The vice president of corporate communications for The Americas & Global Consumer Financial Services at Western Union is a man on the move.

Dan Diaz, 37, started from his native Manhattan, where he grew up as the oldest of four siblings, and with many visits to his parents' native Puerto Rico, the bilingual, bicultural global corporate communications executive with communications oversight across 49 countries and territories, travels for business and pleasure.

His interest in international relations started out with a graduate school stint at the United Nations. Then he went on to work for two years in Washington, D.C., for the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF) and later as a senior staff consultant for Verizon with responsibility for the telecommunications giant's communications in Canada, Mexico, Venezuela, the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico.

"I'm a big believer in travel for educational purposes to learn about other people and cultures," he said, adding that he has visited more than 30 countries.

As a member of the board of directors of Hispanics in Philanthropy,  and The Conference Board, Council on Corporate Communications Strategy, Diaz likes to give back to the community.

"I've normally been involved in philanthropic circles from a private citizen's perspective, in terms of contributing to worthy causes," he said, recalling that his first such effort was sponsoring a high school student's school tuition. Diaz holds a master of arts degree in International Relations, International Law and Diplomacy, and a bachelor of arts in Government and Politics from St. John's University in New York City.

"I've always worked on the fundraising end, such as The Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute, with my corporate contacts," he said of his nonprofit experience. "My involvement with HIP is an example of a private citizen working for a global company and giving back."

Diaz who loves to skydive, enjoys  to jog in the Denver area, where he now lives. He says his son, Daniel Andres, who is five-and-a-half years old and in kindergarten, also helps to keep him grounded. He said that his son likes to sing and to dance, and will get to pick his own career when the time comes.

"In an ideal world, it would be nice if he were a doctor or a judge," Diaz said. "But I think that will be up to him ... . If he is bringing joy to people through music, then he's got my full support."

In the meantime, the HIP Board member dreams of deepening his philanthropic sector knowledge and of traveling someday to Australia and visiting the world's largest coral reef.  "Actually, I have been to the second largest coral reef in the world, which is in the Bay Islands off of Honduras," he added.

What is your role in the Western Union's philanthropic program?

I get to work with the Social Ventures team, which includes the Western Union Foundation. The Social Ventures team focuses on three areas, shared value (developing products and services), communications needs and corporate responsibility... . In my role, I get to see the work they're doing in all three areas. I provide counsel and help them deliver  the Western Union message externally, whether it is in the U.S., or in Mexico, speaking to a new initiative that the company is supporting. [In August, for instance] we were monitoring disaster relief efforts, looking at [a major earthquake in] Costa Rica [where Western Union has 800 workers] and at Hurricane Isaac. It is part of what I do for the corporation, but it allows me to communicate with people all over the world and coming together as a united team.  The foundation has awarded more than $81.7  million in grants to more than 2,551 non-governmental organizations in more than 124 countries and territories.

After the earthquake in Haiti [on Jan. 12, 2010], we provided zero-fee money transfers, grants to nonprofits and matching employee grants.

I went to Haiti with a group of colleagues, and we spoke with individuals housed in temporary shelters and got a firsthand account of what their experience had been. I was there for eight or nine hours in Port Au Prince several months after the earthquake, and it was one of the most humbling experiences I've ever had.

I have not been to Africa yet. One of the places I'm looking forward to traveling to in Africa is the Sudan, It's one of the first places because of issues relating to children. I'm very grateful that my son has a good home, food and a place to sleep.

Are you particularly interested in trans-border philanthropy, or philanthropy that engages the Latino Diaspora?

Most people don't think of how you can contribute to a program across a border. At Western Union, we are working on a program called Four Plus One, a public-private effort where Diaspora communities in the United States get together with the Mexican federal, state, and municipal governments. That's the four. And then we, as a private entity, come in and join the program, and we pool money to fund local projects in Mexico.  Its purpose is to create local jobs or give us the ability to fund education, so that migration is an option [rather than an economic necessity].

As a father, I wouldn't want to have to migrate and let five, 10, or 15 years go by without seeing my son. The program is operational between the U.S. and Mexico. I visited one site. It was a farming project in Guanajuato, Mexico.

What would you like to bring to philanthropy?

If there is anything that I would like to bring to the philanthropic arena, it's to raise awareness that giving comes in many ways. If I can make a difference by highlighting that as a key driver ... Participation has a monetary value, but may not just be seen that way by the individual who has expertise and can support these causes.

I think giving is very personal. Some people are open about their giving; others are private. For most individuals, there has to be a personal connection tie-in to the cause. And the decision behind the giving is very personal in driving support.

Would you eventually like to move into philanthropy?

I very much enjoy the work I do as a corporate communications professional. With that said, I don't see myself doing this the rest of my life. ... I cannot say that I have a definitive role in mind in the philanthropic world. I think there are many opportunities out there. When my grandfather passed away, he was 78 years young. He had Alzheimer's. I've become more educated in that field. It is an opportunity that I might be interested in later on.

In which direction do you see U.S. philanthropy moving?

In my opinion, a lot of grants are made to nonprofit organizations for specific reasons and come with clearly defined goals. Open grants,  would give [the nonprofits] more freedom to do what they know how to do well. That is one way, speaking as a private citizen, in which I would like to see philanthropy move.