Juan Pablo Otero-Sustainability Senior Manager at Grupo Milenio

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 tactics to build a more socially and environmentally conscious world.

The U.S. Green Chamber of Commerce is excited to bring you our newest Q&A series, Global Sustainability Leaders.

We’ve traveled the globe searching for the best and brightest sustainability leaders and we’ve found them. In our series, you will meet the

people who are creating a healthier and happier planet for you, your business and your community. Click here to view all of our Global Leaders

1. What is the mission of your company/NGO?

Inform and entertain audiences by carrying out journalism of quality, generating knowledge projects and editorial products throughout Mexico and the world.

 

2. What is the most innovative or environmentally/socially impactful project/practice your company/NGO has implemented?

As a media leader, potentiating social projects is very important, we are partners in the media, initiatives such as: Telethon, Talent-Land, Zona MACO among others.
Likewise, personally, I seek to be an agent of change in inclusion issues promoting good practices for the benefit of people with disabilities.

 

3. How have those projects positively impacted the local community and/ or your country?

The nature of the company makes the projects reach millions of people, inspiring them, thus generating a long-term change in behavior, generating future leaders who will carry out good actions in the future.

 

4. Please share any new projects you will be implementing in the near future.

In the company we will continue implementing programs that positively impact hundreds of people in different areas, personally I will continue to seek to be an agent of change for the benefit of people with disabilities, raising awareness about the issue allied with different NGOs.

 

5. What are your top 3 career accomplishments?
1.- Do what I like every day and know that what I do impact others

2.- Implement projects that years later remain in force, such as the volunteer program at Bimbo or the area of ​​Diversity and Inclusion in Daimler, making a mark is what matters

3.- Give lectures, from a TEDx Talk to talking in an auditorium with 2,0000 people

 

6.-What inspired you to choose your career path?  
Beyond choosing my career, I consider that my career chose me, 15 years ago I wanted to be a sports journalist … now I am in this and I am very happy

 

7.- Personally—Why do you care about sustainability? What is your story?
I started this by an invitation of the CEO of Barcel, one of Grupo Bimbo’s divisions, I did not know anything about Sustainability or CSR, I accepted because I was unemployed and it is one of the best decisions I have ever made.
In the long term being sustainable is the only way

 

8.- What is/are the biggest incentive(s) for businesses in your country to adopt sustainable practices?

Mexico is a country where companies are essential for social development, I consider that the main incentive is social development by itself; there can’t be successful companies in failed societies. Thinking globally and acting locally, impacting immediate communities aligned to business objectives is essential. You cannot establish a particular initiative. However I consider that the transfer of knowledge is essential.

 

9. What is/are the biggest environmental or social challenge(s) facing your country today?

The greatest challenges in social areas are access to opportunities and decent employment. beyond distributing social supports, it is necessary to create the conditions to generate well-being, In environmental terms the greatest challenge is to migrate to renewable energies

 

10. What are the biggest challenges you have faced when pursuing or trying to promote sustainable practices/projects?

The biggest challenge is convincing decision makers that sustainability is not a fad, but rather the best way to do business and generate a positive impact in the community. Sustainability does not have to have an immediate return on investment.

 

11. How dedicated are your nation’s businesses to corporate social responsibility? List some practices you think would be helpful.

Throughout my career I have seen great progress in socially responsible practices. Teleton is one of the initiatives that unites large companies to benefit children with disabilities and fortunately I have had the opportunity to collaborate with them.

 

To learn more, please visit Juan’s personal LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/juanpablootero/