International Speaker Series: Hernan Mendez

Location

Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice, C

Cost

0

Speaker: Hernán Mendez, Chief Executive Officer, Procafecol, S.A. (Juan Valdez Café)

Title of Presentation: "Juan Valdez Café: Strategies for Growth in a Global Context"

This presentation will cover the story behind the Juan Valdez character, the positioning achieved as an advertising icon, the evolution of becoming a premium coffee brand, and the strategic challenges the company now faces in achieving differentiation and growth in a global context.

Please register

Speaker Biography:
Mr. Mendez became CEO of Procafecol S.A. in August, 2010. To further leverage the successful Juan Valdez global brand, Mr. Mendez focuses on increasing retail sales through traditional channels, establishing and growing a global franchisee network of the award winning Juan Valdez Café, and continuing with sustainable development of the Colombian coffee industry. Prior to Procafecol S.A., Mr. Mendez was General Manager of Falabella de Colombia (“Falabella”). He began with Falabella in 2009 and led a successful acquisition and integration of Casa Estrella stores. From 2002 to 2008, Mr. Mendez had extensive sales, business development and senior management experience as the CEO of Phoenix Packaging Group, a manufacturer of plastic packaging containers and disposable food service products. Mr. Mendez increased sales in the Latin American region, with manufacturing operations in Colombia, Venezuela and Mexico, and a sales office in the United States. From 1995 to 2001, Mr. Mendez was the CEO of Alpina S.A., a company that manufactures and sells dairy food products in Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador and the United States. Prior to his role at Alpina S.A., Mr. Mendez spent ten years with the Dow Chemical Company, where he held various positions, including CFO of Dow Colombia and CFO of Dow Mexico. Mr. Mendez graduated from Universidad Javeriana de Colombia with a degree in Industrial Engineering and received his Masters in Business Administration from Cornell University. He has served on the Board of Directors of CMR Falabella Colombia, Sodimac-Homecenter, Inversiones Mundial S.A., Centro Colombiano de Responsbilidad Empresarial, Leasing Colmena, Acoplasticos, and Holcim Colombia. He is a current board member of Arroz Diana and Colmena Life Insurance. Mr. Mendez was born and currently resides in Bogota, Colombia.