F I D I ASSO C I ATI O N VIEW FROM THE AMERICAS Following our interviews in the last issue of FIDI Focus with the heads of FIDIs Germany, Netherlands and UK associations, we now speak to the presidents of two more of FIDIs larger regional associations: Bill Brill, President of FIDI USA, and Miguel Angel Florez, President of FIDI Latin America BILL BRILL, PRESIDENT OF FIDI USA Right now is the time for all of us within the association, and FIDI in general, to pull together and to help steer the network and our industry in a positive direction A regional association is the primary conduit for communication and feedback between our Aliates and FIDI management and the board. This communication is two-way, too, and a very important element is for ideas to flow up from the Aliates through the associations. We field a lot of calls from Aliates sometimes, they want clarification on statutes or advice on how to address a situation. Being a part of the association is also a great way for new Aliates to get connected to the broader network. 64 FF300 DecJan21 pp64-65 FIDI Associations.indd 64 This year, we created an essay-driven scholarship fund to send one or two people to the EiM seminar every year. Its a way for Aliates to send their best and brightest coordinators to the FIDI Academy. It oers an opportunity for them to get immediately plugged into the network at the coordinator or salesperson level; those ties and that sense of connection mean so much to people. In the four years I have been a part of FIDI USA, we have presided over its expansion, adding two or three Aliates a year. We were also on hand to step in and host the 2018 conference after the Puerto Rico and Brazil venues were cancelled - there are not many associations in the world that could do that. We are going through so much disruption and uncertainty. It was overwhelming even before COVID-19 and is now going to end up changing the socio-economic balance of power within countries and on a global stage. So right now is the time for all of us within the association, and FIDI in general, to pull together and to help steer the network and our industry in a positive direction. Our members are market leaders. We interact and engage with the Fortune 500 and many of the companies and customers that drive our industry. What happens in America still tends to set the tone for the relocation industry around the world. I didnt anticipate any of this when I ran for re-election a year ago, but we play with the hand that were dealt. Im a student of history so I have a pretty good sense of the types of events that have caused great change and certainly the pandemic is one of them. I think we are ushering in a new era where weve gone from the post-industrial society to the information age, and now were coming into something new we just dont know what that is yet. WWW. F I D I . OR G 24/11/2020 11:38