Reconnection, leadership and legacy at the EGADE Annual Alumni Reunion 2026
DAVID F. DELGADO S. | EGADE BUSINESS SCHOOL
EGADE Business School at Tecnológico de Monterrey held its 2026 EGADE Annual Alumni Reunion on September 4 at Santa Fe, bringing together more than 300 alumni from different generations and programs to strengthen ties, share insights and recognize the impact of their community.
The event combined networking and social spaces with conversations on leadership, connection-building activities and moments that celebrated the pride of remaining part of the EXATEC EGADE community.
During the welcome remarks, Horacio Arredondo, dean of EGADE Business School, highlighted the value of an alumni network that remains connected to the institution and, through diverse sectors and career paths, helps transform organizations and create opportunities for others.
Majida Khoury, director of Alumni Relations and Career Hub at EGADE Business School, opened the event with an overview of the community’s reach, evolution and strength before introducing the main moments of the day.
2026 EXATEC EGADE Merit Award: leadership that creates opportunities
One of the central moments of the reunion was the presentation of the 2026 EXATEC EGADE Merit Award to Mildred Villegas Sojo (MBA'04), General Manager of Unilever Mexico and Foods Latin America and an alumna of the EGADE MBA.
The award, the highest recognition EGADE Business School grants to its alumni community, honors trajectories that inspire through leadership, professional excellence and impact in business and society.
After receiving the award, Villegas joined Horacio Arredondo for a Fireside Chat on the responsibility of leaders to expand opportunities and contribute to the development of new generations.
“Education is the only way to keep the wheel of social mobility moving,” she said, reflecting on the privileged position of those who have had access to high-level education and their responsibility to create more opportunities for others.
Drawing on her experience at Unilever, she also emphasized the importance of building organizations where talent can thrive without being limited by a person’s background, gender or other personal characteristics.
“It is not about that number, but about creating the conditions for everyone, regardless of where they were born, whom they love or their gender, to find opportunities,” she said.
Speaking about legacy, Villegas placed less emphasis on titles or financial results and more on the impact a person can have on those they work with: “What makes me proudest is when someone who worked with me says, ‘Thank you, because when I was about to resign, you took five minutes, talked with me and told me to think it over.’”
4CTITUD: leadership, legacy and attitude in the face of adversity
Rafa Márquez, head coach of the Mexican National Team and keynote speaker at the reunion, delivered “4CTITUD”, a talk centered on lessons he has developed around leadership, decision-making, resilience and helping others grow.
Rather than focusing on the achievements of his sports career, Márquez drew on different experiences to explain how he understands leadership today: as the ability to help others reach their full potential.
“Leadership, to me, is simply about getting the best out of everyone around me,” he said.
He also stressed that leading by example, integrity, honesty and humility are essential to building trust and mobilizing a team around a shared goal. He connected this idea to his experience developing young people, where he found particular fulfillment in supporting the growth of others.
“Legacy is not measured by what you accumulate, but by what you inspire and transform,” he said.
Attitude was another central theme of the keynote. Márquez presented it as a force that can multiply knowledge and skills, especially when a person faces uncertainty, pressure or circumstances beyond their control.
During the Q&A, he encouraged those beginning new professional stages to focus on the present and maintain a positive attitude: “Try to be the best version of yourself today. Give everything you have today.”
From the EXATEC EGADE community to new educational opportunities
The reunion also showed how the participation and generosity of the EXATEC EGADE community can translate into educational opportunities for new generations.
Following the presentation of results from the EXATEC EGADE Association, with the participation of Manuel Morales Ancira (MBA'21), an EGADE MBA alumnus and vice president of its Board of Directors, and Richard Colter (MBA'20), president of the association, Eduardo Yáñez De los Santos was introduced to the community.
Yáñez is a Finance undergraduate at Tecnológico de Monterrey and a member of the 13th generation of Leaders of Tomorrow, and this year is receiving support through the EXATEC EGADE x Leaders of Tomorrow Scholarship.
The scholarship brings to life an initiative supported by alumni contributions through efforts such as EGADE Run 4 The Future, which have raised resources to expand opportunities for young people with strong academic talent and a drive to create impact.
Leaders of Tomorrow provides 100% tuition support to talented young people who need financial assistance to pursue an undergraduate degree at Tecnológico de Monterrey. Eduardo’s participation gave a face to the impact of these contributions and connected those who support them with one of the educational opportunities they helped make possible.
As part of the ceremony, the Global Latin American Leaders Scholarship was also announced, an initiative by EGADE Business School and EXATEC designed to provide financial support to high-potential candidates from Mexico and Latin America seeking to pursue the Full-Time MBA.
Together, both initiatives highlighted another dimension of the relationship between EGADE Business School and its alumni community: turning the experience, participation and generosity of those who have already passed through its classrooms into opportunities for those beginning new stages of their education.
More connections for a global community
Among these experiences was Speedy Connections, led by Brenda Belmares, founder of Strategic Connections. The activity brought together EXATEC EGADE from different programs, generations and professional backgrounds to identify shared interests and challenges, find points of support and exchange perspectives from different sectors and roles.
These interactions helped strengthen ties, explore potential collaborations and connect experiences that can be useful in addressing industry challenges and the responsibilities alumni face in their organizations.
Beyond the reunion itself, the 2026 EGADE Annual Alumni Reunion showed that the connection with EGADE Business School continues long after graduation, evolving into a network that helps develop others, creates educational opportunities and builds connections across generations, sectors and programs.
