Dr. Jorge Bande was a major force in the creation of the Inter-American Federation of Insurance Companies (FIDES). He was responsible for the resolution adopted by the first Hemispheric Conference that became the Declaration of Principles of the American Private Insurers. He introduced insurance economics as part of the curriculum at the University of Chile School of Economic Sciences and the first college level insurance course in Latin America. He drafted and was responsible for the first United Nations Conference on Trade and Development on strengthening regional insurance markets.
Born in Hungary, he immigrated to Chile in 1938 and became a Chilean citizen in 1943. He was a corporate executive, teacher, consultant and author.
He was Chairman of the Board of La Chilena Consolidada, one of the most prestigious insurance companies in Chile. He was also president of the Chilean Insurance Association. Additionally, he was insurance consultant for the United Nations, Advisor for the American Development Bank, and Professor of Cultural History and Insurance Economics at the University of Chile.
His publication, The Policy of Private Insurance, published by the Hemispheric Insurance Conference, was the most important publication on insurance in Latin America at the time. In another book, Insurance Economics, he published numerous articles and papers.
Dr. Bande’s efforts directly and through FIDES led to a significant increase in the flow of information, know-how and support from North America to Latin America. His concepts, such as the Declaration of Principles, helped insurance companies prevent nationalization.
Dr. Bande’s concepts, leadership, lectures and publications have influenced all Latin American insurers, U. S. insurers based in Latin America, and those affiliated with training and education in the region.