José María Barroso, CEO of Cementos Moctezuma, is leading the transformation of his sector with a more sustainable approach, focused on common wellbeing and inclusion.
He has been working in the cement industry in Mexico for over 40 years and has worked in various positions throughout his life. His career has stand out due to his constant focus on collectiveness, his vision prioritizes common wellbeing and community progress.
Today, he is leading the transformation of one of the most important industries in Mexico’s economy but at the same time, he is looking towards a more sustainable and environmentally friendly practices. This challenge is not easy for a company with an installed capacity of eight million tons of cement and more than 30 distribution centers.
The cement industry in Mexico has a very important role for the economy but it also affects the population directly, given that construction industry employs more than 8 million people. The president of the General Council of the National Chamber of Cement (Canacem) estimates that the industry will grow between 3 and 4 percent this year.
Even though the main actors in the industry have committed to a greener production and they are already working on it, they are still several challenges in this industry that is responsible for 8 percent of greenhouse gases worldwide.
Cementos Moctezuma has a clear route towards their goal of achieving net zero emissions by 2050. Between 2020 and 2023, Cementos Moctezuma managed to reduce its CO2 emissions by 10 percent. A company with revenues of 19,662 million pesos (data at the end of 2023), has the confidence and the means to achieve it. In addition, the diversity in its portafolio is another of their greatest strengths. Currently, they manufacture more than 590 types of concrete, including conventional, structural, and special designs.
Cement is a basic material for millions of homes. In Mexico alone, 94.6 percent of homes have this type of floor, according to the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI). When citizens dream about building their home, they think about cement as a material that has become synonymous with safety and durability over time.
The cement company is aware that 3.8 million people in Mexico still live in homes with dirt floors and they are taking the lead to help fulfill the dream of Mexicans to access decent housing with top quality materials. To accomplish this, they know that a transformation of the industry is necessary.
The cement industry in Mexico faces an urgent need to transform itself, and in order to achieve this, Mr. Barroso recognizes that it is essential for leaders to be humble and accept their limitations along with their mistakes in order to make things right.
The company will also have to consider the growing impact of new technologies. For example, Google revealed in its annual environmental report that its emissions in 2023 increased by 13 percent compared to the previous year, reaching 14.3 million metric tons due to the electrical consumption of its data centers.
Accepting the challenges and taking responsibility for them is crucial. Every new leader must learn to improve themselves as a person, be open to dialogue and have constructive attitude. José María Barroso firmly believes that these aspects are fundamental for the leaders of the future and those who want to have a career in this industry must adopt this vision.
Source: https://mitsloanreview.mx