The National Chamber of Passenger and Tourism Transportation (Canapat) announced the appointment of Virginia Olalde López-Gavito as its new executive director, effective October 23, 2025.

This position was vacant after Elim Luviano left the position at Canapat to take over as general director of the SICT Center in Chihuahua.

According to information shared by Canapat, the arrival of Virginia Olalde will strengthen the Chamber’s strategy toward sustainable, safe, and innovative mobility in Mexico .

Prior to this position, Virginia Olalde served as Director of Foreign Trade and Economic Studies for the National Association of Bus, Truck, and Tractor-Trailer Producers (ANPACT) . She also has a track record in the public and private sectors focused on competitiveness, regional cooperation, and strengthening Mexican industry in the face of the challenges of global trade.

“I enthusiastically assume the responsibility of strengthening Canapat’s role as the voice of passenger transportation and tourism. Our purpose is clear: to transport people, connect stories, and bring opportunities closer together. So that everyone can arrive safely and confidently at their destination—with their families, their jobs, schools, vacations, or business meetings—in an efficient, orderly, and sustainable manner,” Olalde López-Gavito said in a statement.

For Canapat President Luis Antonio Zaldívar Sánchez, Virginia’s arrival at the organization represents leadership with deep technical knowledge and social sensitivity for our sector in Mexico .

“Its arrival contributes to fulfilling our commitment to innovation and safety, and will undoubtedly be key to successfully completing upcoming challenges such as Expo Foro Movilidad 2026, the World Cup, and the continued modernization of our units, among others,” he emphasized.

Virginia Olalde holds a degree in International Business from the Monterrey Institute of Technology , a master’s degree in International Relations from the Instituto de Empresa in Madrid, and recently completed her doctorate in Customs Law and Foreign Trade.

“Recognized by media outlets such as Forbes, Expansión, and T21 as one of the 100 most powerful and influential women in the country,” highlights Canapat’s statement regarding the career of its new executive director.

In addition to being part of the first edition of 100 Women in Transport and Logistics T21 , she is also a member of the 2021 generation of “21 Young T21” .

Among other positions, she was part of the negotiating team for the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA); as director of the Ministry of Economy , she also promoted policies and agreements for the heavy-duty automotive sector, achieving record production and export figures in 2023 and 2024.

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El cargo Virginia Olalde assumes new responsibility at Canapat apareció primero en T21.

Introducing the tenth generation of #Los21JóvenesDeT21 . This editorial project began in 2009 and has been ongoing since 2017. The goal is to promote the “new blood” of a sector that demands greater specialization and commitment from its participants. They are the future of logistics and transportation , as well as a pillar of its growth in our country.

To assess the profiles, we once again relied on a committee of personalities from the logistics and transportation sector who, using a defined methodology, were responsible for selecting the representatives of the 2025 generation. To select the 21 Youth of 2025, they had to evaluate a large number of profiles belonging to multiple ways of doing logistics and transportation from different trenches.

This special we’re publishing today is part of Grupo T21’s commitment to raising awareness and supporting the transportation and logistics sectors.

We invite you to check out our August issue of T21 magazine for the full T21 Young People special. Click here to view the digital version .

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El cargo #The21 Young People of T21, tenth generation! apareció primero en T21.

T21’s 21 Young People is an initiative that for more than a decade has highlighted emerging talent that is transforming the industry in Mexico.

In this context, young and experienced voices gathered in the same space with the same intention of sharing, inspiring, and accompanying.

The evening unfolded in a dynamic format: each panel was led by a mentor with extensive experience in the industry, who shared personal reflections, key learnings, and advice with the attendees, who then indicated where they are in their careers. This fostered an authentic, generous, and forward-thinking dialogue.

In every corner of the room, mentors and young people conversed, listened to each other, and found common ground between different but complementary paths.

Industry icons shared their experiences from afar, not from the podium.

Erik Markeset, CEO of Tsol ; Reto Malfatti, Supply Chain Professional; Francisco Fabila, Managing Director of Ferrocarril y Terminal del Valle de México ; Rafael Martínez, Senior Director of CS&L HUB MTY at Mondelez International ; Juan Pablo Pacheco, Director of HAF Logística Internacional ; Sandra Aragonez, Senior Director at Alvarez & Marsal ; Elsy Ocejo, VP of Supply Chain at ILLES Foods ; and Daniela Zarza, Business Director Premium at Union Pacific Railroad , were the mentors who guided the roundtable discussions, where they talked about their beginnings, the moments when they had doubts, what helped them make difficult decisions, and the people who shaped their path.

Each story was accompanied by questions, reflections, and gratitude from the audience.

During the conversations, key topics such as leadership, talent development, strategic vision, training, and the importance of human connection for professional growth were addressed.

Osiel Cruz Galindo, Corporate and New Business Manager at Grupo T21, offered a message that outlined the meaning of this initiative.

“Global companies are already implementing formal mentoring programs; in 2024, 92% did so, compared to 84% in 2022. It’s a clear trend. However, in Mexico, only 50% of companies have adopted it, many of their own free will. There’s still much to be done,” he emphasized.

Cruz Galindo emphasized that having a mentor can increase the chances of career advancement by up to 58%.

“This isn’t a formal process, and we don’t intend that to be the case, but we do want tonight to inspire you to seek out a mentor, someone who has traveled a similar path to the one you’re embarking on and who can offer real guidance,” he said.

The evening concluded in a highly motivating atmosphere, with a shared dinner and conversation among all attendees, as if each conversation sowed a spark of possibility.

Connection 21 thus consolidates its position as a breeding ground for meaningful professional relationships, committed to young talent, collective learning, and continued leadership in the transportation and logistics sector.

With information from Karina Quintero .

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El cargo Connection 21: An intergenerational bonding experience in the logistics sector apareció primero en T21.