GBM Forum Pioneros 2025 Focuses on Advisors’ Impact

Pioneros 2025, the third edition of GBM Advisors’ annual forum for financial advisors, brought together over 900 in-person participants and more than 3,000 online, featuring executives from S&P Dow Jones Indices, Vanguard, AXA Investment Managers, Global X, BlackRock, J.P. Morgan, Santander Asset Management, Lazard, Invesco, Franklin Templeton, Prudential, AXA Seguros, the Mexican Stock Exchange (BMV), and BIVA.

The event underscored the growing role of financial advisors in Mexico and the industry’s potential to expand investment participation. “In Pioneros, we recognize the advisor as the figure driving true transformation in people’s financial lives. Today more than ever, this profession unites technical knowledge, human closeness, and a core purpose: guiding Mexican families in building and consolidating wealth,” said Luis Felipe Madrigal Mier y Terán, director, GBM Advisors.

Industry data highlights both growth and gaps. According to Vanguard, only 3% of Mexico’s population invests in funds, compared with 36% in pension systems or life insurance. The Mexican Association of Brokerage Institutions (AMIB) reports nearly 10,000 certified advisors in 2025, up from 7,000 in 2022. However, 30,000 will be needed by 2030, while Brazil, with a similar economy, already has more than 70,000. Investment fund portfolios in Mexico rose from US$192 billion in July 2023 to US$253 billion in July 2025.

“Financial advice was once a privilege for the few. Over time, it became more about selling products than transforming people’s financial lives,” said Pedro de Garay, CEO, GBM. “Advisors are the bridge between saving and investing, and that difference can determine whether families achieve financial freedom or face lifelong uncertainty.”

To support growth, GBM Advisors announced initiatives combining technology, infrastructure, and education. Its platform provides access to Mexico’s most extensive range of financial instruments, open architecture for customized strategies, digital portfolio tools, and analyst support. Marketing and commercial resources are also offered to help advisors expand their practices.

James Dowey, fund manager, AXA Investment Managers, highlighted opportunities in tech investing, noting that technology delivered 16% annualized returns over the past 20 years, double the overall market. “Of that 16%, 13.5% comes from earnings growth, 1.5% dividends, and 1% multiple expansion. Tech wins because earnings win,” he said.

Dowey emphasized volatility and long-term potential, citing Nvidia, Apple, and Amazon as companies that overcame downturns to deliver strong growth. On AI, he added, “We are nearly three years into the AI revolution since ChatGPT launched in late 2022. This is just the beginning.” AXA IM will soon launch its AI fund in Mexico.

AI is expected to play a central role in the next phase of development. GBM’s engineering teams plan to deploy AI-driven tools to optimize client service and accelerate advisor growth. Simultaneously, the company launched GBM University, Mexico’s first academy dedicated exclusively to training financial advisors.

“The demand for responsible, professional advisory in Mexico is enormous,” de Garay said. “Transforming this industry is not just business; it is a legacy. When Mexico becomes a country of investors, history will say it started here.”