Ricardo Salinas-Pliego

Business leader, Concerned citizen, Entrepreneur, Idea generator, Industrialist, Investor, Parent, Philanthropist, Technologist, World traveler

Ricardo Benjamin Salinas Pliego Ricardo B. Salinas (Mexico City, October 19th 1955) is one of Latin America’s leading entrepreneurs and a man convinced of the potential of 21st century Mexico as a country capable of determining its own destiny and that firmly works to decide what it needs, openly and democratically, spurred by the strength of its most value capital resource, the talent of its people. Distinguished by his success in his business endeavors and his innovative capacity, Salinas is also viewed as being a person who is never satisfied with the way things are, who has a desire to change the status quo so that the future can be brighter. Impossible is a word that is not in his dictionary. Grupo Salinas has its roots in a small family business specializing in furniture manufacturing, founded over a century ago, in 1906 by Benjamin Salinas Westrup, Ricardo Salinas great grandfather. Today the Group employs over 80,000 people in eight countries and has operations in telecommunications, mining, television, retail, banking, insurance and pension fund management, among other industries. Ricardo Salinas supports over forty social initiatives on the continent, mainly through Fundación Azteca, Azteca America Foundation, Fomento Cultural Grupo Salinas, Caminos de la Libertad and Kybernus. Ricardo Salinas’s pioneering vision has received the recognition of the most important business and corporate organizations and forums on an international level. He has addressed Mexico Business Summit; The World Economic Forum, The Economist Roundtable on Mexico, the Institute of the Americas, UCLA, TED, the Aspen Institute, University of Michigan, Georgetown University, the American Chamber of Commerce and the Harvard Business School, as well Mexican universities such as ITAM, Tecnologico de Monterrey among other academic institutions. In these forums he usually discusses issues related to globalization, education, entrepreneurship, Mexico and the opportunities at the base of the pyramid. In 2015, Ricardo B. Salinas was awarded Honorary Doctorate by the Universidad Autónoma de Guadalajara Behind the entrepreneur there is also a man eager to read material on a variety of topics, including science, history, economics, and business. Salinas regularly publishes a blog where he shares his thoughts on corporate, political, economic, and cultural issues that affect people across the continent. He is a regular columnist in the Huffington Post, La Opinión, Newsweek (Latin American Edition) and El Financiero. For more information visit: www.ricardosalinas.com His ideas are expressed at: www.ricardosalinas.com/blog In twitter: @ RicardoBSalinas In facebook: Ricardosalinaspliego

Promoting and defending individual freedom, education, and new technology applications in the lower income segments of the population in order to propel them towards growth and development.

Promoting micro business development is the best way to spur economic growth in our communities. In 2004 we created ASMAZ, the Azteca Entrepreneur Association. This program includes three main components: financing, procurement and the association itself. Banco Azteca offers credit for working capital and equipment purchases. With affordable credit terms and fast authorizations, Grupo Salinas provides a reliable alternative to finance businesses. Additionally, Banco Azteca is one of the few banks able to lend without documental proof of the borrower’s income, opening the door to the 40%-60% of many people that do not traditionally use banking services. The second leg is procurement. Grupo Elektra has exceptional purchasing capabilities that enable it to offer tools and equipment. ASMAZ itself, the third leg, offers legal, financial, accounting and other kinds of advice, courses in 40 different subjects. I believe that many Latin Americans can become entrepreneurs, if given the chance.

Business Administration, media, Microfinance, Retail, telecommunications

SERGIO SARMIENTO National Columnist, Radio Host and TV Azteca Editorial Director During the Mexican Presidential campaign, in 2000, I was responsible for the news department of TV Azteca. As the election approached, Vicente Fox was gaining momentum in national polls. However, he was still anti-establishment in a country that had been ruled by the same party for over 70 years. The National Chamber of Broadcasters were firm supporters of the status quo and reluctant to allow Fox to debate following a strong showing in his initial debate, they argued it wasn’t technically feasible; the transmission couldn’t take place on such short notice. “Of course we are prepared. We can do it,” I said. It was a very tense moment but thanks to the resolve of Ricardo Salinas, we went ahead with the debate. The election took place six weeks later, and President Fox was the first opposition candidate to win since 1911. TV Azteca played a big role in Mexico’s democratic history!

I understand how to apply the latest computer and communications technology to everyday business situations.