Fernando Chico Pardo’s career takes a turn, returning to his roots in the financial sector, with the announcement of his acquisition of a 25% stake in Grupo Financiero Banamex, equivalent to 520 million shares , for a value of $2.3 billion.
His beginnings date back more than 40 years to the financial sector, while the airport and maritime sectors have been avenues of acceleration for the entrepreneur, who, according to various analyses, is the eighth richest man in Mexico.
In 2014, Chico Pardo became Carrix ‘s largest shareholder , acquiring nearly 50% of FRS Capital Corporation’s shares. Carrix is part of the port operator SSA Marine, which also has its subsidiary SSA Marine México .
Carrix, with a significant presence in the United States and Latin America, is a group of maritime and transportation infrastructure and services companies focused on generating a lasting impact on a large scale, according to information on the company’s website.
Meanwhile, SSA Marine is a marine terminal and cruise port operator “dedicated to creating safe, efficient, and sustainable operations that shape the future of global trade.” SSA’s largest asset is the Port of Long Beach, California, United States, which recorded its second-busiest August in its 114-year history.
SSA Marine México operates in Mexico’s main ports. It operates a container terminal and a multipurpose terminal in Manzanillo; it has a car terminal in Lázaro Cárdenas and Veracruz; it also has a multipurpose terminal in Tuxpan; and it operates cruise terminals in Cozumel and Progreso.
In the accumulated through August 2025, the port of Manzanillo, one of the most important operated by SSA Marine Mexico, reported handling of two million 544 thousand 359 containers (TEU) , that is, 40% of the total TEU operated nationwide.
Your investments take flight
Since 2003, the Mexican businessman has been Chairman of the Board of Directors of Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste (Asur) , which manages the airports in Cancún, Cozumel, Huatulco, Mérida, Minatitlán, Oaxaca, Tapachula, Veracruz, and Villahermosa.
It also manages Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico , after receiving permission from the United States aviation authorities to operate this terminal in 2013. It also operates six airports in Colombia.
Asur has been listed on the New York Stock Exchange since 2000 and on the Mexican Stock Exchange (BMV) . In 2024, the company served 41.4 million passengers at these airports.
Chico Pardo, who holds a degree in Business Administration from the Universidad Iberoamericana in Mexico City and an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University , also serves on the boards of Grupo Carso , Grupo Industrial Saltillo , and GEPP.
The origins
Fernando Chico began his career on Wall Street in 1982. That same year he founded Acciones y Asesoría Bursátil , a brokerage firm that merged with Inbursa in 1992. As a result, Chico Pardo became CEO of Grupo Financiero Inbursa until 1997.
He also founded Promecap , a private equity firm in Mexico, where he currently serves as president and CEO. This firm focuses on investments in Mexican companies and manages assets of more than $5 billion .
He is also the founder and majority shareholder of two hotel platforms, which together manage more than nine thousand rooms in the all-inclusive luxury segment and three thousand in the ultra-luxury segment, in partnership with brands such as Four Seasons, One and Only, Rosewood, Hyatt, and others.
Regarding the acquisition of a quarter of Banamex, the Citi Financial Group announced in a statement that this investment represents the beginning of a long-term strategic relationship with one of Mexico’s most successful and respected business leaders.
The financial group indicated that Chico Pardo’s investment demonstrates confidence in Banamex’s future and the development of its current strategy to continue growing across all business lines. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including obtaining regulatory approvals in Mexico, and is expected to be completed in the second half of 2026 .
(Photo taken from A21.com.mx)
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