How Latin American Business Leaders Inspired a Story of Wisdom and Transformation
When I set out to write “The Tiger Trilogy,” I never imagined that the powerful symbol of the tiger would find its perfect embodiment in two remarkable business leaders from Guatemala. Today, I want to share why Luis Miguel Castillo (1973-2023) and Juan Pablo Mata, CEOs of Grupo Mariposa, have become the living models for the tiger in our story, and how their journey represents everything we hoped to capture about courage, wisdom, and transformational leadership.
\I got to know Grupo Mariposa when they asked Wise Responder to bring the Oxford University-developed Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) methodology to their company to help them better understand all their employees—that’s over 15,000 people across multiple countries.
The Tiger’s Roar: Luis Miguel Castillo’s Legacy
Luis Miguel Castillo was, in every sense, a tiger in the business world. Like the tiger in our story who declares “My soul does magnify Sophia,” Luis Miguel’s entire career was devoted to something far greater than profit—he was building prosperity for an entire region whilst protecting the environment that sustains us all.
When Luis Miguel took cbc from being a Central American bottler to becoming the first company in the region to issue bonds on the Luxembourg Stock Exchange, he wasn’t just expanding a business. He was proving that Latin American companies could compete on the global stage whilst maintaining their commitment to social and environmental responsibility. His $1.1 billion ESG bond issuance at 5.25% wasn’t just financial innovation—it was a roar that declared: “We are here, we are sustainable, and we will not compromise our values for growth.”
Like the tiger who tells Sophia, “I will have no forest, no land, no dominion without Butterfly,” Luis Miguel understood that true business success is symbiotic. His commitment to zero waste to landfill, science-based carbon reduction targets, and with Pablo Mata to the “Creciendo Juntos” programme for employee development showed a leader who knew that environmental and social health were inseparable from business health.
It’s perhaps no coincidence that Luis Miguel chose to name their holding company “Grupo Mariposa”—Group Butterfly. This visionary choice speaks to his understanding that transformation, like the butterfly’s metamorphosis, requires both patience and profound change. In recognition of this profound symbolism, the second story in our trilogy became “Tiger & Butterfly”—a tribute to Luis Miguel’s understanding that the most powerful forces in nature work in harmony.
The Tiger’s Evolution: Juan Pablo Mata’s Vision
When Luis Miguel passed unexpectedly in October 2023, the question became: could the tiger’s roar continue? In Juan Pablo Mata, we see not just continuity, but evolution. Juan Pablo embodies the tiger who “pads along in love, sniffing out my fellow mighty.”
Juan Pablo’s journey from Human Resources Chief to CEO of Grupo Mariposa demonstrates the systematic grooming that creates transformational leaders. But what makes him a true model for our tiger is how he has amplified the ESG agenda whilst taking it global. His participation in Davos 2024, speaking on “The Alliance for Equitable Transition,” shows a leader who understands that the fight for sustainability must be collaborative and inclusive.
The USAID partnership in El Salvador, supporting 44,000 local merchants, exemplifies the tiger’s mission to use power “to end a drop of suffering.” Juan Pablo’s recognition as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum isn’t just personal achievement—it’s the tiger’s roar being heard on the world stage.
The Sophia Figure: Rosa María Frade’s Guiding Wisdom
But no tiger succeeds alone. In our story, the tiger finds wisdom through his relationship with the butterfly and with Sophia, the embodiment of wisdom herself. In the real world of Grupo Mariposa, this wisdom has been channelled through Rosa María De Frade, Director of Corporate Affairs, who has served as the Sophia figure for both leaders.
Like Sophia in our story, who “gently holds our hands” and helps us “count and number things” that matter, Rosa María has helped both Luis Miguel and Juan Pablo navigate the complex intersection of business success and social responsibility. She has been the one ensuring that as the company grows, it never loses sight of its commitment to the communities it serves.
Rosa María has embodied Sophia’s role of creating “an alliance of rich and poor who understand one another.” Through her guidance, Grupo Mariposa has maintained its commitment to the UN Global Compact, women’s economic empowerment principles, and science-based environmental targets. She has been the wisdom that ensures the company’s growth translates into genuine social impact.
When Poetry Meets Purpose
The connection between our story and these real-world leaders became beautifully tangible when I had the opportunity to read the first tiger poem to Juan Pablo and Rosa María. Their reaction was so profound, so immediate, that they asked me to film the reading. What happened next moved me deeply—they shared that film at their annual manager conference, using our story to help communicate their vision to their leadership team.
This moment crystallised for me why these stories matter. When business leaders see themselves reflected in tales of tigers who fight for wisdom, butterflies who enable transformation, and Sophia who guides with compassion, we create a shared language for the kind of leadership our world desperately needs.
Why These Stories Matter
“Tiger & Butterfly” isn’t just a children’s story about a tiger with a butterfly on his nose. It’s a tribute to leaders like Luis Miguel and Juan Pablo who understand that true strength comes from protecting the vulnerable, that real power lies in lifting others up, and that sustainable success requires wisdom, collaboration, and an unwavering commitment to something larger than yourself.
When the tiger in our story declares, “This is my daily hunt, a charging fight of love for wisdom herself,” we see Luis Miguel’s pioneering work in sustainable finance and Juan Pablo’s global advocacy for equitable transition. When the tiger says, “I will have no forest, no land, no dominion without Butterfly,” we see leaders who understand that business success without environmental and social sustainability is ultimately hollow.
The Sophia Legacy
Most importantly, both leaders have understood what Sophia teaches in our story: that true measurement of success isn’t just financial. It’s about counting what really matters—the reduction of poverty, the protection of our environment, the empowerment of communities, and the creation of opportunities for the next generation.
Rosa María Frade’s role as Director of Corporate Affairs has been instrumental in translating this philosophy into action. Like Sophia who “returns again and again, counting again and again for all to see progress that delights rich and poor alike,” Rosa María has ensured that Grupo Mariposa’s sustainability commitments are not just aspirational statements but measurable, accountable actions that create real change.
As Juan Pablo continues to carry forward Luis Miguel’s vision whilst adding his own global perspective, we see the tiger’s story continuing to unfold. The roar that began in Guatemala now echoes in Davos, in sustainability forums around the world, and in the daily operations of a company that proves business can be a force for good.
These leaders didn’t just inspire our story—they’re living it every day. And with the wisdom of Rosa María Frade guiding them as their Sophia figure, they continue to show us what it means to be tigers in the truest sense: powerful, protective, and eternally committed to the flourishing of the ecosystem they inhabit.
The tiger’s roar continues, and the world is listening.
Jamie Coats is the CEO of Wise Responder and the author of “The Tiger Trilogy” and “The Songs of Sophia.” Five per cent of the book’s proceeds support poverty alleviation through Sophia Oxford.
The Tiger Trilogy: The Songs of Sophia is available at RugidoMagico.com