Daniel Servitje, Grupo Bimbo: The Enemy of Growth Is Distance

What does it take to expand worldwide without losing sight of the things that matter most? Daniel Servitje is the executive chairman of Grupo Bimbo, an organization that rose from a small bakery to become one of the largest food corporations in the world. Since taking over in 1997, Daniel has overseen 900% growth and expansion into multiple international markets. Yesterday, he was on a bread truck. Join host Jimmy Allen of Bain & Company and Daniel as they discuss how robust cultures are developed in the field, the long-term value of choosing patience over urgency, and how to navigate building new systems whilst ensuring existing ones continue to function. Daniel shares a vital tip for any CEO looking to develop their own business - never let growth separate you from the people that matter. Who really shapes the culture of a successful company? How can a field mentality help leaders grow their businesses? This is a conversation about the importance of a long-term perspective, knowing how to build a strong culture from the field, and the role of a leader in driving successful growth. https://www.bain.com/founders-mentality/ EPISODE CHAPTERS 00:00 Introduction 01:32 An inspiring visit to the bakery 02:46 Listening to voices across the company 04:01 What Daniel learned from the annual conference 05:10 Big ideas come from examining the small things 06:27 Building a culture that starts from the field 07:22 What it takes to develop internationally 08:04 How Grupo Bimbo went international successfully 09:35 Developing a global culture 11:33 Culture is built by actions, not by words 12:46 With growth comes opportunity, but also complexity 14:10 Why leaders need to break processes and take risks 16:54 Don’t get trapped by old systems 18:37 How to transform a company whilst running it 19:47 The importance of long term thinking 20:54 Sometimes slower is better 21:52 Balancing the systems paradox 22:38 Daniel's leading mentality 23:36 Getting energy from curiosity 25:30 Finding the right people to diffuse your energy 26:44 Why the source of your energy really matters 27:44 Daniel's recipe for successful growth LINKS A Case for Complexity - Jimmy Allen - Blog [https://tinyurl.com/thepowerofrenewal] Bain & Company LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/bain-and-company/] Bain & Company X [https://x.com/BainandCompany] Jimmy Allen LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-allen-3442b/] Daniel Servitje LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielservitje/] About the Host Jimmy Allen is an Advisory Partner at Bain & Company with over 35 years’ experience advising leading organizations. He’s the author of multiple best-selling books on growth and leadership and the host and founder of Bain’s Global CEO Community Forum. Jimmy is a regular speaker at global business events, including the World Economic Forum, and serves on the Botswana Economic Advisory Council. Outside of consulting, Jimmy started his own record label [Abubilla Music] in 2008 and supports Singing Wells, a project dedicated to preserving Kenyan village music. Bain & Company Founder’s Mentality: The CEO Sessions is brought to you by Bain & Company, a global consultancy trusted by the world’s most influential business leaders. With decades of experience guiding organizations through growth, transformation, and leadership development, Bain’s executive insights offer what it takes to lead at scale.