Twitter: @Lopezmoctezuma
LinkedIn: Carlos López Moctezuma 

What do you do currently?
I’m currently leading the New Digital Businesses and Financial Inclusion area at BBVA Bancomer.

How and when did you get involved with the Mexican entrepreneurial ecosystem?
I started one year ago when we opened BBVA Bancomer Innovation Center in Mexico City. Opening up this space has helped us become a more active member in the Mexican entrepreneurial ecosystem. We are currently participating on several fronts: from hosting community events, developing our own content like the BBVA Bancomer Hackathon to giving Fintech keynote speaks. This year has been quite interesting for the bank and has for sure given us a privileged position to understand the needs of the startups and be the first bank developing solutions handmade for them. There is a lot to do, but we are definitely going in the right direction.

How would you describe the ecosystem in Mexico?
Just as in the United States, Mexico has two main ecosystems that collaborate with each other, Guadalajara and Mexico City. Both these cities held the majority of startup and tech initiatives. I feel the ecosystem is maturing, we are starting to see more Mexican investors getting involved, more startups being noticed (Kueski, Wizeline, OpenPay). We, as an ecosystem, are more prepared to face the challenges and needs of the startups and I’m sure we will se more success cases in the following years.

What do you expect in the next 12 months?
From our side, this year we expect to have a deeper and more meaningful connection with the ecosystem. We recently acquired OpenPay and that gave us the example we needed to have. Mexico has really good startups and this year we want to start working with other relevant agents and startups. We are focusing more in bringing and creating meaningful content in really specific themes (UX, Investment, Fintech, AI, Identity, programming languages) that will help both ways BBVA Bancomer community and the community from the Innovation Center.

What are the main challenges?
Like in every new endeavor, our main challenge is going to be identifying the right needs to attack and prioritize our efforts. The growth of our ecosystem is a joint effort with all the agents of the ecosystem. We need to be able to openly communicate with tech companies, regulators, government, universities, startups and strength our strategy in order to have more success stories. It has being and I’m sure we will still have to create the awareness in the bank to prove fast and quickly.

What change or result would bring the greatest benefits for the ecosystem?
A good example is the new Fintech Act that the [Mexican] Federal Government is promoting that can have a great impact for the ecosystem in México and would open new highways for the interaction between Bancomer and startups.

Describe your typical day.
Everyday I wake up and do some exercise (if I don’t do it in the morning I probably won’t be able to make it) like crossfit. Then I go back to my place to have a really good breakfast and leave to the office. My agenda is pretty tight but I make the time to call my sons when I know they left school and before they day ends. I usually have a working lunch and even dinner.

Who is your favorite entrepreneur?
I don’t feel I have a favorite one. We worked with so many entrepreneurs last year, I’ve learned so much from all of them. Adalberto from Kueski, Jorge Camus from Destácame, Vicente Fenoll from Kubo, Miguel Duhalt from Comunidad4Uno.

A recent book do you recommend?
Design Sprint by Jake Knapp. This book describes an easier path to success -like other methodologies- but it does so in such a clear way that I think more startups and companies should start trying this 5 day method to be more effective and organized.
Start with why by Simon Sinek, I recently read it and it help me reminded many main things. We are living a truly transformation in the bank and it helped me connect with the why of our own transformation.

Smartphone, tablet, laptop or desktop?
Smartphone is definitely the device I use the most and where I consume most of my content.

iOS or Android?
iOS.

Favorite App?
BBVA Send.

Favorite social network?
WhatsApp and LinkedIn.

Ideal vacation?
A week next to the sea just for reading and relaxing.

What are your goals for the next 12 months?
I have several professional goals. One is to be able to lead my team to implement the necessary strategies that will make us grow as a company, another one that is very important to me, is that all my team grows and learns with me. We are forming the next leaders of the financial industry and I’m proud to be able to share my experiences with them.

One word that describes you?
Multitasker.

Previous interview: Aldo Aguirre