On October 27, IPADE welcomed Juan Pablo Del Valle, Chairman of the Board of Mexichem, to its campus in Mexico City to participate in the second CEO Lecture Series® of the 2016-2017 academic year.
“Mexichem is a company that has dared to compete on a global level…maintaining a model that has allowed the company to generate value while also maintaining the values and focus of the company,” said Dean Rafael Gómez Nava during his introduction. “The company has created more than 18,000 jobs across more than 120 plants in 30 countries around the world.”
Speaking to a full house, Mr. Del Valle focused on the trajectory of Mexichem over the past 10 years, highlighting the company’s philosophy and values that have helped shape the trajectory of the company and made it what it is today.
Mr. Del Valle began his talk by referencing a quote from Prussian General Helmuth von Moltke the Elder, who once wrote, “Strategy is a system of expedients; it is more than a mere scholarly discipline. It is the translation of knowledge to practical life, the improvement of the original leading thought in accordance with continually changing situations.”
“Strategy isn’t about really sophisticated plans, it’s about having a guiding idea and adapting that idea to different circumstances,” said Mr. Del Valle. “The important thing isn’t just to grow, but to grow the company’s philosophy and values… to be optimistic and to grow continuously, but in a stable and responsible manner. At the end of the day, the most important thing is to approach everything responsibly, [keeping in mind] your responsibility to your employees, to your community, to your country, and to your clients.”
Following his talk, Mr. Del Valle opened up the floor to questions from the audience. Upon conclusion of the session, attendees were invited to a networking cocktail to close out the evening.
The CEO Lecture Series® provides current IPADE students and alumni the opportunity to engage with and learn from the top management of major multinational companies. The CEO Lecture Series® also provides a space for networking and interaction among the IPADE community, the largest network of businesspeople in Mexico.
