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.