It is with profound sadness for us to announce the passing of our colleague and esteemed friend, Alejandro Jadresic, who passed away suddenly on June 5th at the age of 62. Alejandro is remembered for his integrity, humility and special human touch with a profound love for and deep commitment to Chile, Latin America and globally.
Alejandro was an inspiring and thoughtful leader of our community. We are honored for the time he dedicated to our community, especially as a member of our GEDC Executive Committee. For more than a decade he served as Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Sciences at the Universidad Adolfo Ibañez. In 2018, he became President of the esteemed Fundación Chile, a public/private partnership which promotes social and economic development by means of innovation. He had been proposed for the position by Chilean President Sebastián Piñera.
He had an impressive, diverse and deeply respected professional background including key leadership positions at both the academic and government levels. Upon completing his master’s in Civil Engineering from the University of Chile, Alejandro went on to earn a Ph.D. in economics before returning to teach in Chile. His public service included serving as Chile’s Minister of Energy and coordinating economic and development policy for the Chilean government in the 90s. He was on the Advisory Commission on Power Development and the Nuclear Electric Power Study Group—both created to advise the government of Chile. He also served as President of the Panel of Experts of the Electricity Sector, and member of the Panel of Experts of GPOBA (2005-10), a multi-donor agency which funds infrastructure and social projects in developing countries. Alejandro was well respected by his peers, receiving the Best Engineer Award from the School of Engineers of Chile in 2005, and the Prince Trpimir Medal from the Republic of Croatia.
The GEDC plans to honor Alejandro’s legacy during the GEDC General Assembly that will convene during our annual event in Alejandro’s city of Santiago this October. If you have any photos, special memories or tributes of Alejandro that you would like to share to help us honor his global impact, please share them with Hans Jürgen Hoyer.
