LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT

The Club has reached a level of visibility and maturity that allows it to aspire to new goals, and in particular I would like to:

• strengthen the influence of our community in every country where there are members, so that our relationship with the authorities and the judiciary is smooth and our views are taken into account in legislative processes, academic forums and thought leadership within the field of arbitration in each country;
• promote and increase the use of Spanish and Portuguese in arbitration proceedings where the use of these languages is appropriate, to improve the quality of arbitration whilst strengthening our community’s arbitration practice as well as the places of arbitration in our region; and
• deepen the integration of the Portuguese-speaking world into the Club, ensuring that our materials are bilingual and that there is a seamless interaction between Spanish and Portuguese in the Club’s activities.

If we make progress along these lines, our Ibero-American arbitration community will acquire significant prominence in the global arbitration arena: a prominence that is commensurate with the geographical, economic, cultural and social importance of our countries.

The Club’s board of directors for the 2026–2029 term has been formed with these objectives in mind: we are 17 women and 15 men, with diverse profiles, representing multiple law firms and institutions, various countries, and including two members whose native language is Portuguese (the full list of the board of directors can be found on the Club’s website). For the first time, two of the five vice-presidents are not Spanish (one of whom is a Portuguese speaker), and they come from two of the Ibero-American countries with the highest volume of arbitration: Brazil (Selma Lemes) and Peru (Carlos Soto). The Club’s leadership rests with the board of directors and, in particular, with Álvaro López de Argumedo,
first vice-president; the other two vice-presidents are Carmen Núñez-Lagos and Julio González Soria. Juan Hernández-Canut remains in the role of Treasurer, which he performs perfectly, and the Club’s Secretary General, Luis Fernando Rodríguez, replaces Krystle Baptista, whose work has been extraordinary. Furthermore, following a long and distinguished career as president of international chapters, José Antonio Caínzos will hand over the reins to Alfredo Bullard. The fact that we have so many magnificent and generous professionals on the board of directors gives me the confidence that we will make every effort in pursuing the Club’s objectives.

I aim to match the achievements of my predecessors, as it will be difficult to surpass them. I would particularly like to highlight Alfonso Iglesia, who has worked with tenacity and vision to bring about an extraordinary development of CEIA. My sincere thanks go to Juan Fernández-Armesto, who first drew me to the Club by appointing me as a vice-president on his board of directors; to Carlos de los Santos, in memoriam, who decided to keep me on as vice-president; and to Alfonso Iglesia who, by entrusting me with the first vice-presidency during his term of office, allowed me to draw inspiration from his example, learn and pave the way to becoming the first woman to preside over the Club.

I am filled with satisfaction and gratitude to have the support of the members, and I am at your disposal to work enthusiastically towards our common goals.

Warmest regards,

María José Menéndez
President