The story of Mauricio & the journey from Entrepreneur to Political reformer

[Music] The thing is you want to make it, you have to start with yourself. You do the things that you want to change, and then start convincing. One, two, three people, and always have hope. Things can be better, things can be worse, and now is our moment and is our time, and it's our doing. [Music] Welcome to the Boro series, The Podcast that brings you real stories of change. My name is Janis and I'm your host. Today I'm joined by Senator Mauricio Villa, one of Mexico's most compelling political figures. His journey from being a entrepreneur and a businessman, building and operating restaurant and sandwich franchises, to becoming governor of Yucatan, vice president of the Mexican Senate, and perhaps a potential presidential contender. This conversation is about more than a transition from business to politics. It is about how Mauricio has been credited with transforming the places he has led. He has built a reputation for modernizing institutions, introducing innovative approaches to policy making, and driving reforms, aiming at making government more effective, competitive, and responsive to citizens' needs. Hi Mauricio, how are you? Hi Janis, how are you? Nice to be here. I'm very excited for a conversation, and we will speak about different topics pertaining to business and politics, but I want to start a bit about your own stories. You were born in Merida, which is 35 kilometers from the coast of Mexico. You went to university, you went to the low degree, and then in 2003, you decided to become an entrepreneur. How come you entered this business? I was born in Mexico City, and I went to Merida when I was a nine-year-old with my whole family. One day, I've known my sister, God Sik, she couldn't breathe. They take him to the doctor, and the doctor said to me, "Dad, your dollar can't live in a city as polluted as a Mexico City, and this is a really high altitude city, so I recommend you go to sea level." Six-month-old lady were living in Merida within anyone in the city, but it's such a nice story and a really nice trip. I'm sure that that links to your passion for the environment, and living in a livable city, which I will ask you. Then how do you slowly, slowly move into the business world? What was the motivation for you? Since I was a little kid, I always wanted to be in politics. I remember when we arrived to Merida, I used to walk two or three blocks to buy the newspaper with my home money. I'll go back home, I read the newspaper, so I always knew I wanted to be in politics. I went to the university, I studied law. I was in the third semester, and I thought, "Well, I passed away." It was due to a scholarship that the school gave me, that I was able to finish my journey in school. My brother was living in Monterey, and one day when I was 23 years old, he called me and said, "What do you think about opening a business?" "You and me." I said, "Okay, that's a great idea, but I don't have any money." That just passed away. I said, "You know, I'm doing well in my work, but I wanted to do something, but I can be the one who operates, so I can put the money, and operate the business." I said, "Okay, that's a great idea. I like it." I told him, "You know, it's going to be a franchise affair in Monterey, or he was living." So, let me go there, and I will come to you back with some options. So, a week later, he said, "I saw these franches, these franches, these franches." I said, "You know what? I like subway sandwiches." A franche, I see, I think, could be a great sex, so we decided that we'll open our first restaurant. Did you know about this kind of company before? Yeah, I knew before I traveled to the US and see the impact that it has. It was, you know, like a. What I liked the most, it was fast food, or it was like a healthy fast food, so it was different from other franches. You know, like hamburgers and all of that one. So, that's something that we had to practice to do something different in that fast food segment. So, we opened the first restaurant. It was a really good success. The next year we opened another. So, we were able to open in 10 years, 10 restaurants. The one at the State of Jucatan and the State of Quintana Ro. Two years later, you know, like I was being a good franche, so subway international, they offered me to be their development agent. What does that mean? That they will give you a territory. They give me three states in Mexico, Campeche, Tabasco and Chapas. And I will sell the franches. You know, I give the help of the franche, I see, to open the stores and then do the supervision of the stores every month for subway international. And as a counterpart, they will give me part of the royalties that the franche is pays to subway international. I see. So, I also did that for maybe another 10 years. And it was really good because I was able to open 40 stores with other franches. 40, 40, yeah. So, I have, you know, my stores. And I also have, you know, like the ones that I helped, you know, like to build. So, it was a quite good experience, especially, you know, I work in a different state with different circumstances. And also, you know, with a lot of different franches with character styles and. Absolutely. And I think it's fascinating because you started telling me that you knew that you want to go into politics, but you enter a super kind of entrepreneurial journey. Then at this moment, once your business is successful, you run all these different operations. Did you still have this kind of virus inside you about politics? So, you said, you know what I'm going to continue with the business world. No, it's like the system never goes away. So, for me, going into the business was, I always say I want to be in politics, but I don't want the same income of my family depends in politics. Because, you know, how is politics one day you're there the next one, you're in the north, your party wins, your party lose, you go to an election, you win, you lose, etc. And also, if you don't depend on your income, you have more freedom to decide and to do things. So, for me, that was the main thing about the opportunity of having a business, but my real passion was helping people trying to do change and and and politics. So, it was in 2012 when I say, okay, almost 10 years with the business, I have a solid income, economy every month. So, I think I'm ready. So, I went to my party. I have lived to a party like 10 years before, a normal member of the party just go vote in the internal elections and all that. And I said, you know, I'm ready. So, it was elections and there want to be an election for the local government and also the local congress. And I say, okay, so I want to be part of the election on my district. So, I went to the party, I had an election, I won the election in the party, and then I won the constitutional election. And that's why I become a congressman in you, get them. That's in 2012. What did you bring from business into politics? What were some of the main things that you can keep in your kind of skills as you navigate politics later on? I think it's an advantage and this adventure at the same time because it's an advantage because people see you as an outsider and it's real. You have a different vision, the normal politicians. So, be able to navigate in bureaucracy or even in a business, navigate our tax systems. It gives you an advantage because you know how people feel every day when they have to pay the salaries, when they have to pay taxes, when they have to do to try and make some permits with government. So, that's something that you bring. And during politics and you're coming from the business, the people in politics say, "Oh, these guys coming here to play, he's not serious, he just want to be here." For a while, he's main interest, he's his business. So, when you go in politics, it's important that you take this advantage to do things, but also that you have to prove the people that it's inside that window, like forever, that you will be laundered, that you can do good things, and that you have the desire, that desire, and the instincts to do great things. I think there is a trend, at least in Europe. I see a trend of people moving from business to politics because it's people that have created jobs that as you said, they have real life experience. But I see the point that you're making that, you know, you've seen as an outsider that is not there to stay, and it's perhaps someone that wants to do it very opportunistically. But you have proven that that's not the case because looking at your achievements, I think they're absolutely fascinating. You have transformed your city. I was looking at some of the awards, and in 2015, best practices award, local governments in the category of government. I have done a lot of work when it comes to the environment. So, I want to ask you, as a politician in the local administration, how do you get your best practices? I know you, so I know you're very observant, and you're very curious as a person. But what's the thought process for someone that wants to bring change to innovate in the local administration? How did you go about it? I remember when I started being a mayor, we were doing the budget for the first year, and I will be asking questions. And how are we doing these things like that? And they will say, "Look, we always want to do that." always been doing that. We've been doing that for 20 years. So that's the way it has to be done. And I was like, no, no, it doesn't have to be that way. You can do different things. So for me, fighting against bureaucracy. Fighting about that's the way we always do it. It works. And also, you know, like I think like the best way to learn is to to hear people, you know, to listen to listen to people in the neighbor who are to listen to people in the street to listen to people in the markets. Because we can be very prepared people, but you're not leading the everyday problems that people live. And sometimes the most difficult problems have the most simple ways to be solved. And normally people will tell you what's the problem and what's the solution. You just have to be able to listen. And also, of course, trying to get the best experience around the world. And probably you seem, OK, this city is like our, the same income analysis, the same like the same size, they have the same problem. What are they doing and try to get that solutions and tropicalize with your city, because you know, every city in the world is different, have, you know, like different cultures, different ways of seeing things. For us, it's always been very important to get ideas, good ideas that has been proved that they will work, but also tropicalize in our, you know, way of living. And you have the reputation of being a unifier, you have the reputation of bringing people together is irrespective of the political affiliation. But then also someone, as we were discussing, a phenofracking and challenging basically the status quo, which is a bit of a paradox, maybe someone can think someone could say, how is this guy kind of innovating, challenging the status quo, whilst at the same time, bring people together. In a polarized kind of environment, in Mexico and around the world, how do you think about bringing people from different fractures together, whilst at the same time, challenging the status quo. So what, what's the magic element, if you want in that? I don't think it's like magical elements, or what I've been doing, you're like my whole career is like every city, every state, every country has a lot of problems. And there's no one person, not even the president of any country, even the president of the US, that can solve everything by themselves. You always need the state support, the city support. So for example, when I was a major of Merida, the governor of Jucatan was from another party, and they knew that if I do a good job as a major, probably it will be the candidate for being like a governor. So I just just say like, you know, governor, we have the same interest, I'm the major of the capital of the state, if the capital of state, it's performing, you know, like, accordingly, you will be a good governor. I want to help you to be a good governor. I want to be, you know, like the best major that's been here in Merida. I need your help, and I want you to help you. And I am convinced that people didn't care which party are you from. What they care is like, you solve problems. So it's always like, let's try to work things out. And you know, like, there will be elections later, we'll compete later, but we have to deliver to people to solve your problems. So that approach is how always helping me, even when I was governor, the president of Mexico, was from a different place. Sorry. And we were able to do a lot of things together, like to transform the state, to create their hospitals, their roads, their economy, you know, with that same approach. And it's also trying, if the president is interested in this thing, how can I help him to achieve this? And at the end of the day, a president, what do you think we also can do this thing that is very important for us. And normally when you create that kind of relationship, you'll be like, okay, you have me, I will help you. It's like a natural way of human beings. If you see like good faith, you'll give back good faith. I think that's very important and I don't see it to the extent that perhaps it should. But I think you have a very practical approach in looking at politics, which maybe is the more modern way of looking at politics, crossing the kind of party boundaries to achieve results and deliver results. So I want to stay a bit in this topic of livable cities because it's something that you have created the reputation around you. What does it mean for you? So you have done tremendous work in your communities around livable cities to make them the most livable cities. What does it mean most livable to you? So I think like a livable city is what you can develop any activity that you want with freedom. So I think you all start with security, a security, no, where you can walk around and you can be safe. It doesn't matter what time of the day or night it is. I think it's a city with the elements of the city don't get you to be sick, even like with pollution and all that. And also it's a city that keeps its citizens derived to move freely in a proper way. So for example, public transportation is always being one of my main focus because you live on the city that you can move or it's to expensive. If you have to take an Uber or you have to play a cup, that's something that makes people's life more expensive and also harder. So for me, those three elements, security, environment and public transportation is all will be like part of the main things. And also to give people spaces, public spaces where they can enjoy where they can be with family because not every people has the money to go to a shopping mall or to go to the cinema or to go to any place. So if you can go to a park where you can feel safe, there is clean that has all the proper installations. It's something that makes a city very, very reliable. What have you seen in terms of all the work that you have done in the public administration, going from the more local level and moving up the ladder? What kind of aspects have you seen that have remained the same but also that are different. So at the local level, you want to achieve certain things and you move to the regional level then to the national level. So what are the some of the elements that are different when you want to bring this change? So I think that the vision is the same, but your I don't want to sell your power, but your ability to do things gets you know when you're in a year from the city level to the state level to the national level. So your ability to do things and to make change it gets bigger so that that's a good thing, but the vision is it's the same. So for us, it's always been, how can we do things that keeps a good result? So nobody will accept list and I will give you an example. When I was major, I say like our parks could be much better. So I travel to other countries, I try to other cities and make some and I say like, okay, I want our parks to be this way. And I remember when I was doing the first one, we received during the construction so many critics because a construction is never pretty. So they were telling that we're going to do like a concrete thing and etc etc. And you know, but at the end when the park was finished, everyone was so happy. So it's so important that when you're trying to make change, there's going to be a lot of people that are going to criticize you because people don't like change at the beginning, change is something that is done from a long time. And so now if you go to Merida, that's a standard of a park. People want to save anything. You do something list. So I have some other majors after me and they say, you screw us up because now we have to spend so much money on parks. And I say, yeah, that was a main reason. I wanted to get to the next level and we did that, for example, the same in the state level with a huge part called a plan chat 20 hectares. It used to be the old train station was being abandoned for the last 40 years. So we're able to do that same model, but in a much bigger scale and your work in the state level, we're able to do that with public transportation. We renovate all the transportation system of the city of Merida, if you had a system called by Ben, and I am sure is the best transportation system in Mexico. We have deferred electric lines in the whole southeast of Mexico. We have the new buses hybrid buses. We have, you know, like Wi-Fi, we have ability for people with with that are there for our blind, all those things that were not before in our public transportation. So now, you know, like that, there's a new government, if they want to do just a little bit change people react and say, no, no, no, we like this and you can change to get better, but we want to allow anything less than that. I think that that's the ability when you have a vision that you can be scaling up to do more important things, but also with the quality that people say, okay, I want to save anything else. And I want to touch more into your own vision before I go into international politics, but so you just mentioned the word vision, what's your vision for Mexico? I think that Mexico is a country that is underperforming and is been underperforming, I think, for a while. I think that it's been times that it seems like we're going to get to the next step and something happened and we we're not able to give that step. And because Mexico, you know, we have in geography, you know, like we're in the beside the biggest market in art that is the US, we have natural resources, we have great people, we have, you know, like a john. population. So I think we have all the elements that Mexico could be a great country. So it's not that Mexico is not a great country. It could be better. And for example, if you take, you know, like we compare with OCDE, you know, like countries, you always see Mexico, you know, like in the bottom. And I think that Mexico could be in the top 10 countries. And I think that that's been because poor government decisions, not for any specific government, but I think for a long time that Mexico has been underperforming. And maybe surely like that Mexico can achieve of the potential that we have as a country to be in the place we should be. And I guess with all the best practices that you have and your experience at Harvard with new ideas, it's something that for sure we will see you doing. I want to move to the international landscape and focus on US and Mexico. I was looking at the numbers when it comes to trade in 2024 over 80% of total Mexican goods experts were to the US. And over 40% of total Mexican goods imports were from the US. So massive trade relationship. But at the same time over the years, we've seen some tensions. How do you navigate that? So as one of the leaders or leading political figures, you've negotiated trade deals as well, if I understand, with the US, but how do you balance keeping the priorities of your country and protecting them? What's at the same time having to follow some of the elements that your neighbor is asking? So yeah, so our number one trading partner is the US, but the good thing is like Mexico is also the number one trading partner of the US. So this is an interdependence relationship. So normally with the US, you should have like a frame that we all know what we were playing. So the last couple of years have been different because of Trump administration. But I think you know like this relationship, this being so close to the United States, have been Mexico, because it gives Mexico a great opportunity. And the opportunities like we can take advantage of all the investment that it's that people want to do in the North America part, it would be in part of the US MCA, you know, give us an an advantage. And a lot of people say, if you want to go to the US market, Mexico, it's a global manufacturing hub in the world. So Mexico is a good place. I think the opportunity and one of the things that will be underperforming, we have to do a very job. And people are able to catch up with these opportunities. So we need to invest more in education, we need to invest more in infrastructure, we need to invest more in technology. And also we need to keep more certainty for people to want to invest. So I think that the relationship is a really strong relationship. As I say, number one partner on both sides, but it could be even better for Mexico and even better for the US. So I think vision, this relationship is not how can we take advantage of the US of how the US can take advantage. You know, if how can we make a better relationship? Because if we have a better relationship, it would be better for both countries. And you know, the US they have some some some some topics or for example, immigration. Okay, if you want to have less immigration, Mexico has to do better because nobody nobody emigrates because they want normally people in their race because they want to get better opportunities. But you can find your opportunities in your country. What would you want to go away? So I think, you know, like that's something that is missing in their relationship is like, okay, if Mexico is doing a good job, you know, like the US is going to be is going to be better. And it happens the same in Canada. So I think that approach is one approach that can make a huge difference. It's been hard in all I would this current administration because it's like, oh, we have a trade deficit or war. But I think that this is something this is going to pass. This is like politics. And it's also cycles. So I think like in the long term, what we need is a better relationship because a better relation make both countries stronger. And do you think that I mean, I want to ask you on the approach, do you think that countries that want to have strong trading relationships with the US should have a more antagonistic approach to make sure that the US understands what they stand or to have a more unifying kind of stance. What's I mean, from your experience dealing with this identification, I will say that depends on the situation and depends on where you're talking about when you're talking about trade. It's it's it's it's it's massive. So there's some things that you have, you know, like the best part and then and other things that you don't have, you know, like that leverage. So, but I think that the vision is still the same. It's like, okay, guys, maybe you will win in this. We will win in that. But if this makes us, you know, like stronger, it will be better for both countries. So I think that that's what been missing, you know, like the last couple of years. And I think that it's something that we can work on, you know, like sharing this vision and being able to like to have a much better platform for both countries. You're now at the Kennedy School at Harvard. You have been extremely active on different fronts here. And I sense that you're particularly interested in artificial intelligence and emerging tech in general. As we conclude our year here, what are some of the key elements that you will take with you and you will try to apply back home in Mexico and your return. So for me, a coming here, you know, like, you know, how it's been here is like, it's like a buffet that there's like so much things that you can eat everything. So for me, I've never heard this example. I love it. I'll use this one. Yeah. It's like, so when I came here, I say, okay, I think like I understand Mexico. So if I'm on the Kennedy School, this will this should help me to understand the world better, you know. So I was very interested, you know, like in the US, I was very interested in China. And as you were saying, also in AI. And for me, I knew like that normal things that people know about AI, you know, like there's a thing called chagy petit that can answer your question, blah, blah, blah. But being able to understand the moment and the circumstances that we're right now that probably in the next couple between two and five years, we're really getting, you know, like to something so sophisticated that will be more intelligent than any human being in history. And all the consequences that this group do, starting for, you know, like the end of civilization, you know, like the end of a lot of jobs as we know them. And maybe you might be able to cure some disease that today are fatal. So I think, you know, like understanding the dimension of the things is something that will allow me to get to Mexico and do a very job because I didn't understand the things as I understand them now before coming here. And I think that's what, you know, like a platform like Harvard with all these people from all around the world gives you. So you have, you know, like the best education, but also you have, you know, like so much people from a lot of parts of the country that when you start hearing the stories and how do they think they can apply that on your country, just like, okay, this could work in Mexico. Okay, this could work in Mexico, we're doing you're like in a different way. So for me, you know, what I'm taking back is like this global vision and a little more clarity in what people hear things that is going to be happening in the world for the next couple of years. And what's next for you? So you go back, you were before a vice president of the Mexican Senate. Do you go back to the same role? So I go back to that to the Senate in Mexico. So the vice president is like that top position for the opposition. So, but that's, we elect those positions every year in the Senate. So there will be an election. I don't have to run or not. It depends. You know, on the health of the party decide. So we'll see, you know, like probably that, that's something that will be deciding in September. But what I'm sure is like, I want to go back to the Senate. I want to work in those in these kind of topics, you know, AI cyber security, US Mexico relationship. And of course, I want to start traveling, you know, like the country, try to get a better understanding, you know, for every state, every city, and try to keep building, you know, a critical capital to help my party, but especially to help Mexico to be able to perform as it should be performing. And the next elections in Mexico national elections are in 2030, if I'm wrong. So do we have midterm election for national congress in 2027 and in 2003, to 2003, we have presidential election with the Senate and the Congress again. Could we see you running for the presidential elections? If you ask a politician, if he wants to be president, it's like asking a soccer player if he wants to play in Real Madrid. He says no, he's lying. A measure for Barcelona, but yeah. It doesn't matter. Even Messi wants to play in Real Madrid. So yes, but it's not like how I want to run to be president. It's not if you want to run everyone wants to run. It's like how can you build the platform? How can you create, you don't like the alliances that that you need, how can you be able to have a team that can support these tasks because there's nothing higher, you know, like in politics in your country to try to achieve efficiency. And if you know, like, you have to be very responsible and to be very honest to yourself, if you really have the chance or if not, you know, like, for me, I think like Alcon gave that political copy to someone else if he has a better opportunity. So it's right to build, you know, like those kind of relationships and to be very honest with you because, you know, like, for me, it's not a goal to be a candidate. The goal should be winning the election. So as we conclude slowly or our conversation, I took note of three kind of words that I think describe everything that we went through and your character. And I think that it's words that miss from most politicians globally. So I think Mexico is very lucky to have you. But I think for me, honesty is something that defines you. Secondly, the practical mindset, which may be something that you bring from the business world, but in everything that you do, see the practical aspect. And thirdly, this international mindset, which, you know, with all the best practices that you have taken in your city, but also in politics in general. So the last question I want to ask you is for anyone younger or anyone that has not had the career that you have had, but that would like to go into politics or maybe not politics, but bring change. What is something that you would advise them to think of or to reflect on as they start this journey? Okay. So I will say that first of all, our policies are a really serious thing. So you have to prepare, but it's not only like academic, you know, like preparation, it's you have to prepare yourself to please him. You have to prepare yourself to travel, to visit, to hear people, you know, like, and to put you in their shoes because there's no way to solve problems is you don't feel or you don't think like the people of that place is feeling. So that will be the first thing. The second thing is like normally we're waiting for a change. And and people is waiting from who's going to make the change. So we're I don't know him in our minds. We're looking like a superhero or this politician that he's going to win and he will promise everything he's camping. And then after the government, people are so disappointed because change is not only a one person job. You are able to make change when every people is making small actions that when you put them all together. Okay, we make a change. So the thing is you want to make a change, you have to start with yourself. You do the things that you want them to change. And then start convincing one, two, three people. And then in a while, you will have a lot of people that are thinking the way you're thinking and that are making the same change that you want. So it's like don't wait for this superhero. Just start doing the change because change start from our self. And always have hope. Things can be better. Things can be worse. But now is our moment and is our time. And it's our doing what is going to decide what's going to be happening next. Marissa, it was really an honor to have this conversation with you. I really, really appreciate it. And I feel optimistic for the Mexican people actually because you will go back and serve them the best way you can. So thank you so much for your time. No, thank you, Janis. It's been a very interesting conversation. Thank you. Thank you, Marissa. This was your story of change. T'Alemne.