 Former President of Mexico Vicente Fox |
Vicente Fox, former president of Mexico, will speak at Drake University’s Knapp Center at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, March 28, as part of the Martin Bucksbaum Distinguished Lecture Series.
Fox served as president of Mexico from 2000 to 2006. He was the first candidate from an opposition party to be elected president since 1920, upsetting the Institutional Revolutionary Party that had dominated presidential elections for decades.
In his talk, Fox will likely draw on the themes of leadership and the future of relations between the United States and Mexico.
During his presidency, Mexico experienced a period of fundamental economic stability. Fox paid special attention to improving trade relations with the United States, calming civil unrest and reducing crime, corruption and drug trafficking.
Fox studied business administration at the Universidad Iberoamericana before studying at Harvard Business School. He then worked his way up in the Mexican unit of the Coca-Cola Company, from route supervisor to head of the company’s Latin American operations.
Fox’s desire to become president stemmed from his belief that Mexico had enormous potential to become one of the world’s leading nations, a conviction he developed growing up on a ranch in the city of Guanajuato. During a period of economic struggle in Mexico during the 1980s, Fox saw the need for new leadership and began his career as a politician. He was elected governor of Guanajuato state in 1995.
Today, Fox travels the globe as a public speaker. In his 2007 book, Revolution of Hope: The Life, Faith and Dreams of a Mexican President, Fox recounts his experience in Mexican politics and the path he took to get there, as well as his perspective on the state of world affairs.
Bucksbaum Lecture committee members look for a person of national or international stature who has made a range of contributions to society when choosing a speaker. Fox’s lecture will build on Drake University’s tradition of bringing engaging, thought-provoking individuals to Des Moines through the Bucksbaum Lecture Series. “An Evening with Former President of Mexico Vicente Fox” is free and open to the public. The event will also be live-streamed.