Soon after Arturo Leon graduated with his MOB from the Marriott School, he found himself on the hot seat, being grilled by the president of the Mexican senate.
A friend of Leon’s had been working with a senator and requested that Leon volunteer to provide training and team building for the forty-six National Action Party Parliamentary Group senators. “The senator was so excited about what I was teaching them, he took me to the president of the senate’s office, who had a strong personality and was intimidating,” Leon recalls.
“What can you do for us?” was the first question the president fired at Leon.
“I can make you more efficient and effective and help you be more efficient in the use of your facilities.”
“Do you think you can help this group become better senators?”
“I think they are already good, but there’s room for improvement.”
His answers won over the president of the senate. Leon was hired as the chief of organizational effectiveness in the Mexican senate. He works directly with senators, helping them with performance evaluations, strategic planning, human resources, and team building.
Leon is also the president-elect of the Mexico City Management Society chapter, which had its kickoff in March. A handful of executives from various companies in the area make up the group.
“We’re looking to help Management Society members network and build their careers,” he says. “Everybody is excited. Even though we all have demanding schedules, everybody’s willing to do their best for the society.”
Leon, a 1999 MOB graduate, lived in South America until he came to BYU. “I had wanted to get my master’s degree for a long while. It was a dream that I had really cherished,” he says.
Leon is married to Karina Blanco. “I have what I call before-and-after experiences, where my whole life changed because of those experiences,” he says. “Going on a mission, getting married, having four children, and attending the Marriott School are my before-and-after experiences.”
