The Latin Trade Group announces its selection of Rafael Contreras Grosskelwing, CFO of Grupo Comercial Chedraui, as Latin Trade Group’s CFO of the Year. With this award, Contreras joins the ranks of some of the most distinguished financial executives in Latin America.
Contreras was chosen for “guiding the finances of Grupo Chedraui, his accomplished CFO track record and his passion for future business,” said Ramon Leal Chapa, the Alfa CFO who won last year’s award. Leal Chapa presented Contreras with his award during the Latin Trade CFO Forum at the Four Seasons Hotel in Mexico City.
Present at the event were Latin Trade Group Chairman Richard Burns, Executive Director Maria Lourdes Gallo, Contributing Editor LT CFO Events Mark Ludwig, Chief Mexico Economist Carlos Capistran, and members of the CFO Board of Advisors: Empresas ICA’s Victor Bravo Martin; Bio Pappel’s Mayela Rincon and President of CHPS International LLC Philippe Schrader.
Guests included CFOs, financial directors, credit and country controllers, consultants, chief investment officers, heads of treasury and risk managers from 32 leading Mexican and international companies, as well as guest speaker Rocio Ruiz Chavez, Undersecretary of Competitiveness and Business Regulation at Mexico’s Ministry of Economy.
The event was sponsored by Bank of America Merrill Lynch, BoardVantage, and CAF.
Rafael Contreras became Director of Finance and Administration at Grupo Comercial Chedraui in 2000. His achievements include leading the company’s IPO in 2010, as well as the acquisition of Grupo Carrefour Mexico in 2005. The acquisition of Carrefour opened the doors to the Mexico City market for Chedraui, boosting its sales by 40 percent. The company now has 211 stores in Mexico and is the country’s third largest supermarket chain.
“Our strategies include offering the best prices, which we make sure of by analyzing prices in the market and adjust our prices on a daily basis. We offer a wide range of products, and a comfortable shopping experience for our customers,” Contreras said during his keynote speech.
Before working with Chedraui, Contreras was Corporate Director of Administration and Finance at restaurant operating company Alsea, leading the company’s IPO in 1993.
LT CFO Forum are private events that offer CFOs, finance directors, treasurers and controllers from various industries in Latin America the opportunity to participate in high-level peer group discussions and interact in a private setting. The events equip CFOs with expert insight that helps them prepare for challenges across domestic and international borders.
Since 2005 LT CFO Events foster a greater level of discussion and interaction between senior executives focusing on the trends, challenges and solutions through regional events in Miami and local chapters in key markets in Latin America.
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