By INSTITUTIONAL COMMUNICATION | EGADE BUSINESS SCHOOL
Two alumni of EGADE Business School at Tecnológico de Monterrey, Isaías Martínez (MA’04), President of PepsiCo Mexico Foods, and Mildred Villegas (MA’04), General Manager of Unilever Mexico and General Manager of Foods LATAM, shared their experiences leading global companies from a Mexican perspective during the panel “Global Conquest, Local Identity” at Encuentro EXATEC in Santa Fe.
Both reflected on how business leadership can make a global impact while staying grounded in local identity, flavors, emotions, and the communities that shape their strategies.
“Mexico is PepsiCo’s largest international operation, and from here, we’re ‘Mexicanizing’ the world,” said Martínez.
The EGADE alumnus explained that 100% of the potatoes used in their products are grown in Mexico, and that the innovation centers in Monterrey and Mexico City develop products and technologies that are later exported to countries like Turkey, Spain, and the United States.
Villegas explained that at Unilever, standardized products coexist with deeply localized strategies, especially in the food category.
“In 80% of what we eat, the flavor profile is local. Even if the creative idea is global, we always adapt it to the language and culture of each country,” she noted.
The EGADE alumna added that local flavors are gaining global resonance through new digital platforms and consumer trends.
The panel also addressed the development of local supply chains. Both EGADE alumni highlighted programs to strengthen small businesses, alliances with agricultural producers, and support for small neighborhood stores (“changarros”) as part of their strategies for social impact and shared value.
The panel was moderated by Sergio Pulgarín, Regional Dean of the Business School in Mexico City, and featured the participation of Eduardo Villarreal (LIN’11), Vice President of Operations at Walmart Mexico.
Paulina Campos, Vice President of Mexico City Campus at Tecnológico de Monterrey, delivered the opening remarks.
