Join the conversation on social media using #SDGpioneers
Gustavo Pérez Berlanga, Senior VP of Social Responsibility at Mexico’s Toks Restaurant Group, is passionate about employing entrepreneurship to battle poverty, empower indigenous people and fight child labour. He has successfully incorporated 13 of the 17 Global Goals throughout his company’s supply chain to make his vision a reality.
Gustavo created projects that put economic power into the hands of the local community by buying food, handmade products and other items from local and small businesses and residents. As a result, the livelihood of over 11,000 indigenous people in 85 communities has improved. In one project, Proyectos Productivos, the company sources natural, organic handmade products made by small producers, most of them indigenous. In the Santa Rosa project, participants have seen up to a 167% income increase (from USD 30 income per month to USD 5,000). The company achieves these results by, among other things, reducing the middle men involved in the coffee buying process.
Gustavo was the President of Global Compact Network Mexico from 2010 to 2016. During that time, the participant base grew from 180 to 804, making it the third largest Global Compact Local Network globally. He has published two books and dedicated around 200 hours each year to promoting the UN Global Compact Ten Principles among the business community and at major universities.
About Gustavo Pérez Berlanga
Gustavo Pérez Berlanga is Senior Vice President of sustainability and social responsibility for Toks Restaurant Group, one of the largest chains of restaurants in Mexico, a role he has held for nearly 10 years. He has focused on the power of entrepreneurship to eradicate global poverty.
He has received several accolades for his leadership in social responsibility. He was the recipient of the Social Leadership Award from the Hong Kong Social Entrepreneurship Research Institute, and was named by Spain’s Corrresponsables magazine as one of the most influential leaders in the sector. He also received the Benemérita Azul award from the University of Puebla. In 2016, Tok's Restaurant’ corporate sustainability efforts drew over 550 press notices from the media.
He is the author of two books on sustainability, is involved with several NGOs, and serves as a guest professor at Harvard University and a Master’s degree lecturer at Mexico’s Anahuac University.
Toks Restaurants Group is a member of Global Compact Network Mexico
