Luis Téllez Kuenzler

Luis Téllez Kuenzler

Former Secretary of Energy, Mexico & Chairman, KKR

Luis Téllez holds a BA (Suma cum Laude) in Economics from the Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de Mexico (ITAM) and a Ph.D. in Economics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Starting in 2015 he was named Special Advisor for the New York based investment firm KKR, as well as President of the NTT consulting firm Everis in Mexico, which employs more than 600 consultants. From May 2009 to December 2014 he served as Chairman of the Board and CEO of the Mexican Stock Exchange (MSE). During his tenure, he presided over the largest number of IPO’s in the history of the MSE, was responsible for listing the first Mexican REIT, and of designing an instrument similar to the SPAC’S through which more than 4 billion USD have been raised to invest in infrastructure, real estate and private equity. During this time revenues at the MSE grew at 10 CAGR and the operating margin by 830 bp. In 2013, financing through the MSE reached a record 7% of GDP. Téllez also presided over a full upgrading of the technological capabilities of the exchange putting it among the best in class in throughput and low latency.

Téllez opened the office of the Carlyle Group in Mexico, and was its co-head  from 2003 to 2006. From 2001 to 2003, he was Executive Vice President (CEO) of Desc, one of Mexico’s most important industrial and real estate companies, where he led the financial restructuring of the then heavily indebted conglomerate. He has been a member of the board of FEMSA, Grupo México, BBVA Bancomer, Cultiva and Global Industries.

He was appointed by President Peña –and ratified by the Mexican Senate- as an Independent Director of the Mexican oil fund (Mexican Sovereign Fund). He currently serves, as Director of GEPP (Mexico´s sole PEPSI bottling company) and of Banco Interacciones, is a member of the International Advisory Board of ACE (NY based insurance company), and is a board member of McLarty Associates. He was a Director of Sempra Energy until June of 2015.

In the past 20 years he served as Secretary of Communications and Transportation (2006-2009), Secretary of Energy (1997-2000) and Chief of Staff of President Ernesto Zedillo (1994-1997). Téllez was also Deputy Secretary of Agriculture and Head Economist at the Treasury. As a public official, he was a key player in policy decisions to improve the structure of    the Mexican economy in macroeconomic, financial, energy and agricultural issues such as: putting in place the most ambitious program to expand Mexican transportation infrastructure based on public and private financing; participating in structuring and negotiating the financial package that allowed Mexico solve the financial crisis of 1995; being part of the team that implemented the bailout program of the Mexican financial system in 1995-1997; leading the expansion of power generation and transmission infrastructure during the late nineties; leading the negotiations with Saudi Arabia and the rest of the OPEC countries that prevented the collapse of oil prices in the late 90´s; heading the expansion of oil and natural gas production in Mexico and leading the team that established the fully Funded Pension System. Téllez drafted the constitutional changes and implementing legislation, which ended the agrarian reform and gave full property rights to communal lands. He was also responsible for negotiating the agricultural sector in NAFTA, among others policy initiatives.

Téllez is also member of several non-profit organizations such as the Mexican Council of Foreign Affairs, the Woodrow Wilson Institue in Washington. He has been married for 32 years, and has two daughters.