María Asunción Aramburuzabala
Encyclopedia
María Asunción Aramburuzabala Larregui de Garza (born May 2, 1963) is a businesswoman in Mexico
and Latin America
. She is Chairman of the Board of Tresalia Capital.
, Mexico. She is the granddaughter of Félix Aramburuzabala, who co-founded the Mexican brewery Grupo Modelo
with his friend and partner don Pablo Díez Fernández . Her father, Pablo Aramburuzabala, was the Executive Vice President of the Grupo Modelo brewery.
Aramburuzabala graduated from the Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México
where she majored in Accounting.
In 1982 she married Paulo Patricio Zapata Navarro. They had two children and divorced in 1997.
On February 26, 2005, she married Tony Garza
, United States
ambassador to Mexico
, in a small religious ceremony in Mexico City
. On April 23, they had the civil ceremony near Valle de Bravo
, west of Mexico City. U.S. First Lady
Laura Bush
attended. An estimated one-third of the guests were from Texas
. The couple divorced in May 2010.
at the age of 63. After his death, several groups tried to gain control of his family's share in Modelo — his wife and two daughters bonded together against these groups.
The family created Tresalia Capital ("tres aliadas" or three allies) in order to diversify the family investments. Through Tresalia, Aramburuzabala family has made investmented in large Mexican companies, as well as the management of private and venture capital
funds and the creation of new companies. Tresalia is also distinguished for capitalizing investment projects from young entrepreneurs.
In a few years, Tresalia diversified from its core brewing business to focus on investments in growing sectors in Mexico such as telecommunications, infrastructure, real estate, land banks, technology infrastructure, media, education and health.
. She is also member of the Executive Committee of Grupo Modelo and Vice Chairman of DIFA as well as Chairman of Tresalia Educación. She serves as Director in several important Mexican companies Boards such as Grupo Televisa (since 2000, currently Vice Chairman of the Board), America Movil
, Empresas ICA
, Banamex - Citigroup
, Aeromexico
, BCBA Impulse, KIO Networks and GA&A Group; and actively participates as member of the NYSE Advisory Committee.
Aramburuzabala is also an active member of ITAM's Business School Advisory Committee, and the David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies
at Harvard University
Advisory Board. She serves in the Advisory Board to the Mexican Ministry of Education looking to improve quality standards in Education and in the Mexican Ministry of the Economy Advisory Board for International Business Trade.
Aramburuzabala Larregui is the first woman to become member of the Mexican Stock Exchange Board (2003–2006), as well as being the first woman designated as Chairman of the Board of Siemens
Mexico (2003–2006).
Aramburuzabala Larregui has received many awards, both in Mexico and abroad. Notable awards are:
Private Sector Professional Merit Award granted by the ITAM's Alumni Association (2003): The Golden Plate Award granted by the Academy of Achievement
in 2004; "2000 Women of the Year" granted by the Mexican Expansion Magazine; "The Leading Women Entrepreneurs of the World" granted by Star Group (1998); the "2005 Women's Medal" granted by the Anahuac University
and the "2004 Mont Blanc
Businesswoman Award", among others.
With a net worth estimated at $2 billion, she is Mexico's richest woman.
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
and Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
. She is Chairman of the Board of Tresalia Capital.
Personal
María Asunción Aramburuzabala — referred to as Marisun by her friends — was born on May 2, 1963 in Mexico CityMexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
, Mexico. She is the granddaughter of Félix Aramburuzabala, who co-founded the Mexican brewery Grupo Modelo
Grupo Modelo
Grupo Modelo is a large brewery in Mexico, It has 63% of the Mexican beer market, and exports beer to the United Kingdom, United States and Canada . Its export brands include Corona, Modelo, and Pacífico...
with his friend and partner don Pablo Díez Fernández . Her father, Pablo Aramburuzabala, was the Executive Vice President of the Grupo Modelo brewery.
Aramburuzabala graduated from the Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México
ITAM
ITAM may refer to:*Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México, a private research university located in Mexico City, Mexico*IT asset management*Immunoreceptor tyrosine-based activation motif...
where she majored in Accounting.
In 1982 she married Paulo Patricio Zapata Navarro. They had two children and divorced in 1997.
On February 26, 2005, she married Tony Garza
Tony Garza
Antonio Oscar "Tony" Garza, Jr. , an American lawyer and former county judge in Texas, was the United States Ambassador to Mexico from 2002 to 2009.-Early life and education:...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
ambassador to Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, in a small religious ceremony in Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
. On April 23, they had the civil ceremony near Valle de Bravo
Valle de Bravo
Valle de Bravo is a town and municipality located in Mexico State, Mexico. It is located on the shore of Lake Avándaro, approximately 156 km southwest of Mexico City and west of Toluca on highways 15, 134 or 1...
, west of Mexico City. U.S. First Lady
First Lady of the United States
First Lady of the United States is the title of the hostess of the White House. Because this position is traditionally filled by the wife of the president of the United States, the title is most often applied to the wife of a sitting president. The current first lady is Michelle Obama.-Current:The...
Laura Bush
Laura Bush
Laura Lane Welch Bush is the wife of the 43rd President of the United States, George W. Bush. She was the First Lady of the United States from January 20, 2001, to January 20, 2009. She has held a love of books and reading since childhood and her life and education have reflected that interest...
attended. An estimated one-third of the guests were from Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. The couple divorced in May 2010.
Family business
The Mexican brewery, Cervecería Modelo, was founded in 1925 by a group of businessmen, including don Pablo Díez Fernández — who became the company's President, CEO and major stockholder — and Felix Aramburuzabala. Felix' son, Pablo Aramburuzabala, the Executive Vice President of the brewery, died unexpectedly in 1995 of lung cancerLung cancer
Lung cancer is a disease characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung. If left untreated, this growth can spread beyond the lung in a process called metastasis into nearby tissue and, eventually, into other parts of the body. Most cancers that start in lung, known as primary...
at the age of 63. After his death, several groups tried to gain control of his family's share in Modelo — his wife and two daughters bonded together against these groups.
The family created Tresalia Capital ("tres aliadas" or three allies) in order to diversify the family investments. Through Tresalia, Aramburuzabala family has made investmented in large Mexican companies, as well as the management of private and venture capital
Venture capital
Venture capital is financial capital provided to early-stage, high-potential, high risk, growth startup companies. The venture capital fund makes money by owning equity in the companies it invests in, which usually have a novel technology or business model in high technology industries, such as...
funds and the creation of new companies. Tresalia is also distinguished for capitalizing investment projects from young entrepreneurs.
In a few years, Tresalia diversified from its core brewing business to focus on investments in growing sectors in Mexico such as telecommunications, infrastructure, real estate, land banks, technology infrastructure, media, education and health.
Career
Aramburuzabala is CEO and President of Tresalia Capital and Vice Chairman of Grupo ModeloGrupo Modelo
Grupo Modelo is a large brewery in Mexico, It has 63% of the Mexican beer market, and exports beer to the United Kingdom, United States and Canada . Its export brands include Corona, Modelo, and Pacífico...
. She is also member of the Executive Committee of Grupo Modelo and Vice Chairman of DIFA as well as Chairman of Tresalia Educación. She serves as Director in several important Mexican companies Boards such as Grupo Televisa (since 2000, currently Vice Chairman of the Board), America Movil
América Móvil
América Móvil is a Mexican telecommunication company headquartered in Mexico City, Mexico. It is the fourth largest mobile network operator in terms of equity subscribers, one of the largest corporations in Latin America, and the world. America Movil is a Fortune 500 company...
, Empresas ICA
Empresas ICA
ICA is the second biggest Mexican construction company with operations in the Americas and Europe. ICA is engaged in the development and construction of infrastructure projects such as road construction, hydroelectric plants, ports and airports, metro systems, refineries, industrial facilities,...
, Banamex - Citigroup
Citigroup
Citigroup Inc. or Citi is an American multinational financial services corporation headquartered in Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States. Citigroup was formed from one of the world's largest mergers in history by combining the banking giant Citicorp and financial conglomerate...
, Aeromexico
Aeroméxico
Airways of Mexico, SA de CV , operating as Aeroméxico, is the flag carrier airline of Mexico based in Colonia Cuauhtémoc, Cuauhtémoc, Mexico City. It operates scheduled domestic and international services to North America, South America, Central America and the Caribbean, Europe, and Asia...
, BCBA Impulse, KIO Networks and GA&A Group; and actively participates as member of the NYSE Advisory Committee.
Aramburuzabala is also an active member of ITAM's Business School Advisory Committee, and the David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies
David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies
Founded in 1994, Harvard's David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies works to increase knowledge of the cultures, economies, histories, environment, and contemporary affairs of past and present Latin America. The Center's main office is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts at Harvard...
at Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
Advisory Board. She serves in the Advisory Board to the Mexican Ministry of Education looking to improve quality standards in Education and in the Mexican Ministry of the Economy Advisory Board for International Business Trade.
Aramburuzabala Larregui is the first woman to become member of the Mexican Stock Exchange Board (2003–2006), as well as being the first woman designated as Chairman of the Board of Siemens
Siemens
Siemens may refer toSiemens, a German family name carried by generations of telecommunications industrialists, including:* Werner von Siemens , inventor, founder of Siemens AG...
Mexico (2003–2006).
Aramburuzabala Larregui has received many awards, both in Mexico and abroad. Notable awards are:
Private Sector Professional Merit Award granted by the ITAM's Alumni Association (2003): The Golden Plate Award granted by the Academy of Achievement
Academy of Achievement
The Academy of Achievement is a U.S.-based nonprofit organization founded in 1961 by photographer Hy Peskin. He established the Academy of Achievement to bring aspiring young people together with accomplished people...
in 2004; "2000 Women of the Year" granted by the Mexican Expansion Magazine; "The Leading Women Entrepreneurs of the World" granted by Star Group (1998); the "2005 Women's Medal" granted by the Anahuac University
Anahuac University
The Universidad Anáhuac México Norte was founded in 1964 as a central institution belonging to the Legion of Christ Educational Project. It offers more than 28 undergraduate programs, and more than 40 postgraduate programs....
and the "2004 Mont Blanc
Mont Blanc
Mont Blanc or Monte Bianco , meaning "White Mountain", is the highest mountain in the Alps, Western Europe and the European Union. It rises above sea level and is ranked 11th in the world in topographic prominence...
Businesswoman Award", among others.
With a net worth estimated at $2 billion, she is Mexico's richest woman.
External links
- "M.A. Aramburuzabala", Forbes, October 2006.
- "Brewing Change" by Monica Showalter, Forbes, June 18, 2001.
- "Data: M.A. Aramburuzabala", BusinessWeek, July 10, 2000.
- "Cracks in Mexico's Glass Ceiling" by Elizabeth Malkin, BusinessWeek, July 10, 2000.