a Model for Financial Inclusion

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Banco
Azteca,
a Model for Financial
Inclusion
The World Bank has recognized Banco Azteca for innovation in offering credit
through Elektra stores, relying on customer payment histories for the purchase of
household appliances. Lending activity of the bank foments credit access for consumers at the base of the pyramid.
>
Read more. . .
Letter to Our
Readers
The World Bank recently published an analysis highlighting
Banco Azteca’s tailored financial services for consumers at
the base of the pyramid. We are very proud of this accomplishment.
Speaking of financial inclusion, one example of what we do
at Grupo Salinas to foster productive projects is Fundación
Azteca’s Bancomunidad Azteca program. For the fifth time, it
has supported women micro-business owners in Oaxaca with
resources to strengthen their businesses.
Our social commitment actions have covered different areas
in recent weeks. In Puebla, the Escuela Nueva (New School)
program, an innovative educational model, presented its advances, while Movimiento Azteca raised funds nationwide for
children with rheumatoid diseases. We also launched a project to create public awareness about energy savings, in addition to the debuts of two new Esperanza Azteca Orchestras.
In business, Grupo Elektra reported notable growth in merchandise sales, while Azteca premiered new productions and
has big surprises in store for the rest of the year.
I hope you enjoy this issue and, as always, thank you for your
interest in Grupo Salinas.
Luis J. Echarte
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@lecharte
FINANCIAL INCLUSION
Financial inclusion is a constant concern worldwide. About five billion people
make up the base of the socio-economic pyramid, a low-income sector with
many needs, among them, access to financing with favorable conditions.
Twelve years ago, Grupo Salinas launched an ambitious project: banking services
for Latin America’s base of the pyramid. Today, our group’s contribution in favor
of financial inclusion is recognized by important organizations like the World
Bank, which has noted that, by offering financial products and services to small
entrepreneurs, Banco Azteca has helped raise employment and income levels
among the sector of the population not previously served by the traditional banking system.
3 Editorial
Today, we can say with pride that Banco Azteca has changed the banking system, generating a successful, profitable model, satisfying the credit needs of a
segment of the population that for many years was ignored and that demands
tailored financial services to achieve greater well-being and progress.
For the fifth time,
Fundación Azteca will be
supporting women
committed to overcoming
extreme poverty...
Content
read more >
page 6
Merchandise sales at Grupo
Elektra showed a solid increase
of 11% in the second quarter of
the year despite Mexico’s
modest economic growth...
read more >
page 7
4
Azteca is preparing Mexico
for its own version of one of
the world’s most popular
programs: America’s
Got Talent...
After Puebla Minister of
Education Jorge Cruz
Bermúdez, accompanied
by Fundación Azteca...
read more
more >
>
read
page115
page
Fundación Azteca Supports Female Micro-business Owners in Oaxaca.......6
Merchandise Sales Increase at Grupo Elektra ................................................. 7
Advance America Strengthens Ties With African American Mayors .............8
Season Premiere of La Academia Kids Lala ......................................................9
Soy tu doble Launches on Azteca 13................................................................10
Casting Calls Begin for México Tiene Talento ................................................ 11
Fundación Azteca and Puebla Government Present Advances
of Education Project ..........................................................................................12
Movimiento Azteca Fights Degenerative Diseases ...................................... 13
Grupo Salinas Launches Energy Conservation Program ............................14
New Esperanza Azteca Debuts......................................................................... 15
Atlas and Monarcas Sport New Uniforms ......................................................16
Names and Faces: Alexandra Reyes ................................................................ 17
The Best of the Blog ..........................................................................................18
Contacts .............................................................................................................19
read more >
page 12
The Coatzacoalcos Esperanza
Azteca Youth Orchestra made
its debut performance at the
Coatzacoalcos Center before a
packed audience...
read more >
page 15
(continued)
Banco Azteca, a Model for Financial Inclusion
In its “Global Financial Development Report 2014,”
the World Bank mentions that in 2002, with the
opening of 800 branches, Banco Azteca’s financial operations contributed to creating more jobs
and better income by giving small entrepreneurs
access to financial products when the big banks
had been denying them loans due to their lack of
a credit history.
Female micro-business owners supported by Banco Azteca
5
Productive Projects
Fundación
Azteca
Supports Female Micro-business
Owners in Oaxaca
For the fifth time, Fundación Azteca will be supporting women committed
to overcoming extreme poverty through the Bancomunidad Azteca program,
thanks to an agreement signed with the Centéotl Center for Community Development, a not-for-profit organization working in Oaxaca since 1990. The
project will benefit 4,600 female micro-business owners in 28 municipalities
in the state’s central valleys with Mex$5 million in financing.
Present at the signing were Esteban Moctezuma Barragán, executive president of Fundación Azteca; Teresita de Jesús Santaella Mendoza, general manager of Bancomunidad Azteca; Adriana Cointa Gerónimo Díaz, operational
coordinator of Bancomunidad Azteca; Othón Cuevas Córdova, vice-minister
of social and human development in Oaxaca; and the beneficiaries. The entrepreneurs highlighted the support to their communities they have received
since 2009, as well as the pride they
take in transforming Oaxacan families
This program’s methodology is based on Bangladesh’s Gra- from the bottom up.
meen Bank, whose founder Muhammad Yunus was the
2006 Nobel Peace laureate. Bancomunidad Azteca has improved the lives of thousands of Oaxacan families and with
this fifth contribution, the impact will expand to 18,000
direct or indirect beneficiaries.
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At the end of the event, all those present enjoyed a performance by the
Zimatlán Esperanza Azteca Youth Orchestra.
Esteban Moctezuma at the signing to support
Oaxacan female micro-business owners
Improved Selection and Service
Merchandise Sales
increase
atgrupo elektra
Merchandise sales at Grupo Elektra
showed a solid increase of 11% in the
second quarter of the year despite
Mexico’s modest economic growth.
All the indicators were positive: sales
per store, per employee, and per square
meter of sales space all grew. Geographically, Mexico stood out among
the countries where Grupo Elektra
operates. The biggest increases were
in electronics, major appliances, telephony, and furniture.
The growth stems from strategies to
have an optimum mix of products at
each store, with highly-trained sales
personnel not just for general merchandise, but also specially trained
technology salespeople.
Since the majority of the company’s
sales are on credit, this dynamism will
tend to push forward consumer loans,
which expand the purchasing power of
thousands of families.
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Commitment
to
our
clients
Advance America
Develops New Community
Partners
Advance America has a longstanding
commitment to giving back to the
communities it serves. The company
works year-round with more than 100
local non-profit organizations and national foundations to promote academic achievement, job training, financial
literacy and involvement in the electoral
process, among other programs.
kick-off meeting for AAMA on behalf
of Advance America. In his remarks before the association, Hicks discussed
AAMA and Advance America’s shared
interest to making a positive impact in
local communities.
“Advance America takes great pride in
investing time and resources to cau-
Ron Hicks (third from the right), Advance America’s senior director of community outreach,
at the AAMA inauguration
Recently, Advance America became a
business council member of the newly
incorporated African American Mayors
Association (AAMA), an organization
representing more than 500 African
American mayors and over 48 million
constituents across the United States.
The AAMA’s business council consists
of a group of corporations that provide insight and recommends on policy
positions adopted by the association.
Joining the AAMA’s business council
is part of Advance America’s effort to
partner with elected officials to demonstrate the value of short-term
credit and the positive impact our
company has on local communities.
8
To learn more about
Advance America’s social
commitment, go to www.
advanceamerica.net
ses that are important to the communities that we serve,” said Hicks. “We
look forward to working with AAMA to
support issues that will benefit their
citizens and communities.”
Advance America also partnered with
the National Association of Latino
Elected and Appointed Officials at the
Latino Political Convention in June,
and will attend the National Urban
League’s Whitney M. Young conference in October and the National Black
Caucus of State Legislators Annual
Conference in December. The company will also continue its partnership
with the Rainbow PUSH Coalition’s
Wall Street Project, which works to
Ron Hicks, senior director of commu- increase financial literacy in minority
nity outreach, recently attended the and/or underserved communities.
Second Season
Season Premiere of
“La Academia
Kids Lala”
Host Ingrid Coronado
La Academia Kids Lala, the musical reality show that
showcases youth talent, got off to a spectacular start this
season. After the first season’s hit, the program comes
back to Azteca 13 screens with more surprises for fans.
The show is hosted by Ingrid Coronado, accompanied by
young screen personalities Mariana Torres and Carlos Arenas, who interact with the participants behind the cameras and support their mothers when the going gets rough.
Lolita Cortés, Alicia Villarreal, and Víctor
García are the judges
Lolita Cortés and Alicia Villarreal will once again be judges, accompanied by La Academia first generation alumni
Víctor García.
Producer Roberto Romagnoli highlighted the use of cutting-edge technology on the the stage where 24 youth
will be vying to triumph.
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“Soy tu doble”
Duel of Imitators
Launches on Azteca 13
Azteca 13 premiered the competition Soy Tu Doble, where 24 contestants, both
famous and unknown, will compete for a Mex$1-million prize for the best impersonator.
From the very first broadcast, the talent was clear; the audience enjoyed a great
duel of creativity and imagination in the imitations of their favorite performers.
Host Alfonso de Anda displayed his charisma on the stage he shared with the
panel of celebrity judges: Niurka, Cynthia, Héctor Martínez, and blogger and
comedian “Ese Wey.”
Among the competitors were Lupita Sandoval, Alejandra Ley, María Karuna, Estrella, Shanik Aspe, Aura Cristina Geithner, Julio Iglesias Jr., Daniel Riolobos, and
Erasmo Catarino.
Soy tu Doble airs Monday thru Friday at 7 p.m.
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New Reality Show
Casting Calls Begin
for
“México
Tiene
Talento”
Azteca is preparing Mexico for its
own version of one of the world’s
most popular programs: America’s
Got Talent.
The show has traveled the world
discovering the abilities of ordinary people in activities as varied
as music, dance, or acrobatics and
will launch on Azteca with the
name México Tiene Talento.
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The new production will be the
launching pad for discovering and
displaying talent that until now
was unknown. Producers have
held casting calls nationwide in
more than 20 cities to find potential participants of all ages, whether groups or individuals, who do
unimaginable things.
Teacher
Training
Fundación Azteca
and Puebla Government
Present Advances
of Education Project
After Puebla Minister of Education
Jorge Cruz Bermúdez, accompanied by
Fundación Azteca Executive President
Esteban Moctezuma Barragán, presented the advances of the innovative
Escuela Nueva (New School) program
in 20 schools in his state, he announced the new Induction Workshops for
Multi-grade Learning Program. The
new program will involve 220 teachers
and benefit almost 5,000 students at
100 multi-grade primary, indigenous,
and distance secondary schools in 16
municipalities.
Teachers hear about the advances
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models where students listen and memorize. The teacher no longer stands
in front of the group, but coordinates
clusters of students, which strengthens the student’s learning process
and turns the teacher into a learning
facilitator.
At the event, Esteban Moctezuma
said, “We are convinced that we must
support our teachers’ dignity. They
have always given more than they receive; they work with professionalism,
conviction, and vocation to teach our
children and young people to be better
This education model trains teachers Mexicans.”
so that students can improve their
performance through active, partici- Fundación Azteca and the Puebla Mipatory, and cooperative learning, cen- nistry of Public Education strengthen
tered on students and not the teacher. the agreement to ensure the program’s continuity based on the 2012The program is innovative, compre- 2013 bi-annual accord, and demonshensive, and inclusive and differs sig- trate the model’s viability for gradual
nificantly from conventional teaching expansion to the rest of the state.
Support for Children with Rheumatic Diseases
Movimiento Azteca Holds
Another Successful Campaign
Movimiento Azteca 81 surpassed its fundraising goal for assistance to the Association of Support for Children and Teens with Rheumatic Diseases (ANAER),
raising more than Mex$4 million.
With Grupo Salinas backing through Fundación Azteca, and thanks to generous
Azteca audience support, the funds will provide comprehensive medical treatment for 200 youth with rheumatic diseases.
Esteban Moctezuma Barragán, executive president of Fundación Azteca presented the check to ANAER representative Dr. Raúl Gutiérrez.
Movimiento Azteca is a Grupo Salinas Fundación
Azteca initiative that aids civic institutions to benefit vulnerable sectors of the population.
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Esteban Moctezuma, accompanied by Rocío Sánchez Azuara,
presents the check to ANAER
In Partnership with GIZ
Grupo Salinas
Launches Energy
Conservation
Program
Guía para el ahorro de energía
Creating public awareness about energy conservation is no easy task, but Grupo
Salinas is up to the challenge.
Together with the German Cooperation for Development (GIZ), Grupo Salinas launched the Program for Awareness and Training in Saving and Efficient Use of Electricity with a Gender Focus, aimed at our partners and the general population.
The initiative announcement was
made at Grupo Elektra and Azteca
facilities, attended by Adriana Salazar, Grupo Salinas director of energy
and the environment; Ernesto Feilbogen, coordinator of Sustainable
Energy Programs of Mexico; and
Santiago Creuheras, general director
of energy efficiency and technological innovation at Mexico’s Energy
Ministry.
The awareness program was launched through 1,200 Grupo Elektra
points of sale together with business
partners as a means to disseminate
the campaign to its more than 45
million customers.
In addition, with GIZ support, we
developed the “Guía de buenas prácticas para el ahorro y uso eficiente de la energía” (Guide for Best Practices for
Saving and Efficient Use of Energy), offering useful information for day-to-day
living, including the benefits to family finances and the environment. You can
find the guide at www.gruposalinas.com/guiaes.
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In Coatzacoalcos and Progreso
New
Esperanza Azteca
Debuts
The Coatzacoalcos Esperanza Azteca Youth Orchestra made its debut performance at the Coatzacoalcos Center before a packed audience. This came after
many months of efforts that transformed the lives of a group of children from
Veracruz and had a positive impact on their families, communities, and surroundings.
Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz
Among those present were Veracruz Governor Javier Duarte de Ochoa; the state
president of Comprehensive Family Development (DIF), Karime Macías de Duarte; Coatzacoalcos Mayor Joaquín Caballero Rosiñol; Fundación Azteca Executive President Esteban Moctezuma Barragán; Julio Saldaña, the national artistic
director of the Esperanza Azteca Youth Orchestras; parents; and important public figures.
We are building new alternatives,
where low-income youth exercise
values, music, and the determination
to do things with excellence. This is an
incubator for good Mexicans that
inspires us to keep working and
investing in them.
Ricardo Salinas Pliego
www.ricardosalinas.com
The Coatzacoalcos Esperanza Azteca Orchestra includes 202 youth between the
ages of 6 and 17, from four Veracruz municipalities: Coatzacoalcos, Nanchital, Cosoleacaque, and Minatitlán. Participants study
under the baton of maestro César Guerra
Morán. The project has been fostered from
the start by an alliance of the Coatzacoalcos
Center, the Brisa Group, COPESA y Fyver,
the national Congress, and Grupo Salinas’
Fundación Azteca.
More than 800 people filled the José Peón Contreras Theater in Yucatán to attend the debut of the Progreso Esperanza Azteca Orchestra and Chorus.
Progreso, Yucatán
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Among those present were Yucatán Governor Rolando Zapata Bello; Sarita Blancarte de Zapata, state president of Comprehensive Family Development (DIF);
Esteban Moctezuma Barragán, Fundación Azteca executive president; Roberto
Abraham Mafud, president of the orchestra’s board in Progreso; Sara Herrera
Moss, principal of the Candelaria Ruz Patrón Grammar School, where the orchestra is based; Julio Saldaña, national artistic director of the Esperanza Azteca Youth Orchestras; parents; and other important public figures.
Program members come from different Yucatán communities to study under the
baton of maestro Omar Cabrera Rosas, and their debut was the culmination of
months of dedicated preparations.
For the Next Two Tournaments
Atlas and
Monarcas
Sport New Uniforms
The Atlas Red-and-Blacks had an encouraging beginning in
the Opening 2014 Tourney, for which they wore their new
uniforms, presented publicly a few days before at a spectacular event where an exciting video was shown of the highlights in the team’s history, its players, and what it means
to be a Black-and-Red. Later the team-members modeled
the different uniforms.
The event included a spectacular fireworks show in the Guadalajara night sky as the images of several of our footballers
were projected on the side of the city’s tallest building.
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MONARCAS MORELIA
The Monarcas Morelia also announced the official uniforms
they will be wearing during the 2014 Opening and the 2015
Closing Tourneys. Their new outer skin boasts red trim (on the
collar, the sides of the T-shirt, and the sleeves) and graduated
shading at the end of the traditional stripe. The third uniform
also changed color to a maroon T-shirt with a navy stripe.
The new outfits are made with the latest sport knits that
give players increased freedom of movement.
N
a
m
e
s
a
n
d
F
a
c
e
s
Alexandra Reyes
CEO of Azteca Comunicaciones Colombia
and Azteca Comunicaciones Perú
After almost two decades of experience in telecommunications, Alexandra Reyes was selected
to launch Azteca Comunicaciones Colombia operations in 2012.
She studied industrial engineering at the Javeriana University in Bogota, plus courses at Duke’s
School of Business and negotiation studies at
Georgetown.
As the CEO of Azteca Comunicaciones Colombia,
she is at the forefront of the challenge of carrying
out one of the most ambitious technology projects
in Latin America, the National Fiber Optic Program.
With this, our company in Colombia is connecting
753 municipalities to the Internet and promoting
the use of new information and communications
technologies.
In late 2013, the government also awarded Azteca Comunicaciones Colombia the responsibility of
connecting and providing 1,753 Kioscos Vive Digital (or community-access centers) with a computer, printer, telephone service, and modern television monitors in isolated rural areas of the country.
In addition, in that same year, Azteca was awarded the Digital Connections Project that will bring
more than 144,000 low-income homes, priority housing, public institutions, and Vive Digital
points on line.
In addition to heading up the operations in Colombia, Reyes is the CEO of Azteca Comunicaciones
Perú, a company set up when Grupo Salinas was
awarded the National Backbone Fiber Optic Network project, which will benefit the inhabitants
of 22 capitals in the region, 180 provincial capitals, and 136 Peruvian coastal, mountain, and jungle districts.
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The Panama
Canal
part 1 >>
part 2 >>
18
part 3 >>
In August we commemorated the
100th anniversary of the opening of
the Panama Canal, a truly amazing engineering feat. The complex labyrinth
of events that led to the building of the
canal offers innumerable lessons. I read
a fantastic book by David McCullough
entitled The Path Between the Seas,
which chronicles the engineering, policy decisions, and financial arrangements required to build the Panama Canal. The book narrates the unbreakable
will of Ferdinand de Lesseps, builder of
the Suez Canal, and his dream to build
a canal that would connect the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. The project was
initially headed by France but drew to a
halt for lack of funding. Finally the United States assumed the construction
of the project that continues to save
thousands of miles of ship traffic.
Editorial
Committee
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Bruno Rangel
Jesús Velázquez
Daniel McCosh
Elena Arceo
Arturo Longares
Linda Garcidueñas
Alejandro Vázquez
Carlos Casillas
Rolando Villarreal
w w w. g r u p o s a l i n a s . c o m
Contacts
Investor Relations, Grupo Salinas
Bruno Rangel • (5255) 1720-9167 • [email protected]
Public Relations, Grupo Salinas USA
Nathalie Rayes • (818) 683-4178 • [email protected]
International Press Relations, Grupo Salinas
Daniel McCosh • (5255) 1720-0059 • [email protected]
Information GS Hoy
Jesús Velázquez • (5255) 1720-5777 • [email protected]
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