Former President of Mexico to Speak Tuesday at Darden

April 22, 2009 — Vicente Fox, former president of Mexico, will be the keynote speaker Tuesday at the Latin American Student Association Conference at the University of Virginia's Darden School of Business. The event, co-sponsored by the Darden Leadership Speaker Series, will be held in Darden's Abbott Auditorium at 1:30 p.m.

When Fox was elected in 2000, he became the first Mexican president in seven decades who was not affiliated with the Institutional Revolutionary Party. He served until 2006.

Born in Mexico City in 1942, Fox is the second of nine children. He studied business administration at the Universidad Iberoamericana. In 1964, he joined Coca-Cola as a route supervisor. After a series of promotions, he became the youngest executive ever appointed president of Coca-Cola for Mexico. Under Fox, Coke surpassed Pepsi as the top-selling soft drink in Mexico.

His political career began in the 1980s when he joined the Partido Acción Nacional. He became a federal congressman and secretary of agriculture. In 1995, he was elected governor of Guanajuato by a 2-to-1 margin. Fox, father of four adopted children, shares the details of his life and career in his autobiography, "Revolution of Hope."

Fox's presentation, in which he will share his perspective on a variety of global topics, is free and open to the public, although guests are asked to RSVP to sll5f@virginia.edu or 434-982-2919. Parking passes will be required. Passes can be obtained in the gatehouse at the entrance of the Darden School.

For information, contact communication@darden.virginia.edu.


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