- Chief Executive Officer and Director of Corporate Relations achieved distinguished positions in the annual ranking of the Corporate Reputation Business Monitor (MERCO)
- Company ranked among the top 3 companies with the best corporate reputation in the country
The prestigious Corporate Reputation Business Monitor (MERCO) published its annual ranking of companies and corporate leaders in Costa Rica, which highlights FIFCO and two of its executive committee members among the best positioned figures in the country.
Rolando Carvajal, CEO; and Maria Pía Robles, Corporate Relations Director, stood out ranking 9th and 21st, respectively. This recognition is complemented with the distinction in the list of the 10 companies with the best reputation in Costa Rica, where FIFCO obtained the 3rd position.
Carvajal enters the top 10 of the leaders ranking in his first year as CEO of the food and beverage company, a position he assumed on January 1, 2024. For her part, Robles received a special mention for making her debut among the top 10 women in the list.
This is the VIII edition of Merco Empresas y Líderes Costa Rica 2024 (Merco Companies and Leaders Costa Rica 2024), whose methodology weighs the opinions of various stakeholders, including consumers, senior executives, university professors, financial analysts, journalists and government representatives, among others.
The result obtained in both measurements is a reflection of FIFCO’s commitment to promote holistic leadership at all levels, which drives value creation from a triple bottom line strategy and a philosophy that FIFCO calls Expansive Sustainability. Under this vision, compliance with environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria is prioritized to manage risk and strengthen the operation, placing creativity and collaboration at the center.
Leaders driving sustainability
Rolando Carvajal, an industrial engineer, has played a crucial role in the company’s market diversification and geographic expansion processes for almost 20 years. Previously, he served as executive business director. Since he has been at the helm of the company, he has prioritized the promotion of FIFCO’s climate agenda as one of the sustainability agenda’s priorities.
Maria Pía Robles, specialist in corporate communication and sustainability, who has more than a decade of experience in the company and has been Director of Corporate Relations of Florida Ice and Farm Company since July 2021, oversees the design and implementation of this strategy. Under her leadership, the company established nine ambitious environmental, social and governance goals for 2027.
This agenda reports significant progress during the last few months. For example, FIFCO has already surpassed its goal of achieving a 60% circularity rate for beverages and is moving towards strengthening its portfolio with reduced alcohol and sugar reduced foods; it is also very close to achieving the goal of having at least 40% women in leadership positions.
FIFCO’s recognition to leadership excellence further enhances an outstanding year for the company, which also stood out last September when it was recognized as one of the three most attractive companies to work for in Costa Rica, in the first edition of Merco Talento Costa Rica (Merco Talent Cost Rica).
