A look back at where an important international partnership began. 🤝

In the late 1990s, Manuel Sescocce, the President of the Nuevo León Banking Center attended the GSBLSU program in Baton Rouge. Upon learning about the program and its scope, working alongside our faculty and leadership, and the friendship he developed with Don Woodland, they decided to develop a Banking Executives Program in Monterrey inspired by the GSB model. They brought together leading professors and industry experts, and the program launched its very first class in 1998. Participating bankers received certification from GSB under the signature of Don Woodland and from the Nuevo León Banking Center President at the time.

In 2015, a subprogram of the main banking executives program was developed, responding to a need in Mexican banking, particularly in Monterrey, as the small and medium-sized enterprise sector represented a large percentage of banking in Mexico. This led to the creation of the SME Executives Program, which also benefited from the participation of Don Woodland in its full development and accreditation by GSB.

This photo captures that first graduating class, the beginning of a collaboration focused not on profit, but on strengthening the banking industry through education. Since then, hundreds of banking executives have completed the program, carrying forward the same commitment to professional growth and leadership. We’re proud of this long-standing relationship and the impact it continues to have across borders.