The fourth edition of the EGADE Business School Master in Finance event took place for the second year running at the Mexican Stock Exchange (BMV).
By JOSÉ ÁNGEL DE LA PAZ | EGADE BUSINESS SCHOOL
For the second consecutive year, the 2024 Master in Finance National Congress of EGADE Business School—Tecnológico de Monterrey took place on August 15 and 16 at the emblematic headquarters of the Mexican Stock Exchange (BMV) in Mexico City.
In its fourth edition, the event brought together over 100 students from the Monterrey and Santa Fe sites, as well as the Online Master in Finance program, for two intensive days of learning, reflection, and networking through conferences, panels, and various activities.
Horacio Arredondo, dean of EGADE Business School; Pablo Necoechea, regional director of EGADE Business School in Mexico City and Querétaro; and Concepción del Alto, national director of the Master in Finance at EGADE Business School, welcomed participants.
THE STOCK MARKET AND THE FINANCIAL MARKET
Jorge Alegría, CEO of the BMV, shared his vision of the financial market's challenges and opportunities in Mexico.
Additionally, Ramón Güémez, the BMV's CFO, offered the conference “BMV Group: Business Strategy and Financial Performance,” in which he stressed that the BMV not only operates as a transaction centre but also plays a crucial role in post-negotiation through its Clearing House and Indeval.
REAL ESTATE AND INDUSTRIAL SECTOR OPPORTUNITIES
Gene Towle, CEO of Softec Consultoría Inmobiliaria, gave a conference on "Real Estate Opportunities", highlighting that over the next 20 years, the number of homes in Mexico’s largest cities is expected to double, indicating a significant expansion of the real estate market.
"We are looking at the greatest opportunity in the real estate market in history. We have clients, and we have capital. We have credit. We can execute," Towle emphasized.
Meanwhile, Jorge Girault, Prologis's CFO, stressed the company's robust strategy to maintain its market leadership in his conference "Prologis and the dynamics of the industrial sector environment in Mexico."
He underscored the importance of diversification and risk management in Prologis' strategy, highlighting that the company avoids excessive concentrations on a single client or sector and maintains a solid balance sheet with low leverage.
HIGH-VALUE NETWORKING
The panel “Driving high-value networking” featured the participation of Concepción del Alto as moderator; Denisse Montesinos, chair of the Board of Directors and co-founder of Mujeres en Finanzas México; José Domingo Figueroa, National President of IMEF; and José Segarra, President of the CFA Society México.
The experts stressed the importance of active participation in professional organizations to promote the development of skills, the creation of contact networks, and the influence on public policies.
Figueroa highlighted how IMEF offers a platform for its members to contribute to the country's economic growth, not only through exchanging knowledge and experiences but also through influencing public policies and personal and professional projection.
Montesinos then emphasized the need to promote diversity and inclusion in the financial sector and highlighted Mujeres en Finanzas México's efforts to create a safe and supportive environment for women in finance, including initiatives such as mentoring and professional development programs that help close the wage gap and foster female leadership in senior positions.
Segarra complemented the discussion by describing how CFA certification prepares professionals to face ethical and financial challenges while explaining the importance of being connected to international networks that promote the highest standards of professionalism in finance.
SUSTAINABILITY AND SOCIAL CHALLENGES
Boyd Cohen, a professor at EGADE Business School, presented the conference “Accelerating an economy of abundance in Mexico,” in which he argued that exponential technology combined with sustainability strategies can transform challenges into profitable business opportunities.
"This is a unique moment in time to create a world of abundance by combining exponential technologies with more interesting sustainability models to create inclusive prosperity," Cohen stated.
The next panel, “Social Challenges and Infrastructure,” featured EGADE Business School professor Rajiv Maher as moderator, Alejandra Ochoa, Director of Sustainability and Corporate Affairs at Viva Aerobús, María Laura Gutiérrez, Deputy Director of Sustainability at Grupo Deacero, and Julia González, Vice President of Women Energy Network Mexico.
The participants discussed the importance of addressing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Mexico from within different sectors.
Maher noted that although Mexico has made progress regarding SDG compliance policies, the country still faces a significant lag, especially in areas such as resilient infrastructure and inclusive industrialization.
Ochoa described how Viva Aerobús’ low-cost model has democratized air transport in Mexico, although it also faces challenges in balancing sustainability with operational efficiency.
Gutiérrez explained how Grupo Deacero has integrated sustainability into its operations by recycling scrap and reducing emissions, underlining the importance of investing in sustainable infrastructure for the industry's future.
González added that collaboration between companies, governments and communities is key to advancing the SDGs, giving projects in the energy sector that have improved the quality of life of local communities as examples.
GREENWASHING AND ITS FINANCIAL RISKS
The panel "Greenwashing as a financial risk: motivations, consequences and how to mitigate it" was moderated by Eduardo Aguiñaga, National Director of Full-Time Programs at EGADE Business School, and included the participation of Mario Elías González, associate professor at EGADE Business School; Noemí Cortés, independent advisor; José Antonio Quesada, president of the National College of Independent Professional Business Advisors; and Jordi Cueto-Felgueroso, Sustainability Manager at Coca-Cola FEMSA.
Aguiñaga stated that greenwashing can occur when companies exaggerate their sustainable actions, eroding trust and credibility.
González stressed that a lack of technical knowledge and unfair competition could lead companies to engage in these practices, thus generating scepticism about the profitability of sustainability.
Cortés then emphasized the importance of ethics and corporate governance in preventing greenwashing, explaining that boards of directors must ensure that sustainability strategies are aligned with company values and backed by real actions.
Quesada added that oversight and regulation are essential to prevent greenwashing and warned that companies must prepare to comply with more stringent regulations in the future.
Cueto-Felgueroso discussed how Coca-Cola FEMSA has implemented concrete measures to prevent greenwashing, such as issuing audited and verifiable sustainability bonds, ensuring that actions are more than just a green façade.
The congress also offered activities such as a tour of the Stock Market Museum (MUBO) and a simulation of "open-outcry” transactions, reviving the pre-electronic system tradition.
Alfredo Ramírez, director of the Master in Finance at EGADE Business School Santa Fe, brought the congress to a close by highlighting how the event not only provided participants with a platform to explore opportunities in the real estate market, reflect on best sustainability practices and understand the dynamics of the industrial sector in Mexico but also underscored the importance of ethics, innovation and social responsibility in the professional practice of finance.