BARCELONA — From the headquarters of International Medical Corps in Los Angeles, Larry Bague coordinates travel for more than 7,000 global staff members and volunteers.
For 16 years, Bague has managed the flights and complex visa requirements that enable response teams to enter countries at challenging times. Recently, that has included assisting the World Food Programme’s aviation service for humanitarian workers and organizations during the COVID-19 response.
Coming from the private sector, one of the initial hurdles was learning the ins and outs of the humanitarian sector, its players, and its jargon. Back then, staff travel was also coordinated and tracked via emails and Microsoft Word documents.