Business Leadership Week: Keynote Speaker - Bernardo Altamirano Rodriguez

Business Leadership Week

Keynote

Monday, February 15, 2016

6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.

Alkek Teaching Theater

Bernardo Altamirano Rodriguez has a solid background in the Mexican public and social sectors in both executive and staff positions at the highest levels. His latest public responsibility was Federal Attorney for Consumer Protection, appointed by the former President Felipe Calderón. He also served in the Office of the President, Secretary of Education, Secretary of Interior and the Mexican Representation to the European Union. 

Bernardo has a strong academic background (ITAM‐Mexico (BA in Law), Sorbonne‐Paris (LLM), LSE‐London (MPPPA). Also he is lecturer at the ITAM Law Department specialized in regulation, competition and consumers protection and coordinates the Graduate Program in Regulation. He has also lectured at the UNAM, Universidad Panamericana and Universidad Anáhuac.

He is also a speaker in domestic and international forums enhancing a larger vision of consumer’s rights and competition, based on education and training, both to citizens and enterprises. Mr. Altamirano has participated in spaces such as the International Consumer Protection and Enforcement (ICPEN), the Iberoamerican Forum of Gouvernmental Agencies for Consumers Protection, the NAFTA Summit for Product Safety, the Summit of the International Consumer Product Health and Safety Organization (ICPHSO), among others. Also, he has been appointed as Eisenhower Fellow this 2016, focusing his program in ethics in commerce, self-regulation and building of trust in the marketplace.

In 2013 he co-founded a non‐profit organization named “Central Consumidor y Ciudadano (Consumer and Citizen Central). He also has been invited by the UNCTAD to the Advisory Group of Experts for Competition and Consumer Protection for Latin America (COMPAL), where other former heads of public agencies participate. Since March 2014, Bernardo is the CEO of the Better Business Bureau (BBB) in Mexico, which is a 100+ year old non-profit organization serving in 113 cities around US, Canada and Mexico, and is the leader in promoting best commercial practices, standards and self-regulation programs.

Bernardo is convinced that the Mexican economy and consumers need to advance in trust in the marketplace. Also, that NAFTA has transformed the industrial and commercial culture in Mexico, regarding mainly large enterprises. With this important step, BBB is aiming to contribute to enlarge these latter effects to small and medium services. Opening a BBB in Mexico will represent the opportunity to build a North-American vision of trust in the marketplace.

Core issues in the presentation:

1.    How to build a community of businesses, consumers and authorities that converge under the principles of trust in the marketplace and will contribute to strengthen a community based on reputation and merit. 

2.    How is possible to make BBB become a relevant player in the Mexican marketplace? 

3.    Is it feasible to become a network that can unite consumers and businesses in NAFTA that share common principles and values? 

4.    How we can develop self-regulation programs for the industry –such as in the US- in order to show the importance of soft regulatory schemes which not diminish the economic freedom, but reinforce competition and competitiveness? 

5.    Can this be helpful in US and Canada Hispanic communities to become more relevant in their marketplaces, through best commercial practices, standards and ethical principles? 

6.    Finally, can this be the start for aiming for a LATAM expansion and a wider Americas Free Trade Agreement discussion? 

7.    Can commerce based on ethics and best practices contribute to strengthen a more democratic culture and civic engagement?