Jaime González Aguade is an experienced financial consultant with over twenty-five years of industry-related experience. As an innovator and highly motivated individual, Jaime has served in a wide range of professional roles in both the financial and energy sectors.
As an advocate for higher education, he obtained a degree in economics from The Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México (ITAM) and a master’s in public and private management from Yale University. Based out of Mexico City, he is always searching for new professional opportunities.
What do you love most about the industry you are in?
Working in finance, I take satisfaction in witnessing other individuals obtain funding for their projects. Having been in the industry for over twenty-five years I understand the challenges that many individuals face trying to pull together enough financial resources.
In regard to the energy sector, it is incredible that without it, nothing would work. We are using a lot of energy to conduct this interview: The electricity to power our phones and computers, the fuel to drive our cars to our destinations, even the calories we are burning from the food we eat trace back to energy used during production. The energy sector is amazing in itself how it works, from gas and electricity to the new green technology. It is ultimately what helps people reach their goals.
What keeps you motivated?
I have a lot of things I can offer. I take pride in staying up-to-date with industry advancements and I like to pass along the information to my clients. Individuals rely on me to help them make sound financial decisions.
How do you motivate others?
I think that communication is essential. We may have goals that are aligned and we know where we want to get, but the most important part is sharing and understanding and having a clear sense of how to get there. I think when everybody shares in that, it is a motivation for everyone in the group.
Where do you get your inspiration from?
Family is very important to me and I wish to make them proud. My children are already in college and they have been taught to be responsible for learning and becoming of use to society. Those are values that mean a lot to me and that inspire me. Now with the change of sector, I have to prove that I am capable of being successful in this new position.
Who has been a role model to you and why?
My father has always been a role model to me and I wish to bring those same values while raising my children. He followed a similar career path. He did not have the position that I had, but most of the time, he worked in government. It was a different Mexico when he was working then.
How do you maintain a solid work life balance?
Exercise is critical for me. It helps me reduce stress and focus. I can bring things into perspective when I feel fit. I have done four or five marathons, six or seven triathlons, and I try to get workouts in four to five times a week. Now that I am older it is more difficult. It is also important to have time away from work for family activities and quality time together.
What traits do you possess that makes a successful leader?
Communication is an important component to getting everyone involved in discussions on the goals we are setting. In all of the positions I have held, I have always maintained weekly meetings. There is an understanding that I am interested in what they are doing and can provide solutions to their problems. I think that works very well.
I know that individuals who used to work for me continue to hold weekly meetings. I think it is crucial to long-term success that leaders show interest in various aspects of a company and work together to establish viable solutions.
What suggestions do you have for someone starting in your industry?
When people start in the financial sector, they typically have a good understanding of the market, but they are unaware of the laws and regulations, and that always brings trouble to the financial marketplace and that is why we started the FinTech law in Mexico. We did not want to have a lot of innovation without a general set of regulatory rules in which they could have that innovation. To implement your idea, you also have to know the legal part of what you can do.
What is your biggest accomplishment?
In the last administration there were a lot of structural reforms that were passed by Congress. I was in charge of doing one of those reforms, which was a financial reform that involved changing thirty-four laws. I think my contribution will have a profound impact on the marketplace, especially in respect to fintech,.
Regulators always have to have a balance between protection and innovation. You have to protect the consumers, but your regulation cannot be so strict that it does not allow for innovation. I think that what we did was create a very good balance with those two competing factors.
Where do you see you and your company in 5 years?
We want to be seen as a company that really provides value to our clients, that we understand our clients’ needs, that we make them our own, and our company grows in scale with how our clients are growing. We want to be seen as the best consulting firm in finance and energy in Mexico by bringing our stellar reputation from the public to the private sector.