Lorenzo Servitje: a tribute to a great leader with humane sense
The Tecnológico de Monterrey Campus Santa Fe offered a tribute to Don Lorenzo Servitje, founder of Grupo Bimbo, to recognize his successful career. Talking about the creator of the leading baking company in the world, is talking about competitiveness, philanthropy and humane leadership, not only in the business world but in Mexican society at large. The community of the Institute gathered today in recognition of such outstanding career.
Don Lorenzo started his career in the baking industry, working at the counter of the El Molino Patisserie. Afterwards, he identified an area of opportunity in the manufacture and delivery of fresh bread, and settled – together with family and associates – the foundations of a company that later transcended globally. Hand in hand with innovation and business efficiency, success came along mainly from the strict adherence to the firm’s values, centered on the human person.
Don Lorenzo, together with his brother Roberto Servitje, Jaime Jorba, Jaime Sendra, Alfonso Velasco and José T. Mata, founded the baking company on December 2nd, 1945. Initially, the firm had over 30 associates and sold four types of products. As a result of the effort of each one of the associates who have served on the firm over nearly 7 decades, Grupo Bimbo has become the leader in the baking industry by producing over 10,000 products under more than 100 brands of recognized prestige. The firm operates in 19 countries from 3 continents and has over 125 thousand associates.
Don Lorenzo was President of the National Social Union of Mexican Entrepreneurs, of the Mexican Foundation for Rural Development, of the National Advertising Council; as well as Vice-president of the National Trade Chamber of Mexico City, of the Entrepreneurial Coordinating Council and was also an advisor to the Confederation of National Trade Chambers. In addition, he published the books “The Contemporary Society and the Entrepreneur”, “Reflections and Comments of a Company Leader” and “Economy, Society and Politics”.
Among those attending the tribute were Daniel Servitje, Chairman of the Board and CEO of Grupo Bimbo; Alfonso Pompa Padilla, Rector of the ITESM, South Central Area; and Daniel Moska Arreola, Headmaster of the ITESM Campus Santa Fe.
For Don Lorenzo, the company’s success is the result of the hard work of all its associates and constitutes for them, the commitment to live fully the goals, ideals and principles that have oriented the company. One of these goals is “to be a highly productive and deeply humane company”, and an institution meant to serve men outside the firm offering them goods or services, as well as those working in it, while providing the means to make a living and to find sense in what they do.
Dr. Daniel Moska, Headmaster of the ITESM Campus Santa Fe, highlighted the leadership and innovation capacity of the entrepreneur, who in addition to his humanitarian and social work, has created a worldwide competitive company: “It is an honor to participate in this tribute, Don Lorenzo Servitje is not only an important businessman and entrepreneur, he is also a man with great human sense, who has become - without a doubt – an inspiration for our students and for the executives of Mexico and Latin America teaching in our classrooms”.
Don Lorenzo Servitje said a few heartfelt words to the students, stating: “I infinitely appreciate the award bestowed upon me, specially coming from an Institution as respected as the Tecnológico de Monterrey. What is being done here will be abundantly fruitful. I want to take this opportunity to highlight the mission of the entrepreneur, what you refer as entrepreneur with human sense”.
The Rector of the ITESM South Central Area, Mr. Alfonso Pompa, closed the event by highlighting that this is the first time that the Institution recognizes a business leader: “His perseverance and courage make of Don Lorenzo Servitje a leader with entrepreneurial spirit and humane sense, who teaches us that we need to be engaged with the community in order to build a better country”.
