It’s with great sadness that FIDIC announces that former president Dr Jorge Díaz Padilla has died at the age of 76.

Born in Mexico City in 1946, civil engineer Jorge was president of FIDIC from 2005-2007 and was the first and to date only president from Latin America since the organisation’s foundation in 1913. In 1974 he started his consulting company, Systec, which has been involved in many leading engineering projects, including auditing the quality of housing financed by the National Housing Agency of Mexico and restoring the Metropolitan Cathedral of Mexico City.

As president and CEO of Systec, Jorge became involved with Mexico’s association of consulting firms, Cámara Nacional de Empresas de Consultoría (CNEC) and also FIDIC where he was elected to a two-year presidential term in 2005.

At FIDIC’s Mexico annual conference in 2019, Jorge received the prestigious Louis Prangey Award, the highest recognition for dedicated service to FIDIC. He has represented FIDIC at many different levels, including the board, was also a former chair of the FIDIC integrity management committee and a member of the FIDIC Global Leadership Forum at the time of his death.

Jorge was well known globally throughout FIDIC and worked in the consulting engineering and construction industries and passionately promoted FIDIC principles and activities for more than 40 years. Jorge played a key role in making FIDIC more known in Mexico and Latin America, was the ambassador of FIMS (FIDIC Integrity Management Systems) and a recognised promoter of FIDIC principles in Latin America and around the world.

Jorge also actively participated in the FIDIC past presidents council and was also a valued member of the FIDIC Project Awards jury since 2013. Jorge, who was widely recognised as an expert in project troubleshooting and an authority in project information systems, also participated as an expert witness during arbitrations, was a specialist in construction contracts and a FIDIC certified trainer in contracts and alternative dispute resolution.

Commenting on his death on behalf of the FIDIC president and board, FIDIC CEO Dr Nelson Ogunshakin OBE said: “The death of Jorge Díaz Padilla is a sad loss to his family and the consulting engineering industry in Mexico and globally. I extend my heartfelt condolences to his family and to his colleagues in Mexico and around the world who knew and worked with him. The entire FIDIC ecosystem and the wider industry we represent has lost a passionate and enthusiastic advocate and we are all poorer as we mourn his sad loss today. May his soul rest in perfect peace.”

Jorge Díaz Padilla
14.9.46 – 28.11.22