In the Driving Seat for New Home Development

I’ve often heard great companies referred to as performance race cars,” says Gerardo Prieto Treviño, Chief Executive Officer of the HXM Tourist Division. “!ey’re built on an intelligent design, supported by a great crew--and raced by a driver with an even greater intestinal fortitude.” In just over six months he has proven that he is ready to “blow by” the competition with his first project: Las Villas de Mexico.

The HXM Tourist Division is a branch of the mother company, HOMEX, one of the largest home building companies in the world. With Prieto at the wheel, the company is slated to build more than 20 of these homes in the country’s most sought-after exotic destinations, including Cancun, Puerto Vallarta, Tepotzlan, San Miguel de Allende, Los Cabos and Ensenada.

“I would like to see tourism become a national priority,” he says. “It has grown to be a main industry and has helped México develop into a better place to live--and to be safe to build homes that will attract foreign buyers.”

Born and raised in Mexico City, Prieto attended Itam University there, working hard to obtain a strong academic foundation. He graduated as an accountant before joining the family business--a car dealership. Soon his ambitions grew beyond the borders of his father’s business, taking interest in the changing gears of México’s tourism objectives. Working smart and utilizing his experience, his first step into the sector was when he became the President of the Association of Car Rentals and Director of Sales; posts he found greatly rewarding.

Following this, Prieto got on track for the position of Associate-Director of Sales for Fonatur, which is México’s government agency for developing regional tourist destinations. During his term there, he coordinated the efforts of regional sales offices in Cancun, Ixtapa, Loreto, Puerto Vallarta, Puerto Peñasco, Oaxaca, Huatulco and Los Cabos.

Prieto then became Vice President of Corporate Commercialization for one of México’s largest tourist home developers, Groupo Questro. He spearheaded the brand positioning of this group in México, creating a trend in the Baja land development community. Besides by Pat Tyson generating a stronger brand presence for the parent company, he effectively coordinated the marketing and promotional efforts for the company’s junior brands--producing tremendous success for the company.

Since those days, Prieto has always sought out the “checkered flag.” From winning awards as Vice President of Corporate Commercialization in the Questro Group, or as head of the Transition Team for Tourism in 2000. Apart from the stimulation of his professional pursuits, this father of three finds joy in the great outdoors by racing motor cycles across the wide open spaces of the deserts with his sons; he also enjoys water skiing and living a life that is constantly full of challenge. He resides in “my lovely San José del Cabo” he says, and derives great pleasure from driving in the fast lane of a rewarding career.

“After many years in the tourism and real estate industries, this is my first opportunity to set a standard,” he declares. “!roughout my career I’ve succeeded even when ideas--good ideas, were left on the table. With HXM and Las Villas de México I have, for the first time, a real chance to offer the best of my country to the world; an idea I know my family is proud of.”

HXM builds handcrafted communities created from centuries of tradition. From designs dating back to Aztec and Mayan civilizations, to the unique details of good Spanish architecture, comes the melting pot of culture and tradition that sits at the foundation of México’s eclectic past. Mosaic is the basis for every residential hotel and commercial destination within the project family of HXM Tourist Division. Together with its numerous international partners, HXM is poised to create some of the most important destination in México.

Simultaneously with starting a handful of Villas de México communities each year, most would call his objectives “slightly” ambitious! But as far as Prieto is concerned, it is simply a matter of thinking globally. By utilizing a seemingly simple blend of technology, strategic thinking, structural methodologies and some common “max-sense,” anyone would conclude that Prieto and his team are going to end up in the winners’ circle quicker than one can say “Mario Andretti!”

Gerardo Prieto Treviño Profile on Forbes