(in a dry, sarcastic tone, a la Jimmy Carr) Ah, another exciting tale of a bloke making a grand exit from a job, leaving behind a trail of, no doubt, devastated colleagues and a faint scent of desperation. Say hello to Cristián Gutiérrez, the outgoing executive director of Fenalco Tolima, who’s off to pastures new, or in this case, the Superintendence of Companies. Because, you know, every economist’s dream is to work in a role with a title that’s longer than a Tolstoy novel.
(In a bumbling, inept style, à la Rowan Atkinson) Oh,Congratulations, Mr. Gutiérrez! You managed to increase the number of events held by Fenalco Tolima from one to three… whole… car and motorcycle fairs! I mean, who doesn’t love a good motor show, eh? I’m sure the 35,000 attendees were simply enthralled by the thrilling display of, ah, tires and… more tires. And I hear the sales just… selling… went up, too! Oh, what a cracking success!
(In a cheeky, irreverent tone, a la Ricky Gervais) Now, I’m no economist, but I’m pretty sure that when you’re in charge of promoting projects that positively impact various sectors of the local economy, you’re basically just making stuff up as you go along. I mean, what’s the worst that could happen? "Ah, I say, old chap, I think I might have inadvertently tanked the entire region’s economy… oops?" But no, no, Cristián seems like a solid chap, who, in his own words, managed to "consolidate the union as a leading union in the department." Consolidate, eh? That’s a fancy word for "not making a complete hash of things," if you ask me.
(In a high-energy, enthusiastic style, à la Lee Evans) Blimey, mate! Cristián’s got a point, though! He did manage to invest 2,000 million pesos in 10 initiatives, which, let’s face it, is a shed-load of cash! And 7,000 entrepreneurs got to benefit from those projects, which is brilliant! I mean, I’m no expert, but I think that’s what they call a ‘success story.’ And who doesn’t love a good success story? Well, apart from the grumpy old sods who complain about everything, that is.
( Back to Jimmy Carr’s dry tone) In all seriousness, though, it’s nice to see someone leaving a job with a sense of pride and accomplishment. Most people just torch the place and storm out, leaving a trail of broken dreams and shattered coffeemakers. Not Cristián, though. He’s off to bigger and better things, like… well, something with a longer title, no doubt. Good luck to the chap, I suppose.
The economic future of Tolima?
Now, where was I? Ah yes, the economic future of Tolima. Well, according to our departing hero, it’s all about strengthening the inter-union committee, investing in tourist information systems, and training human talent. Sounds like a solid plan, but what do I know? I’m just a bloke with a Twitter account.
The part where we’re all meant to be impressed
So, Cristián’s off to the Superintendence of Companies, where he’ll no doubt be in charge of… well, something suitably important-sounding. And let’s be honest, he’s not going to be answering phones or making the tea. No, no, this chap’s off to the big leagues, where the Sort-of-Important People get to make the Important Decisions.
The Farewell Speech
I must say, it’s been an absolute pleasure… not actually attending any of the events Cristián organized, but reading about them in this article. So, to Cristián and his trusty sidekick Efraín, I say… er… "well done, chaps!" Not that they’ll actually read this, but still. Do carry on, you’re doing… all right, I suppose.
Gutiérrez stood out for promoting projects that positively impacted various sectors of the local economy, including tourism, businesses, and strategic sectors, through his leadership and vision.
As the International Business Administrator from the University of Ibagué, a specialist in strategic management from the University of La Sabana, and a master’s degree in business administration from the Sergio Arboleda University, Gutiérrez assumed the executive direction of Fenalco Tolima on March 8, 2022, and will bid farewell on November 29 to take on new challenges in his professional career.
“We managed to consolidate the union as a leading union in the department, a union that articulates the different sectors, a union with a fairly high level of dialogue, not only to defend businessmen but to achieve in one way or another that those needs, requirements, and others can be brought to fruition,” Gutiérrez stated, highlighting the union’s role in promoting dialogue and cooperation among different sectors.
During his management at Fenalco Tolima, Gutiérrez impacted almost 7,000 entrepreneurs with different projects, including the management of 10 initiatives with an investment of more than 2,000 million pesos, which boosted tourism, businesses, and strategic sectors, demonstrating his ability to drive economic growth and development.
“We managed to have close to 35 thousand people visiting the different events, and we believe that it is a quite interesting exercise, obviously also consolidating the work of the 19 sectors of the economy that we represent,” Gutiérrez said, emphasizing the importance of events and tourism in promoting economic growth.
Gutiérrez also highlighted the creation of 12 events and the doubling of the number of events per year, including three car and motorcycle fairs, which gave a much greater spectrum to the union’s activities and represented a significant increase in sales for local businesses.
After his departure from the executive management of Fenalco Tolima, Gutiérrez will serve as director of business information and economic and accounting studies of the Superintendence of Companies, where he will work on a national issue that he is passionate about, using his expertise in figures and data analysis to drive economic growth and development.
Gutiérrez faced several challenges during his tenure at Fenalco Tolima, including the economic recession caused by the pandemic, which had a significant impact on local businesses, and the strike of transporters, which lasted for 15 days and affected sales.
Despite these challenges, Gutiérrez remained committed to his role and worked tirelessly to promote economic growth and development in the region, using his expertise and vision to drive positive change.
The outgoing executive director pointed out that the department has a competitive advantage by being able to have a strengthened and articulated inter-union committee to potentialize the region, highlighting the importance of cooperation and collaboration in driving economic growth.
Gutiérrez thanked his work team, the board of directors of Fenalco Tolima, and all the people who placed their trust in him to serve as executive director of the entity, expressing his gratitude for their support and confidence in his leadership.
