Alejandro
Ramirez

Ramirez, 46, was pursuing a career at the U.N. when his father and grandfather called him to help in the 45-year old family business. Armed with degrees in economics from Harvard and Oxford, he was more than equipped to tackle the biz. He joined Cinepolis in 1997 as VP of Operations, to later become COO in his mid-twenties. As the CEO since 2006, he has built the company to its present ranking as the fourth largest exhibitor in the world in terms of screen count, with nearly 5,000 screens in Mexico and 12 other countries.

The Morelia-based company is projecting an 18% jump in terms of total admissions on its screens worldwide by the end of 2016, compared to last year. In Mexico alone, where it has a 65% share of the market, admissions have nearly doubled in the past 10 years. In terms of admissions, Cinepolis ranks as the second theatrical exhibition circuit globally, with 262.3 million attendees worldwide in 2015. Company launched a theatrical distribution outfit in 2015, with the aim to release some 15 pics a year in Mexico.
 
Ramirez’s civic calling has also led him to serve as Mexico’s Representative to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and as Technical Secretary of the Social Cabinet in the Executive Office of the President of Mexico. He has worked for the World Bank and the United Nations Development Program in the areas of poverty and human development. He is Chairman of the Mexican Business Council and of the Morelia International Film Festival, and is Vice-Chair of education reform org Mexicanos Primero. Ramirez aslo serves on the Boards of BBVA Bancomer, the Mexican Competitiveness Institute, the Sundance Institute and the Harvard Board of Overseers.