Diego is an international business developer with 6 years of experience in business development, sourcing and sustainability within a Fortune 500 company as well as in international trade & investment in government
organizations. He holds a Bachelor’s dual-degree in International Business Management from ESB Reutlingen in Germany and Universidad de las Américas in Puebla and an MBA from Autonomous Technological Institute of Mexico (ITAM) in Mexico City. An upbringing in Mexico and the U.S., as well as extended academic and work experiences in Germany, Switzerland, Holland, and France, has given him keen cross cultural experiences and helped him become fluent in English, Spanish, German and French. Until recently, he led multi-sectoral efforts to promote Mexican exports and attract foreign direct investment as an international business consultant at the Trade & Investment Commission of Mexico in the U.S. and Germany. Previous experience includes leading Communication and PR Programs for Sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility for water usage efficiency, residue management, renewable energy sources and human development within a Fortune 500 company. In 2016, he founded Xiik’ Business Accelerator, a boot camp for Mexican startups in founding stages with core businesses linked to environmentally sustainable business models. Through his experience as project leader in the public and private sector, he developed solid project management skills; enabling him to lead multiple projects and its budgets with a strategic approach while meeting strict time schedules and productivity targets. Diego is passionate about the current role of social entrepreneurship – with the firm belief of becoming a social entrepreneur himself – and would like to further pursue doctoral studies on how institutions can effectively foster economic development in Latin American countries.
Host Organization: Goodwill Industries International
Role at Host Organization: Diego will support Goodwill Industries International, Inc.’s goal to strategically expand the Goodwill social enterprise model internationally. He will join the International Development team, identifying new international opportunities, supporting existing international affiliates and partners, and contributing to broad initiatives including data collection and analysis, fundraising, the development of tools for the delivery of technical assistance and training to international partners, and other capacity-building mechanisms.