President of ITAM’s Board of Trustees
Don Alberto Baillères graduated from the Culver Military Academy in Indiana in 1950. During his stay at Culver, he acquired a sense of order and discipline which he has practiced in both his personal and professional life. He graduated Magna Cum Laude in Economics from Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México (ITAM) in 1957. In 1999, he received an honorary doctorate from the same institution in recognition of his achievements and leadership in Mexico’s social, educational, and business developments. He started his professional career in 1951. While an undergraduate Economics student, he worked at Banco de Comercio where he worked his way up to the position of Branch Manager before completing his undergraduate degree in 1956.
In 1957, he entered Cervecería Moctezuma as a sales representative in Mexico City, and he worked his way up to become the Metropolitan Area Sales Manager. Due to his success, he went on to hold various positions in different areas of the brewery; in 1964, he was appointed CEO. In 1967, he was appointed Executive President and Chairman of the Board of Directors. In 1963, he was also named CEO of Palacio de Hierro, S. A. where he carried out an ambitious re-structuring of the company in 1963, and due to his success, he was named Chairman of the Board of Directors and CEO in 1967.
Currently, Mr. Baillères is the Chief Executive Officer and President of the Board of Directors of a wide ranging group of leading Mexican companies which constitute Grupo BAL. Among these companies we find Industrias Peñoles, Fresnillo PLC, El Palacio de Hierro, TANE, Grupo Nacional Provincial, Profuturo, Valmex Casa de Bolsa, Crédito Afianzador, Grupo de Agro- negocios BAL , and a recent creation, PetroBal and Energía Eléctrica Bal. Several of these companies were also founded by Mr. Baillères.
He is also a member of the Board of Directors of many successful Mexican companies, namely Grupo Financiero BBVA-Bancomer, Fomento Económico Mexicano, Cerveza FEMSA, Desc Sociedad de Fomento Industrial, and Grupo Televisa.
Since 1967, he has been a member of the Consejo Mexicano de Negocios, A.C., an association of distinguished Mexican businesspeople. From 1973 to 1977, he was a member of the Chase Manhattan Bank Advisory Committee, headed by Mr. David Rockefeller. Currently, he is a member of the J.P. Morgan International Council.
For the past 48 years, Alberto Baillères has been President of the Asociación Mexicana de Cultura and President of the Board of Trustees of his alma mater, Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México (ITAM). Under his leadership, ITAM has become one of the most prestigious universities in Latin America.
Mr. Baillères has distinguished himself in his professional career by being a patriotic leader and an entrepreneur, who is devoted to Mexico and has a great dedication to all aspects of education, which he believes are key elements to Mexico’s development.
Speech given by Dr. Alberto Baillères at the solemn session of the Mexican Senate on the occasion of the presentation of the "Medalla Belisario Domínguez 2015" award.