Walter Cotte

Walter Cotte is Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), and previously served as the organization's Under Secretary General of Program and Operations, a role he took on in January 2013. He has more than 40 years of humanitarian and development experience.

Mr. Cotte previously served as National Executive Director of the Colombian Red Cross Society (2008–2012), and earlier held leadership roles with the organization including Head of Operations and Disaster Management (1994–2008), and Head of Volunteers for Relief and Search and Rescue (1985–1994).

His Red Cross and Red Crescent experience also includes a six-month assignment as IFRC Head of Operations in Asia Pacific, work with the United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC) system and the International Search and Rescue Advisory Group (INSARAG), and board membership with the Colombian Government's National Disaster Board and the Colombian National Fire Association.

Walter is also Co-Founder of WCMR Consulting, alongside Ricardo Mena — a crisis and risk management consultancy providing advisory services in disaster risk reduction, climate risk integration, business continuity planning, and organizational resilience to governments, NGOs, and private sector clients.