Juan Sánchez-Navarro y Peón (April 24, 1913 – February 12, 2006) was a Mexican businessman, lawyer, philosopher, philanthropist, journalist and professor. For more than 40 years, he served as Executive Vice President of Grupo Modelo. In addition, he led various national business organizations and was a main co-founder of Mexico's National Action Party PAN. Though he himself not a PAN affiliate, he believed in the essential importance of democracy by means of a bi-partisan system that could serve as a contrast to then

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

's ruling political party PRI (thus his involvement PAN in its inception). Sanchez-Navarro would years later be known as the moral conscience and the single most important ideological figure in

's booming business community.

Biography

Sánchez-Navarro was born in

downtown ''Downtown'' is a term primarily used in American and Canadian English to refer to a city's sometimes commercial, cultural and often the historical, political, and geographic heart. It is often synonymous with its central business district ( ...

Mexico City Mexico City is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Mexico, largest city of Mexico, as well as the List of North American cities by population, most populous city in North America. It is one of the most important cultural and finan ...

, descendant of the influential Sánchez Navarro family. He studied law and philosophy in the

National Autonomous University of Mexico The National Autonomous University of Mexico (, UNAM) is a public university, public research university in Mexico. It has several campuses in Mexico City, and many others in various locations across Mexico, as well as a presence in nine countri ...

eventually becoming a professor there for more than 50 years. At some point he was also a

teaching assistant A teaching assistant (TA) or education assistant (EA) is an individual who assists a professor or teacher with instructional responsibilities. TAs include ''graduate teaching assistants'' (GTAs), who are graduate students; ''undergraduate teach ...

to philosopher

Antonio Caso Antonio Caso Andrade (December 19, 1883 – March 6, 1946) was a Mexican philosopher and rector of the former ''Universidad Nacional de México'', nowadays known as the National Autonomous University of Mexico from December 1921 to August 1923. A ...

. In 1938, Sánchez-Navarro became a manager at Cervecería Central which then belonged to Cervecería Cuauhtémoc. In 1939 he co-founded the National Action Party (PAN) with

Manuel Gómez Morín Manuel Gómez Morín (27 February 1897 – 19 April 1972) was a Mexican politician. He was a founding member of the National Action Party, and one of its theoreticians. Prior to this he was considered a leading figure in Mexican monetary policy, ...

and

Efraín González Luna Efraín is a masculine Spanish given name, a cognate of Ephraim. Notable people with the name include: * Efrain Chacurian (1924–2019), Argentine-born naturalised American soccer player * Efraín Cortés (born 1984), Colombian football defender * ...

. In 1942 he was offered a job at then small competitor Cervecería Modelo (now makers of Corona, Pacifico, Victoria amongst others) by the company's founder Pablo Diez, after what was a fair but staunch negotiation with Don Pablo over beer concession rights at a

bullfighting Bullfighting is a physical contest that involves a bullfighter attempting to subdue, immobilize, or kill a bull, usually according to a set of rules, guidelines, or cultural expectations. There are several variations, including some forms wh ...

arena. He accepted the new job and eventually would become director and vice president of the board of Grupo Modelo as well as a controlling shareholder, from 1960 forward. Following the death of Don Pablo, Sanchez-Navarro became the leading face of the company. Sánchez-Navarro would be active and preside in the many employers' organizations he helped establish in Mexico. These include CANACINTRA,

CONCANACO CONCANACO is Mexico's Confederation of the National Chambers of Commerce. Along with its counterpart CONCAMIN, it is a public institution with complete autonomy that coordinates and represents the local chambers of commerce ( CANACO's) before the ...

, CONCAMIN,

CCE The initialism CCE may refer to: Organizations * Canadian Cinema Editors * Chicago Climate Exchange * Coca-Cola Enterprises, a major bottler of Coca-Cola * Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann, an organisation in Ireland which is dedicated to the promot ...

, CEESP, CEMAI among others. He was a notable supporter of

Vicente Fox Vicente Fox Quesada (; born 2 July 1942) is a Mexican businessman and politician who served as the 62nd president of Mexico from 2000 to 2006. After campaigning as a Right-wing populism, right-wing populist, Fox was elected president on the Nat ...

Presidential campaign A political campaign is an organized effort which seeks to influence the decision making progress within a specific group. In democracies, political campaigns often refer to electoral campaigns, by which representatives are chosen or referen ...

in 2000. He died in Mexico City at the age of 92, where he was buried in the

French cemetery French may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France ** French people, a nation and ethnic group ** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices Arts and media * The French (band), a ...

Works

* ''Los orígenes de la idea de justicia.'' ("On the origins of the concept of Justice"); * ''El concepto cristiano de la propiedad.'' ("The Christian idea of property"); * ''La cuestión del salario justo.'' ("The question of the fair salary"); * ''Principios básicos para el sano desarrollo económico.'' ("Basic principles for a healthy economic development"); * ''El empresariado mexicano en el desarrollo económico.'' ("The Mexican business community and their role in economic development

References

* * * 1913 births 2006 deaths 20th-century Mexican businesspeople Academic staff of the National Autonomous University of Mexico 20th-century Mexican philosophers Businesspeople from Mexico City National Autonomous University of Mexico alumni {{Mexico-philosopher-stub