.<\/p>\n
El TLC entre Chile y EE.UU. marc\u00f3 el comienzo de una nueva etapa en la historia de AmCham\u2026<\/B><\/p>\n
Definitivamente estamos en una nueva etapa. Durante m\u00e1s de diez a\u00f1os, tuvimos a los socios de la c\u00e1mara detr\u00e1s del directorio, ayud\u00e1ndolo en sus esfuerzos por lograr el TLC. Ahora, creo que ha llegado el momento de devolver la mano. Tenemos que otorgar servicios directamente a nuestros socios, ayud\u00e1ndoles a aprovechar las nuevas oportunidades de hacer negocios\u2014b\u00e1sicamente para ayudarlos a ayudarnos a cumplir nuestro primer objetivo, que es el de promover el libre comercio y la inversi\u00f3n entre Chile y EE.UU. <\/p>\n
Hoy d\u00eda vemos claramente un escenario muy pr\u00f3spero para Chile. Tenemos un TLC con el pa\u00eds m\u00e1s poderoso del mundo y ya estamos viendo los resultados, despu\u00e9s de s\u00f3lo un a\u00f1o de su entrada en vigencia. No obstante, no podemos echarnos para atr\u00e1s y descansar. Tal vez el problema m\u00e1s serio que debemos enfrentar es la competencia. Muchos otros pa\u00edses est\u00e1n abriendo sus econom\u00edas, y en el mundo actual, cada vez m\u00e1s globalizado, es muy dif\u00edcil competir. <\/p>\n
Ese es el desaf\u00edo. Mi predecesor, Richard Diego, ha demostrado la forma de hacerlo lanzando iniciativas como PROCOM, que re\u00fane a AmCham, SOFOFA, CORFO, McKinsey y Fundaci\u00f3n Chile en la b\u00fasqueda de sectores que tienen potencial para lograr mayor competitividad. Ese es un excelente ejemplo del tipo de valor que AmCham puede agregar si se centra en ideas espec\u00edficas. <\/p>\n
\u00bfQu\u00e9 importancia le atribuye usted a las alianzas?<\/B><\/p>\n
Eso es algo que Richard hac\u00eda muy bien y yo espero continuar su trabajo. Despu\u00e9s de todo, los recursos de AmCham son limitados. Las alianzas -con SOFOFA, CORFO y, m\u00e1s recientemente, con la Confederaci\u00f3n de la Producci\u00f3n y del Comercio bajo la presidencia de Hern\u00e1n Somerville, y el con el Instituto Chileno Norteamericano de Cultura, as\u00ed como tambi\u00e9n con importantes organizaciones en EE.UU.- est\u00e1n adoptando un nuevo papel en las actividades de la C\u00e1mara, que espero desarrollar. <\/p>\n
Sin embargo, el tiempo constituye una restricci\u00f3n\u2026<\/B><\/p>\n
He decidido no dedicar m\u00e1s de la mitad de mi tiempo a AmCham, a pesar de que existe una directa relaci\u00f3n con la labor que realizo en mi propio estudio de abogados. Gran parte del trabajo que ejecuto en mi oficina particular implica conocer lo que est\u00e1 sucediendo en el mercado, y tratar de identificar oportunidades, y eso es tambi\u00e9n parte de lo que har\u00e9 en AmCham. Afortunadamente, me he dado cuenta de que AmCham funciona sola. El personal est\u00e1 muy bien preparado y eso me da una tranquilidad enorme. Sin embargo, una de las claves ser\u00e1 establecer prioridades. Despu\u00e9s de todo, un buen l\u00edder es alguien que sabe priorizar. <\/p>\n
\u00bfQu\u00e9 espera aportar personalmente a AmCham?<\/B> <\/p>\n
Mi padre era oriundo de Texas, mi madre de Chile, yo nac\u00ed en Chile, me eduque en Estados Unidos y estudie derecho en Chile. Me siento c\u00f3modo en ambos lugares. Adem\u00e1s, como abogado experto en comercio internacional, tengo m\u00e1s de 25 a\u00f1os de experiencia trabajando con diferentes industrias, en muchas actividades, no s\u00f3lo en el aspecto legal, sino tambi\u00e9n, en los aspectos comercial e internacional. Esa es una parte importante de la experiencia que puedo aportar a AmCham.
\n
\nMichael Grasty recalls that when he joined AmCham in the late 1970s, he did so as a \u201cfoot soldier\u201d. But he went on to form the Chamber\u2019s Ethics Committee and its Arbitration Center and to become its secretary and, subsequently, its treasurer. Today, as the Chamber\u2019s new president, Grasty – a partner in Grasty Quintana Majlis & C\u00eda, a Santiago law firm – talks to bUSiness CHILE about his plans for AmCham over the next two years. <\/p>\n
As AmCham president, what will your priorities be?<\/B><\/p>\n
What\u2019s exciting and scary is that there are so many things that can be done. But I want to focus on value, on biting off just enough so that we can add substantial value to our objectives. AmCham has some very talented directors, but they\u2019re also very busy people and I want to keep them focused on important issues, on those areas that add value for the Chamber\u2019s members. <\/p>\n
The Chile-U.S. FTA marked the start of a new stage in AmCham\u2019s history\u2026<\/B><\/p>\n
Yes, it is a new stage. For over ten years, we had the Chamber members behind the board, helping the board in its efforts to obtain the FTA. Now, I think it\u2019s payback time. We have to turn round and provide services directly back to our members, helping them to take advantage of the new opportunities to do business – basically to help them to help us to comply with our first objective, which is to promote free trade and investment between Chile and the United States. <\/p>\n
Today, we have a pretty clear vision of a very prosperous scenario for Chile. We have an FTA with the world\u2019s most powerful nation and we\u2019re already seeing the results after just one year. But we can\u2019t sit back and relax. Perhaps the biggest issue we need to deal with is competition. Many other countries are opening up, and today, in an increasingly globalized world, competing is very difficult. <\/p>\n
That\u2019s the challenge. And my predecessor, Richard Diego, has shown the way with initiatives like PROCOM that brings together AmCham, SOFOFA, CORFO, McKinsey, and Fundaci\u00f3n Chile in seeking out sectors with the potential for greater competitiveness. That\u2019s a brilliant example of the kind of value that AmCham can add if it focuses on specific ideas.<\/p>\n
How much importance do you attach to alliances?<\/B><\/p>\n
That\u2019s something that Richard was very strong on and I plan to continue his work. After all, AmCham\u2019s resources are limited. Alliances – with SOFOFA, CORFO and, more recently, the Confederation of Industry and Trade under Hern\u00e1n Somerville, and the Chilean-North American Institute of Culture as well as with important organizations in the United States – are taking on a new role in the Chamber\u2019s activities that I hope to develop. <\/p>\n
But time is a constraint\u2026<\/B><\/p>\n
I\u2019ve decided not to spend more than half of my time on AmCham, although there\u2019s an overlap with my own law firm – a lot of the work I do involves knowing what\u2019s happening in the market, trying to identify opportunities, and that\u2019s part of what I\u2019m going to be doing for AmCham as well. Fortunately, what I\u2019ve found is that AmCham runs itself. The staff are very well-prepared and that\u2019s tremendously reassuring. But one of the keys will be to set priorities. After all, a good leader is someone who knows how to prioritize. <\/p>\n
Personally, what do you hope to contribute to AmCham?<\/B><\/p>\n
My father was a Texan, my mother is Chilean, I was born in Chile, I was educated in the States, and I did law school in Chile. And I\u2019m comfortable in both places. In addition, as an international business lawyer, I have over 25 years of experience working with different industries in many activities, not just on the legal side, but also on the commercial and international side. And that\u2019s an important part of the expertise I can bring to AmCham.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
En su papel de nuevo presidente de la C\u00e1mara, Michael Grasty -socio de Grasty Quintana Majlis & Compa\u00f1\u00eda, un estudio de abogados de Santiago- cuenta a bUSiness Chile sus planes para AmCham, por los dos pr\u00f3ximos a\u00f1os.As the Chamber\u2019s new president, Michael Grasty – a partner in Grasty Quintana Majlis & C\u00eda, a Santiago law firm – talks to bUSiness CHILE about his plans for AmCham over the next two years.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"template":"","news_tax":[],"user_type":[],"class_list":["post-3497","news","type-news","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n