Rodrigo Ord贸帽ez works for CIMMYT as Communications Manager. He coordinates content planning, creation and distribution globally, leading a team of writers and multimedia producers. He also supports strategy development and implementation.
Ord贸帽ez has been part of CGIAR since 2017. Before joining CIMMYT, he worked for the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) in Indonesia.
Prior to that, he managed communications for humanitarian organizations (American Red Cross, Save the Children, CARE, Mercy Corps) in emergencies like Darfur, the Japan tsunami and the Sahel food crisis. Working in liaison roles, he coordinated with other departments and organizations for joint advocacy and policy initiatives. He has extensive experience organizing and leading field visits and special events for celebrities, corporate partners, donors, media, national committees and VIPs. While working in emergencies, he has facilitated interviews, site visits, and access to sources and data for international media such as Al Jazeera, AFP, AP, BBC, CNN, DPA, Die Zeit, The Guardian, PBS, RFI, RTVE, SBS, the Sydney Morning Herald and TV5. Besides acting as spokesperson, he has trained and coached others to deliver concise messages during interviews.
His career also includes experience in print, broadcast and online media. At the start of his journalism career, he worked as a reporter in radio stations and news agencies. He later worked for award-winning war photographer James Nachtwey, and ran his own production company. His photography and video clients included the Financial Times, History channel, KONE, Oxfam, Showtime channel, UNICEF, Vice magazine and the World Economic Forum.
Ord贸帽ez considers himself a ‘cultural amphibian’ and truly enjoys immersing in and connecting cultures. He has lived and worked/studied in Europe (France, UK, Spain), the Americas (Haiti, Mexico, USA), Africa (Chad, C么te d’Ivoire, Kenya, Niger, South Sudan, Sudan) and Asia (Indonesia, Japan, Kyrgyzstan). He is trilingual in English, French and Spanish, can speak Haitian Creole and Indonesian/Malay, and can survive in a handful of other languages.
He is particularly interested in climate change and sustainability, human-centered design, innovation and a better use of information technologies. At work, he enjoys leading teams, creating and optimizing systems, training scientists to be better communicators and developing strategies.
