{"id":178727,"date":"2025-10-22T11:30:51","date_gmt":"2025-10-22T11:30:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/juan-roig-addresses-business-leaders-why-should-we-be-ashamed-to-say-that-we-make-a-profit\/"},"modified":"2025-10-22T11:30:51","modified_gmt":"2025-10-22T11:30:51","slug":"juan-roig-addresses-business-leaders-why-should-we-be-ashamed-to-say-that-we-make-a-profit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/juan-roig-addresses-business-leaders-why-should-we-be-ashamed-to-say-that-we-make-a-profit\/","title":{"rendered":"Juan Roig addresses business leaders: “Why should we be ashamed to say that we make a profit?”"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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In a captivating address to a packed auditorium of 1,450 executives, Juan Roig<\/strong>, the president of Mercadona, delivered yet another master class on the “pride of being an entrepreneur.” This was part of the opening ceremony for the 40th Congress of Aecoc<\/strong>, a leading consumer association that chose Valencia as the venue this year as part of its initiative to contribute towards recovery following recent challenges. Speaking from the stage of his state-of-the-art Roig Arena<\/strong>, he encouraged fellow business leaders to “come out of the closet” and take pride in their accomplishments. “We are the ones who move the world,” Roig declared, passionately advocating for the significant role entrepreneurs play in society.<\/p>\n

Roig’s remarks address a growing sentiment that has cast doubt on the role of the businessman, particularly in light of the financial crisis of 2008. Recognizing the scrutiny faced by entrepreneurs, he passionately defended their importance and their contributions to societal welfare. “Why should we feel ashamed of making money?” Roig mused, challenging the stigma that surrounds profitability in the business sector.<\/p>\n

He emphasized that just as eating is essential for human survival, generating profits is crucial for businesses to thrive. Roig pointed out that while making money is necessary, it is equally essential for a company to focus on values beyond mere profit maximization. “If we don’t earn money, how will we support our employees? How can we offer them better salaries?” he reiterated. For Roig, a profitable company is one that can contribute to public revenue through taxes. He underscored the importance of taxation, stating, “It is both good and necessary to pay taxes,” while also noting that the focus should be on effective management of those funds rather than the sheer amount collected.<\/p>\n

With a similar sentiment, the president of Aecoc, Ignacio Gonzalez<\/strong>, lamented the increasing tax burdens in Spain during his address, which seemed to resonate with Roig’s concerns over governmental fiscal policies. Roig also recognized the sentiment echoed by Ignacio Rivera of Estrella Galicia, commending the concept of the “san dividend,” which serves to reassure both investors and employees through stable financial returns. “We must strive to be leaders in civil society,” Roig urged, encouraging entrepreneurs to adopt a mindset of contributing positively to Spain as opposed to merely taking from it.<\/p>\n

Roig called on his fellow business leaders to step out of their comfort zones and actively engage in public discourse. “Even if we feel more comfortable in the shadows, we must emerge as references for society,” he implored, reaffirming, “We are the ones who drive progress.”<\/p>\n

Resilience and Initiative After Crisis<\/h2>\n

Roig candidly shared how witnessing the resilience of a local hairdresser\u2014who persisted in offering services amidst adversity\u2014prompted the creation of a support initiative named Alcem-se<\/strong>. This program aims to assist in the recovery of local businesses impacted by the recent disasters in Valencia, helping entrepreneurs navigate the tough terrain of economic recovery. “We provided many businesses with a ‘glass of water in the desert,'” he emphasized, drawing a clear line between private initiative and the perceived inaction from governmental institutions in the aftermath of the crisis.<\/p>\n

Roig outlined two core strategies for the future of Mercadona, focusing on expansion into Portugal<\/strong> and enhancing the Ready to Eat<\/i> product line. He humorously remarked that had previous generations possessed modern technology, they would probably have opted against traditional cooking methods entirely. He also shared valuable advice he received from industry veteran Federico Riera Mars\u00e1: “Do not fear multinationals,” and, “When selling, retain a minority stake; don’t sell out completely.” These insights illustrate Roig’s pragmatic approach to navigating the complexities of entrepreneurship in today\u2019s competitive landscape.<\/p>\n

In conclusion, Juan Roig’s call to action resonates not just within the walls of the Roig Arena but also throughout the broader landscape of entrepreneurship in Spain. By advocating for transparency, resilience, and impactful contributions to society, he encourages business leaders to redefine their roles and responsibilities in the modern economy. His belief that entrepreneurship can be a force for good is a message that is particularly important in times of uncertainty.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n


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General News – 2<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Updated Wednesday, October 22, 2025 – 12:44 In a captivating address to a packed auditorium of 1,450 executives, Juan Roig, the president of Mercadona, delivered yet another master class on the “pride of being an entrepreneur.” This was part of the opening ceremony for the 40th Congress of Aecoc, a leading consumer association that chose […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[23832],"tags":[12370,4077,2139,1834,8198,44047,292,37333,6522,37332,20237],"class_list":["post-178727","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-finance","tag-addresses","tag-ashamed","tag-business","tag-economy","tag-juan","tag-juan-roig","tag-leaders","tag-mercadona","tag-profit","tag-roig","tag-valencia"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/178727","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=178727"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/178727\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=178727"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=178727"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=178727"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}