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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The operational crisis at the Manzanillo port customs office continues without significant improvements, which has affected its operational capacity.

In a statement to its clients, SSA Marine Mexico reported that the issuance of appointments has been adjusted according to the operational capacity of said customs office, “reducing our capacity to handle 1,800 import appointments per day to 1,100 per day .”

“This delay has limited the operational capacity of both terminals, and if the scheduled appointments for Monday, June 2, are not met, the terminals will be severely affected, increasing the utilization of our yards, generating delays of more than two days in the berthing of upcoming vessels, and affecting our operations in general,” he explained.

He also explained that the resumption of activities has been partial and with insufficient staff.

“This situation primarily affects the customs inspection area, which is experiencing a delay of one to two days in inspections,” he stressed.

According to official data, more than four thousand trucking units enter the port of Manzanillo daily  to pick up or unload cargo.

In the statement, SSA Marine Mexico indicated that in recent weeks, 45% of import containers have not been delivered.

He pointed out that 32% of export containers have not been received and shipped, and that 40% of scheduled empty containers have not been received and shipped.

SSA Marine Mexico reiterated “the vital importance of maintaining the natural recycling cycle of spaces through the timely delivery of import containers,” the statement concluded.

The Manzanillo customs office is the  second highest in tax collection in Mexico, behind only the Nuevo Laredo office.

It’s worth remembering that, in order to resolve the operational crisis at the Port of Manzanillo, the transportation industry has united like never before.

In a statement signed by the  Manzanillo Freight Transport Union (UTCM) , the  Union of Local Transport Entrepreneurs of Manzanillo , the  National Confederation of Mexican Transporters (Conatram)  and the  National Chamber of Freight Transport (Canacar) , the entire union was “invited” to  stop the shipment of import units to the southern area of ​​the port of Manzanillo , next Monday, June 2, from 00:00 hours to 19:00 hours.

The transportation agencies stated that, with the actions they will take, they hope to give the  Mexican National Customs Agency (ANAM) the opportunity to clear all operations that have been delayed for several days.

The operational chaos at the Manzanillo customs office comes after its own employees, mostly civilian foreign trade officers, closed access to the port on two occasions in mid-May, in protest of alleged poor working conditions and unjustified dismissals since Captain Rodolfo Torres Chávez took over as head of the Manzanillo customs office.

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The former CEO of DP World Callao, Nicolas Gauthier, has been appointed president of SSA Marine’s global container division. In his new role, the professional will lead container terminal operations in the United States, Mexico, Panama, Colombia, Chile, and Vietnam.

Gauthier is now a member of the executive team based in Seattle, reporting to Uffe Ostergaard, CEO of Carrix, SSA Marine’s parent company.

Gauthier joins SSA Marine from DP World, where he served as CEO of DP World Peru. He began his tenure with the company in 2019 as CEO of DP World Ecuador.

Previously, Gauthier spent seven years as CEO of PortSynergy Group, France’s largest container terminal operator.

“I am delighted that Nicolas is joining SSA Marine as president of our global container division. Nicolas’s experience in leading, growing, and integrating maritime terminal operations worldwide made him the ideal choice. His ability to drive safety, operational efficiency, and emission reduction will greatly benefit our employees, customers, and partners. I look forward to working closely with Nicolas in our next chapter of growth,” said Ostergaard, CEO of Carrix.

“I am honored to join SSA Marine and take on this new role. SSA Marine is a global leader in container terminal management, stevedoring, and terminal development. I enjoyed getting to know their incredible team and look forward to partnering with them and our clients to drive new levels of efficiency and growth,” said Gauthier, president of SSA Marine’s global container division.

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