Roberto Mendoza speech in the 23rd World Conference of the International Lesbian and Gay Association, in Geneva, Switzerland

28 Mar 2006

Bon jour, madam e monsieur,

Gutten morgen, mainen demen und herren,

Bueno días, damas y caballeros,

Good Morning Ladies and Gentlemen,

I would like to thank the organization committee for giving me the opportunity to participate at this conference and share with you my experience.

Let me start my participation with a question:

How can it be that Bill Gates and Warren Buffet, that have done so much for equality in their own companies, invest in a company who’s Human Resources Director thinks and acts on the principle of: “While I am head of HR for Coca Cola FEMSA I will not have a faggot as one of its Directors”.

I am Roberto Mendoza and am here to share with you the Discrimination I was subjected to at Coca Cola FEMSA.

Coca Cola FEMSA is the second largest Coca Cola Bottler world wide, representing 10 percent of Coca Cola sales and 4 out of 10 Coca Colas sold in Latin America. Operation in 10 countries and with annual sales of 4.2 billion dollars.

I worked there for almost seven years. Held four management positions, generating the Company over 40 million dollars in savings. I participated in new business developments and the Company’s operation abroad until the Human Resources Director, Mr. Eulalio Cerda, decided to restrict my development opportunities because I am gay.

The facts are:

In 1998, following a long and competitive hiring process, I was hired as Corporate Packaging Manager.

Two years later, I was named General Manager for Mexico Procurement. I modernized the department, boosted personnel motivation and service levels, and increased the area’s roles and responsibilities that lead to an upgrade of the function to Director Level (July 2002). For no apparent reason and regardless of my excellent performance appraisals this position, which I had created, was given to someone else. I was asked to take a lateral move to Logistics.

A few months later, in January 2003, I became part of the diagnostics and takeover team of the acquired territories from PANAMCO.

By July 2003, I was offered to assume the Procurement responsibility for the newly formed Latin Center Division (six countries), based in San José – Costa Rica. My partner of five years and I moved to Central America. Because of our ex-pat status we decided to openly assume our relationship and I introduced him to my colleagues.

Upon arriving at my post, I was informed it would de Procurement Manager, while my counterparts in Mexico and MercoSur Divisions would be Procurement Directors.

After saving the company 13 million dollars during my first year at Latin Centro, I was asked to return to the Corporate Offices in Mexico City, with the argument that my work abroad was well advanced. I was offered the Director of Technological Development position – as suggested by the Company’s President Mr. Carlos Salazar.

Soon after this, I was informed that the only post available for me was Packaging Manager.

Even though this represented a career set back of six and a half years – to my hiring position in the Company, I accepted. I accepted, only after being told that the Director of Technological Development job had been denied to me because I am gay. Eulalio Cerda, Head of Human Resources said at an executives meeting: “While I am head of HR for Coca Cola FEMSA I will not have a faggot as one of its Directors”.

Despite this and a 32 percent pay cut, I did not give them the benefit of my resignation.

In the days that followed, I was continually harassed at work, all my decisions and actions were being scrutinized and questioned. On October 12, 2004 I was finally fired, later this was doctored up to look like a resignation.

Needless to say, this has left me emotionally and financially devastated. Why should my sexual orientation be an obstacle to the development of my career? Why for assuming my homosexuality and protecting my partner’s integrity must I be degraded, threatened and harassed, forcing me out of a Company to which I gave so much?

My case is an example of the homophobic discrimination that is still present in the Business Environment in Mexico and most of Latin America. Discrimination that is prohibited by the Mexican Constitution; the Federal Law to Prevent and Eliminate Discrimination and by the Distrito Federal’s Penal Code.

I have since started a law suit for Moral Damage, due to discrimination for sexual orientation in the Civil Courts and initiated legal action in the Criminal Courts as well.

The first and second phase of the Civil suit has resulted in favorable rulings for me, but here is still a lot way to go to finally win the case.

This case is only one of many that daily happen in Mexico, the tip of the iceberg if you may, but because of the lack of a denouncement culture go unnoticed and some times applauded – based on a double standard morale.

White collar hate crimes because of homophobia crimes exist.

For Coca Cola FEMSA, hiring people with physical disabilities and assigning them to a call center, regardless of the intellectual capacity, is enough to cleanse their social conscience.

My objective, by making this public and following with all the legal procedures is to influence the Business Community to abolish discrimination in the workplace and to help forge an equality and inclusion culture that truly celebrates diversity.

For your attention, I thank you – I am now open for any questions you may have.

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