In the webinar for a good cause, Cemex, Softtek and BBVA México directors discuss how they have transformed their leadership to contend with the pandemic.

By JOSÉ ÁNGEL DE LA PAZ | EGADE BUSINESS SCHOOL

Mexico is facing a difficult panorama after more than four months of quarantine owing to the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on business.

In this context of uncertainty and remote work, how has business leadership been transformed?

Three leaders of industry-leading companies answered this question in the fundraising webinar “The perspective of Mexican CEOs in the face of economic recovery,” from the EGADE Future Forum series.

The session was moderated by Ignacio de la Vega, Dean of EGADE Business School and the Undergraduate Business School at Tec de Monterrey, and contributed to raising funds for the “United for your Education” fund from the campaign Unidos Podemos  (We can do it together).

Fernando González Olivieri, CEO of Cemex, stressed that leaders must remain visible, despite physical distancing.

“If leaders’ visibility is normally necessary, today this need is multiplied to the nth power. And since adjustments are needed to get through this crisis, the presence of the leader becomes increasingly important. Before, communication meant travelling; now the remotest teams, thanks to technology, are even closer,” he said.

Blanca Treviño, President and CEO of Softtek, commented that situations like today’s put leadership to the test.

“Crises reveal a great deal about a leader. Today, we need leaders who, with a clear vision, know how to chart a course and communicate the plan to be followed. They must have resilience and be able to pass it on it to their teams,” said.

Eduardo Osuna, Vice-President and CEO of BBVA México, explained that the challenges leaders are facing include empowering their teams to expedite decision-making and maintaining motivation during a quarantine with no end in sight.

De la Vega highlighted that, during the contingency, EGADE Business School and the Undergraduate Business School have launched diverse initiatives aimed at disseminating knowledge and contributing to the country’s economic recovery.

“From two webinar series to Supportive Tec, a national first-aid program for Mexican SMEs, we have placed experts from our community at the service of society,” he explained.

In particular, the Dean mentioned the recently presented Decalogue for the Economic-Business Refounding of Mexico, with which EGADE Business School has joined in the search for collective solutions to face the crisis.