Prioritizing professional development: Jorge Zarate’s industry journey

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Prioritizing professional development: Jorge Zarate’s industry journey

21 Aug 2025

Joanie Spencer

Since 2008, Joanie Spencer has covered the retail and wholesale sides of the baking industry.
Serving associations such as the American Society of Baking (ASB) and BEMA, Joanie is also in demand as an industry presenter on bakery operations and trends. She holds a bachelor’s degree in communication from Rockhurst University and a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Missouri.

When she’s not running or playing soccer, Joanie spends her time with her husband and 11-year-old son.

KANSAS CITY, MO — Every industry has them: people with a lifetime worth of wisdom and expertise to pass on to the next generation. While the commercial baking industry has no shortage of sages, Jorge Zarate, chief supply chain officer for Mexico City-based Grupo Bimbo and IBIE 2025 committee chair, stands out among them all.

It’s an understatement to say Zarate is well known in the industry; one can simply say “Jorge,” and most people know who he is. While he’s been in commercial baking — and Grupo Bimbo specifically — for nearly four decades, his story has a humble beginning. When Zarate joined what is now the world’s largest baking company, it had not yet begun operating outside of Mexico, and he himself was a newbie to the craft.

Starting from square one

“I didn’t know anything about baking,” Zarate recalled. “I knew about ingredients because my area of study was food science, but when I started my career in 1987, I didn’t yet know how to bake bread or cake.”

First taking a role on the quality side of the bakery, Zarate started out in the lab, reviewing raw materials and ensuring ingredients were in spec according to their formulas. From there, he grew into various roles, including quality supervisor and production supervisor. Embodying the concept of “you get what you give,” his professional growth has stemmed from a desire to learn by doing, coupled with a company culture that fosters professional development.

Those traits all came together when Zarate was sent to work in the Mexico City-area bakeries, where he not only learned from some of the best but also recognized the opportunities that awaited him.

“I saw so many things I needed to learn, and those guys knew everything,” he said. “The supervisors, plant managers and production managers had so much experience and knowledge, and it was amazing. That captured me from the beginning.”

Jumping at the opportunity

A career that spans nearly 40 years requires several stops on the road from entry level to leading the Western Hemisphere’s largest bakery tradeshow. That said, those stops don’t just happen; it’s up to the traveler to identify the opportunities for personal and professional development along the way. That requires more than just ambition. It takes an open mind and willingness to learn from others.

“Early in my career, I was taught so many things from being with the bakers, master bakers, maintenance technicians and other people in the bakeries,” Zarate said. “I was intrigued by it all. I just kept asking questions, and people were always willing to teach me, even if what they did had nothing to do with my job. People were always open to teaching me things like what was happening inside the oven or the outcome of a bread loaf.”

One of the early — and biggest — lessons Zarate learned was to respect the views of others and accept that everyone has something they can teach someone else (as evidenced today in the robust IBIEducate program).

As Grupo Bimbo began to boom in Mexico and internationally, Zarate maintained a mindset that, even in the most overwhelming situations, there’s something to learn.

“I see bright young people who open their eyes and ears … They ask questions focused on the business and their own professional development … It reminds me of the times I walked with my mentor, and I remember that it’s worth it.” — Jorge Zarate | chief supply chain officer | Grupo Bimbo

During the ’90s, Grupo Bimbo — then led by Don Roberto Servitje — was focused on expanding its presence beyond Mexican borders while maintaining quality, precision and efficiency. Zarate kept his eye on the opportunities, including the chance to study at the American Institute of Baking. He was one of the youngest employees — and not in a manager level or higher — that Grupo Bimbo sent to the prestigious school.

From there, Zarate caught every opportunity thrown his way, whether it was stepping in for a retiring production manager or taking on a plant manager role. Nothing was above or beneath him.

“I don’t remember ever rejecting any position, project or opportunity that was given to me,” he said. “That’s not just because I wanted to be ambitious. It was more about staying out of my comfort zone and always being challenged.”

The key, he said, was maintaining an attitude toward learning and having the courage to take on new challenges. Those have been important factors in navigating his journey up the ladder and around the world, in roles ranging from quality and operations to corporate roles in global sustainability and supply chain.

That said, he understands it’s not a journey to be taken alone. While Zarate learns from his colleagues every day, his mentors have played a huge part in his growth trajectory.

From the one who hired him — Baking Hall of Famer Ramon Rivera — to the production manager who walked him up and down the line teaching him about the equipment and process, Zarate has clung to every mentor in every capacity. And they taught him how to pay it forward every day.

“I want to believe that I am repeating what was taught to me,” he said. “I see bright young people who open their eyes and ears. They ask questions focused on the business and their own professional development. It reminds me of the times I walked with my mentor, and I remember that it’s worth it.”

This story has been adapted from the Avant Food Media’s 2025 IBIE Show Issue. Read the full story in the digital edition here.

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