06 most influential CEOs in Latin America
They chair big companies in Latin America and they have not only increased the profitability for stockholders, but they have stayed on the right course and improved the performance even in times of crisis.
With brilliant careers and unstoppable achievements, they have shined in the entrepreneurial scenery, the media and the business community because of their results.
This selection we give you from PanamericanWorld is not only based on rankings and estimates, its spectrum is wider, for instance, as it includes women. It’s important to point out that the list has been randomly ordered and it does not entail any sort of assessment.
Daniel Servitje Montull CEO of Grupo Bimbo
56 years old, Mexican, he is a Master of Business Administration, MBA, and he was hired by Bimbo Group in 1981. In 1987 he entered the Group’s Board of Directors and, in 1997, he was appointed Director General. In 2013, Bimbo Group announced in the General Meeting of shareholders the resignation of Roberto Servitje Sendra as chairman of the Board of Directors and Daniel Servitje Montull took office.
Why is he penciled in as influential? He turned the company into the largest bakery of the world. The company presently sells nearly the triple of the figures it had when he was appointed Director General and it has gone global, with presence in over 19 countries, over 126 thousand collaborators and more than 50 thousand distribution channels.
Daniel Hajj Aboumrad CEO of América Móvil
49 years old, Mexican, he is a Master of Business Administration. In 1997 he was in charge of the head office of RadiomóvilDipsa (TelCel) and, in 2000, he was appointed CEO of America Movil, a part of the empire owned by Mexican businessman Carlos Slim and one of the main telephone service providers in Latin America.
Why is he labeled as influential? He made America Movil hold its position as the leading telephone service providing company in Latin America, not only because of the benefits it gives to its customers. In 2012 he avoided a millionaire fine against the company and that was a milestone in his career. Also in 2012, he took the company’s branding to the highest level when America Movil was included in the list of the 100 most valuable brands on the planet.
Benjamin Steinbruch CEO of National Iron & Steel Company
62 years old, Brazilian, he is a Master of Business Administration, specialized in Marketing and Finances. He has been the CEO of Companhia Siderurgica Nacional since 1995. Mr. Steinbruch had previously worked as Chief Executive Officer and Acting Chief Financial Officer, among other managerial positions related to the opening of new companies. The executive is also the Superintendent Officer of Vicunha Siderurgia and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Banco Fibra.
Why is he described as influential? His presence in the company had been related to the search of new business opportunities, but after the privatization of the company in the 1990s, he took office in a time when the company was losing the equivalent to one million dollars a day. Nowadays, the conglomerate comprises one of the largest iron and steel companies in Latin America; it manages ports and railroads and stands as the second iron mining exporting company Brazil.
Paolo Rocca CEO of Techint
This 63 years old Italian-Argentinean executive graduated in Political Sciences and has one Program for Management Development (PMD).
The grandson of Agostino Rocca, founder of the largest iron and steel company in Latin America, was climbing positions in the company since the very beginning, back in 1985. In 2001, he was in charge of the Argentinean multinational corporation, made up of six companies related to the production of steel, engineering for mining industry, fuel and gas; after the passing of his older brother.
Why is he penciled in as influential? Mr. Rocca is described as a great strategist, which has characterized his work. Under his leadership, Techint made a significant change in terms of human resources and marketing aspects. This is proven by the amount of acquisitions in a company that generates over 25 billion USD in annual sales.
Paula Santilli CEO of Pepsico México
This 48-year-old Argentinean professional graduated in Communication Sciences and Publicity. She has spent over 30 years working for companies that market food products for massive consumption. Mrs. Santilli has occupied managerial positions in Campbell Soup, Swift and Kellogg’s, and she was later in charge of PepsiCo Snack Foods Southern Cone (Chile, Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay). In 2008 she faced the challenge of leading the multinational company in Mexico, one of the countries that had been severely affected by the world crisis.
Why is she labeled as influential? In Argentina after the 2001 crisis, she successfully recovered the market share that had been lost by the company. Something similar happened after she took office at the Mexican subsidiary. Furthermore, Mrs. Santilli stands for gender diversity politics in the organizations.
Luisa García COO at Llorente & Cuenca
Born in Spain, but deeply rooted in Latin America, Mrs. Garcia graduated in Information Sciences, specialized in Advertising, PR and MBA. Her career began with the company in Madrid in 1999 and, in 2002, she founded the operation in Panama, which in four years became the first communication consultancy firm of the country and Central America. Between 2007 and 2013 she headed the office in Peru and was also CEO for the Andean region (including offices in Lima, Bogota and Quito). She’s currently the COO for Latin America.
Why is she described as influential? Due to the above-mentioned elements she was ranked by Latin Business Chronicle among the 50 most influential business women of Latin America in 2013 and, in 2014, she was given more awards: Executive of the Year in Latin America, Executive of the Year in Corporative Services and Woman of the Year, Communication category, in the Stevie Awards for Women in Business.
The article was originally posted on Panamerican World.
