Esteban R. Brenes | INCAE
Stephen R. Brenes

Biography

He specializes in the areas of Strategy and Entrepreneurship. He was Dean of INCAE Business School from 2001 to 2007. He is currently the Academic Director of the Executive MBA (EMBA) and the Senior Management Program. He was visiting professor at the University of Michigan, United States for 10 years, at Cotrugli Business School, Europe for 8 years and led the Steve Aronson Research Chair of Strategy and Agribusiness at INCAE for 12 years. He has taught in executive programs at the Business Schools of the Universities of Michigan, Chicago and Duke and In Company programs for Carlsberg, Coca Cola, Oracle, CEMEX, Citibank, Chiquita, among others.

He has more than 30 international academic publications, 60 case studies and four books, namely: The Future of Entrepreneurship in Latin America with J. Haar, Understanding Entrepreneurial Family Businesses in Uncertain Environments: Opportunities and Resources in Latin America with M. Nordqvist et .al., Present and Future Challenges of the Environment and Productivity in the Central American Agribusiness and Evaluation of Environmental Impact Projects.

President and founder of Brenes, Artavia Consultores y Asociados SA (www.bacyasociados.com). Among other companies, he has consulted on business and corporate strategy, mergers and acquisitions, and family businesses at: Kraft CA, Holcim CR, Tetra Pak C&C, Panama Canal Authority, Grupo Britt NV, Grupo Monge, Interbank Peru, Bantrab Guatemala, Fertica Panama, Hospital Clínica Bíblica, Televisora ​​de Costa Rica SA, MercaSid, Grupo Rica, Distribuidora Pedro Oller, Grupo De Sola, among others. He was Minister of Science and Technology and Minister of Agriculture and Livestock of the Government of Costa Rica.

Profile

Data message

Rank: 
Full Professor
Country of origin:
Costa Rica
Country of Residence:
Costa Rica
E-mail: 
esteban.brenes@incae.edu

Degrees

  • MBA - INCAE Business School
  • Engineering - Industrial Engineer, University of Costa Rica
  • Ph.D. - Agricultural Economics and International Trade and Marketing, University of Florida (Gainesville)

Teaching areas

  • Strategy

Courses

  • Business Strategy
  • corporate strategy

Work experience

He is Professor of Strategy and Entrepreneurship of the Master's programs and Former Dean of the Faculty and Masters of INCAE. For 10 years he was visiting professor in Business Strategy and International Business at the University of Michigan Business School, Ann Arbor, he has been Director of Doctoral Theses at HEC, Business School, Paris and has lectured in residential and executive programs at the Business Schools of the Universities of Michigan, Chicago and Duke.

For the past eight years he has been a visiting professor at Cotrugli Business School, Europe. He has taught “In Company” programs, among other companies, for Alstom Group, Roche, Carlsberg, Coca Cola, BASF, Oracle, Novartis, CEMEX, COFIA-AFP - Citibank, Sanofi, Millicom (TIGO) and Chiquita.

Currently, Professor Brenes is Director of the Executive MBA (EMBA), Director of the Senior Management Program (PAG) of INCAE and Holder of the Steve Aronson Chair of Strategy and Agribusiness. The Chair was created thanks to an important donation from Mr. Steve Aronson, founder of the Britt NV Group.

Professor Brenes has a series of international publications including the edition of two books, “The future of Entrepreneurship in Latin America” with J. Haar and “Understanding Entrepreneurial Family Businesses in Uncertain Environments: Opportunities and Resources in Latin America” with M. Nordqvist et al, the first in second edition 2016 and the second in 2012. Other recent publications include “Learning to become a high reliability organization in the food retail business”, “Assesing agri-business firms' performances: Organizational and marketing business models of high / low sales and ROE outcomes ”, Strategy and innovation in emerging economies after the end of the commodity boom-insights from Latin America” and “Hospital Clinica Biblica in 2013” ​​published in the Journal of Business Research, 2016. Additionally, Professor Brenes has 12 articles published in internationally prestigious academic journals, more than 50 case studies and two other books entitled "Des Present and Future Years of the Environment and Productivity in the Central American Agribusiness ”and“ Evaluation of Projects in Environmental Impact ”.

In addition to his academic work, Dr. Brenes is the founder of the consulting firm bac & Asociados SA His work in the consulting area is focused on business and corporate strategy, mergers and acquisitions and the management of family businesses. Some of the organizations for which he has collaborated include: Banco Davivienda, Kraft CA, Holcim CR, Tetrapak CA&C, Chiquita CA, Panama Canal Authority, Grupo Britt NV, Grupo Monge, Grupo Cuesta de Moras, Hospital Clínica Bíblica, Televisora ​​de Costa Rica SA, Distribuidora Pedro Oller, Grupo De Sola, Alimentos Pro Salud (Sardimar), Industrias Borja, Banco Popular y de Desarrollo Comunal (CR), Banco de Costa Rica, Interbank Peru, Banco Salvadoreño, Banco del Pacífico, POPS, Cement Panama and Guayaquil Stock Exchange. Additionally, he is a member of the Board of Directors of different companies in the field of health, services to oil companies, construction, retail and agribusiness.

During the period between May 1998 and June 2000 he held the positions of Minister of Science and Technology and Minister of Agriculture and Livestock of the Government of Costa Rica and, as such, he was also Chairman of the Board of Directors of public companies in the field of the production, irrigation and drainage and commercialization of agricultural, agro-industrial and fishing products.

He obtained his doctorate in Agricultural Economics with a specialty in International Trade and Marketing at the University of Florida (Gainesville) for which he had the support of a Fulbright scholarship from the United States Government, and his master's degree with honors in Business Administration, in INCAE. Previously, he obtained the degree of Industrial Engineer at the University of Costa Rica.