Reaching the Next Level
Looking to lead the next wave of growth for his company, Mexican-based CEMZA, president of the board Jose Zavala returned to a trusted resource: Harvard Business School (HBS). His earlier participation in the Owner/President Management (OPM) program had inspired the first wave, so he was confident that the Aligning Strategy and Sales program would challenge him to think more broadly about strategy and provide him with the tools to lead his company to the next level. He shares some insights from his experience.
Why did you decide to attend the Aligning Strategy and Sales program?
What I learned in the OPM program has helped me to increase my company's revenues dramatically to $200 million. So when I wanted to reach $1 billion, I was confident that HBS could provide the tools to reach that goal. I chose this program because I needed to redesign my company’s overall strategy.
How did the program influence your views surrounding strategy and sales?
The program helped me understand that I needed to bring all of our strategy decisions into alignment. To get to $1 billion in revenue, I knew that I needed sales. But I learned that it’s more than just sales. The entire organization needed to be aligned.
How did this program differ from your experience in OPM?
My OPM experience was very different, because it was the first time in my life that I had been in a class with business owners. My previous classes had been with people who worked for a company or for the government, so we didn't always have the same concerns or experiences. OPM helped me to find people who were facing the same issues, and I learned a lot by hearing them describe how they resolved those issues. In OPM I met other participants who were facing similar challenges, and I learned a lot by listening to others describe how they resolved those issues.
In Aligning Strategy and Sales, more of the participants were employees rather than owners, and they were very specialized, working in specific areas of their organizations. That helped me view each issue from a perspective that I hadn't considered before.
How would you describe the value of Executive Education at HBS as a whole?
It changed my life by giving me the tools to grow my company, as well as helping me to better understand "value." But most important is it helped me develop as a leader and as a human being by addressing topics such as how to treat my employees, how to treat other people, and how to make time for my family and life outside work. It was a great experience, and I will continue to return to HBS.