Mexico's Most Influential CEOs in 2026: Horse Consulting Report

Reputation, strategic communication, and public presence are increasingly weighing on business decisions. Business leaders are also competing to become conversation leaders within and outside their industries. Against this backdrop, Horse Consulting presented the sixth edition of the Thought Leaders 100 Mexico 2026 Ranking (The Most Influential CEOs in Mexico, in Spanish), a study based on artificial intelligence analysis of millions of data points that identifies executives with the greatest impact on the business ecosystem.

In this edition, Silvia Dávila, former CEO of Danone Mexico, heads the list, followed by Enrique Beltranena of Volaris and Jorge Arce of HSBC, in a year marked by a historic renewal of leadership and new challenges for the personal brand building of senior executives.

This year’s edition arrives at a time of high international exposure for Mexico, boosted by the FIFA World Cup, a scenario that keeps global attention on the country. However, while millions follow the sporting performance of the Mexican national team, Horse has turned its gaze to another arena: corporate leadership.

Silvia Dávila Leads the Ranking of Mexico’s Most Influential CEOs

For the third consecutive year, a woman leads the Thought Leaders 100 Mexico Ranking. This time, first place goes to Silvia Dávila, who led Danone Mexico for eight years and consolidated a communication strategy based on innovation, sustainability, and business leadership.

According to Horse, Dávila’s success lies not in mastering a single evaluation variable, but in maintaining consistent and balanced performance across all analyzed dimensions.

The study highlights that current influence depends on the ability to lead organizations as well as build a solid personal brand and actively participate in issues relevant to the economic and social environment.

Top 10 Most Influential CEOs in Mexico in 2026

According to the Thought Leaders 100 Mexico Ranking, these are the executives with the greatest impact over the past twelve months:

• Silvia Dávila — Danone
• Enrique Beltranena — Volaris
• Jorge Arce — HSBC
• Mónica Aspe — AT&T
• María Ariza — BIVA
• José Antonio Fernández Garza — FEMSA
• Carlos Hank González — Banorte
• Juan Francisco Aguilar — Dell Technologies
• Julio Velázquez — Google Cloud
• Daniel Servitje — Grupo Bimbo

The list includes leaders from strategic sectors for the Mexican economy, including food, financial services, aviation, technology, telecommunications, and manufacturing. The presence of national and multinational companies reflects the diversity of the country’s business ecosystem and the growing importance of executives as public representatives of their organizations.

How Does Horse Measure CEO Influence?

Unlike other rankings based on perception surveys, the HORSE study uses a methodology entirely supported by data. The firm analyzed millions of records from public sources using artificial intelligence, identifying interactions with the highest level of engagement and relevance.

To compile the classification, five dimensions were evaluated:

• Media presence.
• Digital interaction.
• CEO positioning.
• Participation as a speaker or event sponsor.
• Senior management networking.

This approach aims to measure a leader’s actual ability to influence the business ecosystem, beyond the notoriety their company may have. According to Horse Consulting, there is a significant difference between having a public presence and leading conversations that impact the business sector.

The Food Sector Leads Business Conversation

One of the most relevant findings of the study is the strengthening of the Food, Beverage, and Tobacco sector, which has consolidated as the most influential in the country. This segment even surpassed traditionally dominant industries such as financial services and technology.

The presence of executives like Silvia Dávila and Daniel Servitje confirms the weight that mass-consumption companies have in the national economic debate. At the same time, financial companies continue to show strong influence thanks to executives like Jorge Arce of HSBC and Carlos Hank González of Banorte.

A Historic Renewal Among Business Leaders

The 2026 edition was also notable for recording the most significant movement since the ranking’s creation. Among the main results are:

• 37 new CEOs entered the Top 100.
• More than 55% debuted on the list for the first time.
• Executive turnover reached nearly 40%.

According to Horse, this phenomenon is mainly due to a shift in the narrative of many business leaders. While some reduced their public presence, others strengthened their communication strategy through social media, participation in specialized events, and increased interaction with the media. The result reflects a corporate environment where influence is no longer permanent but must be constantly built and maintained.

LinkedIn Dominates CEO Communication

Social media has become an essential tool for strengthening executive reputation. The study indicates that:

• 95% of CEOs use LinkedIn regularly.
• More than 85% have practically no activity on X.

This trend confirms that LinkedIn remains the preferred platform for sharing business strategies, leadership, innovation, and organizational culture. In contrast, X has lost prominence among Mexican senior executives, who prioritize spaces with professional audiences and a greater capacity to generate valuable connections.

BBVA Mexico, the Country’s Most Disruptive Company

In addition to the executive rankings, Horse Consulting presented the ranking of companies with the greatest influence. In this edition, BBVA Mexico received recognition as the country’s most disruptive company.

The podium was comprised of:

• BBVA Mexico.
• FEMSA.
• Santander Mexico.

This recognition reflects the positioning these organizations have achieved in both innovation and corporate reputation building.

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This entry originally appeared on Líder Empresarial.