Ramón Barúa: Cómo llevó a Intercorp a ser el grupo más grande de Perú; parte 2

Insights on Lifelong Learning and Leadership

The Importance of Continuous Education

• The speaker emphasizes the significance of lifelong learning, stating that at 78 years old, they have never gone a year without taking a course or program. In 2023, they studied customer behavior and generative artificial intelligence to stay relevant in conversations with younger generations.

Reflections on Business Decisions

• A reflection on past managerial decisions reveals a significant misstep when the company decided to extend credit to the informal sector around 2000, which did not yield the expected results.

Commitment to Excellence

• The speaker highlights that achieving excellence requires more time and resources but ultimately leads to unique satisfaction. This sets the tone for discussions about leadership and business growth.

Growth and Success in Business

• The guest shares insights about their experience as a director at Intercorp, noting that 2024 has been an exceptional year with double-digit growth across various platforms including finance, retail, education, and health.

CEO Responsibilities and Talent Management

• Discussing the role of a CEO, it is noted that effective management involves utilizing human talent efficiently. The most valuable resource in any company is its people.

Key Attributes Young Professionals Seek

• Young professionals look for three main aspects in their work:

• A transcendent purpose that contributes positively to society.

• Economic stability through adequate remuneration.

• Opportunities for continuous personal and professional development.

Evolving Nature of Education

Understanding Cybersecurity and Business Growth

The Importance of Cybersecurity

• Emphasizes the rapid advancement of cybersecurity and the need to understand its implications, as malicious actors often evolve faster than protective measures.

• Highlights that security and trust are paramount attributes sought by clients, making it essential for businesses to provide a secure environment.

Personal Development in Cybersecurity

• The speaker plans to enroll in a cybersecurity program by 2025 to deepen their understanding of the field.

• Introduces "Guru High Experience," an event aimed at sharing knowledge from successful leaders who have overcome significant challenges.

Strategies for Business Growth

• Discusses the importance of developing competitive strategies for medium-sized businesses, focusing on leveraging experiences from successful entrepreneurs.

• Stresses the necessity for entrepreneurs to think big while being aware of their limitations and understanding their market environment.

Execution and Collaboration

• Recommends assembling a strong team of collaborators as crucial for executing strategic plans effectively.

• Underlines the importance of rigorous execution in service delivery, aiming to meet or exceed customer expectations consistently.

Customer Value and Company Valuation

• Notes that companies are increasingly valued based on their loyal customer base rather than just financial metrics like cash flow.

• Advocates for maintaining high-quality products/services at competitive prices as fundamental to retaining customers and enhancing company value.

Learning from Past Mistakes

• Reflects on interviews with experienced professionals who emphasize learning from both successes and failures in business decisions.

• Shares a personal anecdote about a failed credit initiative aimed at the informal sector, highlighting lessons learned regarding risk management.

Resilience Through Adversity

• Discusses how setbacks can lead to valuable lessons; emphasizes patience and resilience after experiencing significant losses due to poor decision-making.

Leadership and Values in Business

The Challenge of Expectations

• Discusses the gap between expectations and reality when engaging with a project or venture, leading to feelings of frustration.

• Highlights the importance of leadership, specifically mentioning Carlos Di Pastor's role in guiding the company through difficult decisions.

Risk Management and Company Culture

• Emphasizes the significance of risk management within the company, noting a recent successful meeting that aligns with their forecasts.

• Raises questions about balancing professional responsibilities with personal life, particularly for leaders managing large companies.

Core Values for Success

• Identifies three essential values: integrity, collaboration, and spirit of improvement. Integrity is defined as consistency between words and actions.

• Introduces three passions necessary for success: innovation (challenging norms), talent (hiring top collaborators), and excellence (striving for outstanding results).

Commitment to Family, Work, and Country

• Stresses the importance of family commitment as a daily investment in relationships; shares personal experience of 52 years in marriage.

• Encourages passion towards work commitments while highlighting Peru's unique opportunities in various industries like agriculture.

The Potential of Peruvians

• Celebrates Peru's growth in agro-industry exports from $500 million to over $11 billion over 15 years.

• Describes key traits common among Peruvians: creativity, hard work (emphasizing reliability), and solidarity—especially among poorer communities.

Vision for National Progress

Opportunities and Challenges in Peru

Current State of Peru

• The speaker acknowledges both discouraging and encouraging developments in Peru, emphasizing the importance of recognizing positive changes while addressing challenges.

• Highlights the existence of a significant megaport that is expected to become one of the most important ports in South America, promising substantial future benefits for the country.

• Discusses pressing issues such as crime, corruption, and political instability but stresses that there are also favorable conditions for growth and development.

Education and Professional Development

• A question is posed about how engineering and economics education contributed to success in the corporate world, referencing Adam Smith's philosophy on value generation.

• The speaker reflects on their educational background at prestigious universities, noting the exceptional quality of education received from both UNI (National University of Engineering) and UCLouvain (Louvain University).

Challenges Facing Universities

• The speaker mentions a challenge for UNI to grow while maintaining its high standards; contrasts it with another university they have developed over time.

• Emphasizes that despite its historical prestige, UNI has not significantly expanded compared to other institutions.

Values Learned Through Education

• Beyond academic knowledge, education instilled values such as reasoning skills, organization of ideas, and discipline necessary for execution in professional life.

Customer Relations in Business

• Stresses the importance of understanding customer needs to provide quality goods/services at appropriate prices; emphasizes proactive engagement with customers.

• Shares insights on managing a large customer base effectively while highlighting that acquiring and retaining customers requires significant effort but yields exceptional rewards.

Encouragement to Dream Big

• A participant asks how individuals can overcome fears when dreaming big within their careers or personal lives.

Approaching Dreams with Discipline

The Importance of a Structured Plan

• Emphasizes the necessity of having a structured plan to achieve dreams, which should include clear goals and disciplined execution.

• Highlights that consistent effort towards these goals can lead to surprising progress in realizing one's dreams.

Thinking Big While Staying Grounded

• Encourages maintaining a balance between dreaming big and staying realistic, suggesting that one should always aspire for greatness.

Overcoming Challenges and Frustrations

• Acknowledges personal experiences of feeling stagnant or exhausted but emphasizes quick recovery through reflection on frustrations.

• Discusses the importance of analyzing setbacks to find solutions, which can lead to unexpected opportunities for advancement.

Responsibilities of Business Leaders in Peru

Key Responsibilities

• Outlines the primary responsibilities of business leaders: towards their employees, clients, and the state.

Active Political Participation

• Stresses the need for active participation in political processes—not necessarily partisan politics—to influence societal needs positively.

Strengthening Democracy

• Advocates for involvement in institutions that bolster democracy, sharing personal commitment to transparency efforts over 30 years.

Social Responsibility and Community Engagement

Addressing Poverty

• Points out that despite progress, poverty remains an issue affecting one in three Peruvians; calls for collective action to address this challenge.

Collective Action for Change

• Urges individuals to engage with community organizations or parishes as avenues for contributing positively to society.

The Role of Individuals in Societal Progress

Personal Commitment

• Encourages individuals to take responsibility when called upon for community service or state duties, emphasizing proactive engagement.

Historical Context and Impact

• Shares experience working on reparations following violence from 1980–2000 in Peru, highlighting significant achievements made during this period.

Legacy of Humanitarian Efforts