How I Used My MBA To Become CEO Of BBVA Mexico

What does it take to rise to the top of Mexico’s financial sector? For Eduardo Osuna, CEO of BBVA Mexico, the journey started with an MBA.

In the early 1990s, Mexico’s economy was undergoing significant changes. The government had privatized the banking sector after years of nationalization, making way for innovation and growth.

At the same time, the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) was creating new opportunities by encouraging trade and investment between Mexico, Canada, and the United States.

At this pivotal moment, Eduardo completed his MBA and began working in banking, paving the way for a career that would see him lead BBVA Mexico, the country’s largest financial institution.

BusinessBecause sat down with Eduardo to find out more about his extraordinary journey.

How an MBA in Mexico opened doors to banking

Eduardo’s path to the C-suite began when he realized that his undergraduate degree alone wouldn’t take him where he wanted to go.

As a mechanical engineering graduate with early work experience at Unilever, he saw the need to expand his business knowledge. Pursuing an MBA seemed like the natural next step.

When it came to choosing an MBA program, IPADE Business School’s strong reputation and a scholarship from the Bank of Mexico made the choice clear.

“IPADE is a highly prestigious institution, and it made sense for me financially to study in the country. Looking back, that decision changed my life, not only professionally but also personally.”

For Eduardo, the MBA was more than just technical training—it provided a solid foundation in business fundamentals and emphasized the interpersonal and ethical aspects of leadership.

“The curriculum was incredibly comprehensive. It covered the essentials of business while teaching us how to manage people, make ethical decisions, and think critically about our roles as leaders.”

These lessons proved foundational to Eduardo’s leadership style, shaping his ability to tackle new challenges, inspire teams, and maintain balance in his personal life throughout his career.

Equally important were the relationships Eduardo built during the program.

“I had the opportunity to meet invaluable people—not just peers, but professors who went beyond their fields of expertise, some of whom are still friends of mine today.”

Over the years, BBVA Mexico has become one of the leading employers of IPADE MBA graduates, recognizing the caliber of talent the school produces.

“At BBVA Mexico, we hire a significant number of IPADE MBAs—not because I’m the CEO, but because the bank has long appreciated the rigorous selection process and the quality of education that IPADE provides.”

This strong network and access to opportunities opened doors for Eduardo early in his career. One such opportunity came in the summer of 1993, when Eduardo secured an internship at Bancomer (now BBVA Mexico).

From MBA intern to CEO of BBVA Mexico

After completing his MBA in 1994, Eduardo joined Bancomer full-time as part of its corporate banking team.

“It was a fascinating time to enter banking. It was considered to be an industry with a bright future—we were entering the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).”

NAFTA opened doors for trade and investment, creating opportunities for banks to support businesses expanding into new markets. For Eduardo, the industry offered a chance to apply his MBA skills to real-world challenges.

Although his early career coincided with the peso crisis in 1994—a time of significant economic turbulence—Eduardo quickly established himself by taking on complex projects, such as managing large-scale corporate loans for global companies.

“The tools you gain from an MBA don’t make you a CEO overnight, but they are skills that help you grow within your career. You might not know when you’ll need them, but when the time comes, you take them out of the toolbox and put them to use.”

By 2000, when BBVA acquired Bancomer, Eduardo had already built a reputation for consistent performance and effective problem-solving. He continued to rise through the organization, taking on leadership roles that would prepare him for greater challenges.

In 2006, he was made CEO of BBVA’s mortgage subsidiary, Hipotecaria Nacional. In 2010, Eduardo became head of commercial banking in Mexico.

Five years later, in 2015, Eduardo was appointed CEO of BBVA Mexico.

“By then, I had worked across many areas of the business, building my understanding of the organization at every level. It’s been more than nine years since I took on the role, and it represents the culmination of 30 years of experience at BBVA. The bank has been my life’s work.”

The MBA lessons that shaped a financial leader

For Eduardo, the lessons from his MBA at IPADE were foundational to his leadership success. One of the most impactful was learning the value of diverse perspectives.

Through debates and collaborative projects with classmates from varied backgrounds, Eduardo learned to approach challenges from multiple angles—a skill that proved critical as his career progressed.

“You’d read the same case study as everyone else, but in class discussion, you’d hear completely different views on the problem—and just as many different solutions. That taught me that in business, as in life, there’s rarely one right answer.”

Over the years, Eduardo has relied on this understanding of teamwork to bring together people with different strengths, enabling him to build and lead high-performing teams.

“It’s not about being the smartest person in the room—it’s about knowing how to bring the right people together and orchestrate their strengths.”

For Eduardo, success is about more than technical skills—it’s about consistency and maintaining balance between his personal and professional life, even while shouldering great responsibility as a leader.

“At BBVA Mexico, 50,000 families rely directly on the bank, and we serve 32 million customers. What we do has a massive impact on the economy and on people’s financial well-being. It’s a huge responsibility, and it can easily pull you in, but you have to maintain that balance.

Eduardo credits his MBA at IPADE with helping him establish the framework that has defined his leadership philosophy.

“You need a clear framework for your life—balancing your family, personal needs, and your responsibilities to the company and to society. IPADE helped me build that framework for my life.

“30 years on, whenever I have the opportunity to speak about my MBA, I always say: IPADE changed my life in many ways.”