Bloomberg recently profiled ASG Chair Carlos Gutierrez. You can read the full article here. 

Career

Currently: Chair of Albright Stonebridge Group. Serves as the Chair of the National Foreign Trade Council and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s U.S.-Cuba Business Council; is on the boards for the Chamber’s U.S.-India Business Council, the Boao Forum for Asia and Occidental Petroleum Corporation, MetLife, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), Viridis Learning, the George W. Bush Institute’s Human Freedom Advisory Council, and Republicans for Immigration Reform.

Previously: U.S. Secretary of Commerce from 2005 to 2009 under President George W. Bush, working with foreign government and business leaders to advance economic relationships, enhance trade and promote U.S. exports. Previously spent nearly 30 years with Kellogg Company, President and CEO in 1999 and named Chairman of the Board in 2000.

Career highlight: When I became General Manager of Mexico for Kellogg Company. One of my first jobs with Kellogg was driving a delivery truck but over the years I watched, learned, and grew into higher roles. As proud as I was to be appointed the company’s CEO years later, the Mexico GM position was a major highlight for me because it gave me the opportunity to demonstrate management skills and continue to learn.

Career lowlight: The failure to get comprehensive immigration reform passed when I was in President George W. Bush’s Cabinet. This is one of our nation’s largest social issues, but it would have also addressed many of our ongoing economic challenges. I am  a firm believer that immigrant contributions to the U.S. economy are essential and part of the fabric of what makes America great.

Personal

Family life: My wife and I have one son and two daughters, and in 2019 I became a grandparent for the first time.

Out-of-office: These days, when I’m not working or traveling for work you can usually find me spending time with my granddaughter. I also enjoy reading non-fiction books — especially about Cuba, China, Mexico, and India — and listening to music, everything from the Beatles onwards.

Outlook

Greatest opportunity: Geopolitics is more complicated than ever, but there are tremendous things happening in emerging markets that deserve closer review. From Latin America to Europe, and from Africa to Southeast Asia, significant opportunities exist in these dynamic markets for those willing to take a closer look.

How I stay up to date: I keep up with changes in global economies and the markets by reading the news and watching Bloomberg, and through travel.

Three trends I’m focusing on: 

• Technology: The advances will continue to come faster and bigger than ever, and companies need to understand how to use  and navigate these changes.
• The rise of the strongman: It continues to impact and break down important international institutions; the WTO is one example.
• Social responsibility: Although it is shifting from a trend into a C-suite mainstay, I am spending a lot of time working with CEOs who are committed to embedding social responsibility into business decisions, a big jump from simply producing glossy CSR brochures.