Por José Ángel de la Paz 

Companies committed to creating shared value and leadership in an era characterized by disruption and constant change were the topics addressed on the first day of the 2019 National EGADE MBA Conference, in Monterrey.

Fausto Costa, CEO of Nestlé México, in the conference “Nestlé, making a difference in Mexican society”, explained that the multinational’s purpose is to improve life and contribute to a healthier future, by creating shared value.

“Corporate sustainability is a strategic pillar of business that makes it possible to satisfy different needs, the company’s own and of its diverse audiences, and is fundamental to protecting and maintaining the natural resources that will be necessary in the future for the development of society.

“Nestlé’s commitment for 2025 is to have recyclable or reusable packaging. Moreover, in terms of a circular economy, we need to advance together with different industries so that these inputs can be reused,” Costa stated.

In the conference “Leading the future”, Raquel Hernández, head of Talent Strategy at Mercer México, assured that employment of the future is already a reality, and mentioned five trends valued by collaborators and that leaders need to assimilate: fast-paced change, purpose-driven work, permanent flexibility for work-life balance, talent platform for those who want to grow and learn, and digital collaborators from the inside out.

“The new leader needs to have mind to provide a clear purpose, direction and strategy; heart to understand, work with others and develop them; and courage to do what is right, based on clear values.

“If you focus on people, these people will take care of the objectives. By nature, people seek accomplishments and success. Find people who are passionate about what they do,” said Hernández.

In turn, Ignacio de la Vega, dean of EGADE Business School, closed the first day’s activities at the conference with a message for the more than 350 EGADE MBA students, from the school’s different sites, who had gathered in Monterrey.

“Continue to incorporate relevant learning, gain strength, improve our competencies, grow our knowledge, meet people and expand our networks, is the purpose of this conference, which we have focused on two pillars – leadership and corporate sustainability,” De la Vega commented.