Beatriz Morales
(Barranquilla Regional Manager)
Interview
1. Beatriz, you were born and raised in Cartagena but have been living in Bogota for almost 16 years. What’s it like to return to the Caribbean coast?
Bogotá is a city that has brought me a great amount of professional experience. During the last 16 years I’ve been able to learn about many different aspects of the IP world by working in both public and private sectors. Returning to the coast is a decision that I’ve been considering for several years, taking into account that I want to contribute my professional knowledge to the region of Colombia that I feel most identified with.
2. You’ve been able to live and study abroad several times in your life. How have these opportunities enriched your professional and personal experience?
After I finished high school I went to Chicago to improve my English language skills. After receiving my law degree in Bogotá, I obtained a Masters in Business International Law from the Universidad Complutense de Madrid. Later, I was also able to go to Italy during my working years to obtain an LLM in Intellectual Property from the University of Turin. If there is something that has shaped me into the person I am today, itis undoubtedly these life experiences. When you get to live in other cultures, you get in contact with different thinking structures and that not only allows you to understand that there are diverse problem solving strategies, but also different personal motivations that make every context unique.
3. You joined OlarteMoure on March 1st as a regional Office Manager in Barranquilla and a member of the Executive Committee. What are your expectations and what do you think from your past job experiences will be a significant insight to bring to the firm?
Since chosen for the job, I was certain that I was entering a firm that in a short amount of time has gained recognition in the field and has accomplished major milestones. I expect an organization with solid communications channels where our priority is to focus in providing the best client service, optimizing time and resources, while having always in mind the importance of the human factor.
On the other hand, one thing that I consider most enriching from past jobs is the value of always adapting client development strategies to the local market or context. Though the legal tasks may only have one way to get done, what truly differentiates the quality of the job is having a holistic understanding of client needs and provide them with creative and relevant solutions to their requirements.
