What are Key Family Business Strategies when Crisis Hits?

Despite the formidable challenges of a global pandemic, Pedro Carvajal and the entire Carvajal organisation united around the company’s longstanding culture of putting people first and “doing things right”. Obstacles presented by the crisis became opportunities for Pedro and his team, who implemented changes to improve the organisation and its resilience to future disruptions.  

We spoke to Pedro about how his family’s core beliefs and social agenda are critical factors in maintaining the company’s performance and longevity, why he doesn’t think about the future too often, and how he balances his many roles. 

-Pedro was appointed CEO of Carvajal in 2020, just as the COVID-19 global pandemic was disrupting operations around the world. Pedro worked closely with the company's chair to address critical decisions and devise strategies that would see the company emerge from the crisis even stronger.

-The importance of sustainability and social responsibility has always been an important pillar of the family business. Today, ESG, conscious capitalism, and sustainability initiatives form the foundation of Carvajal's activities. The Carvajal organisation considers the community its largest shareholder, making the company's social objectives just as important as its economic ones. 

-Pedro believes that structure follows strategy, underscoring how important planning and preparation are for the business. While actively working to provide solutions for today's market demands, the company also focuses on the future and tries to anticipate what disruptive forces may lie ahead. 

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