SEMSA 2019

On May 22, San Telmo Business School held the 19^th edition of SEMSA, a strategic reflection forum for food chain companies, which has become an annual unavoidable appointment, for top managers of leading companies of Spain and Portugal.

One more year, the businessmen and managers had the opportunity to think about challenges and opportunities facing the food industry, together with the protagonists of the two cases used for the first time in this edition.

During the day, which was sponsored by GRUPOTEC INGENIERÍA and NORGESTIÓN, matters such as sustainability, the rise of protectionism, alliances and acquisitions and value creation were discussed, as well as the service delivery which has become increasingly relevant.

Telepizza & Pizza Hut case: Fast and convenient, the “delivery trend”

TELEPIZZA is a Spanish multinational in the food industry, leader in home delivery of pizza and present in 23 countries. In the month of December 2018, it signed an agreement with the giant YUM, and particularly with its PIZZA HUT division, to exploit both brands in several countries in Europe and Latin America. Although they bet on "value creation", they got mixed reactions to the agreement within the company, and among the stakeholders and the franchisees.

Through Pablo Juantegui Azpilicueta, CEO of TELEPIZZA, together with the author of the case, Prof. Julio Audicana, participants could learn how it was faced the situation and how Juantegui supported the alliance to lead the phenomenon of the delivery service.

Generation and Management of Innovation

Alberto Rodríguez-Toquero, General Director of GRUPO MAHOU-SAN MIGUEL and representative of the group in the Advisory Council of the FOOD Department of San Telmo Business School and Prof. Bassem Nwelati spoke about the group's experience in bringing innovation to a company with more than 100 years of history. In this sense, they talked about the "360º business model innovation", the reason to launched it and how can be used it into day-to-day business operations. In addition, with regard the concept of reverse marketing, Rodriguez-Toquero said that it is an innovative model for launching new products.

Dimensions, Diversification, Productivity, Internationalization, Alliances, Acquisitions ... What else?

In the session in which Antonio Luque, president of DCOOP, and Prof. Miguel Ángel Llano took part, an interesting colloquium was developed. The colloquium included the DCOOP president’s explanations on how the company create value through dimension, diversification, internationalization, alliances and acquisitions.

Participants were able to learn more about his professional career and the challenges he has faced since his first steps in the sector. He explained how they dealt with different mergers, alliances and acquisitions.

In addition to this, the diversification as a means to create value, which at the time was promoted by the DCOOP partners, or the strategy adopted in view of the increased tariffs on Spanish black olives in the United States were also debated.

Disruption in Food Chain

Another of the new cases used for the fist time in this edition of SEMSA was that of a Californian Start-up called Just Inc. A cutting-edge case that led the debate toward the most revolutionary and disruptive trends in the food sector  (sustainability, millennials, the role of technology, new vegetable proteins, new foods, the challenge of feeding the world, impact on the global food chain), as well as the analysis of the mechanisms that drives disruption (lobbying in sectors that could potentially be affected, regulatory approvals and strategic management), subjects of interest and concern to entrepreneurs and managers of the food chain.

Animal welfare, veganism, fight against food shortages, sustainability, new foods, etc., concept trends in food in which large and small companies, such as those that participate in this Forum, work without rest in order to create innovative products and satisfy a consumer who become increasingly more demanding.