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Hernan J.F. Saenz, III

Hernan J.F. Saenz, III

  • Visiting Senior Lecturer

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Faculty Area

Faculty Expertise

  • Strategy
  • Consulting
  • Organizational Behavior

Contact

Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management

hs39@cornell.edu

Cornell Directory Entry

Biography

Hernan Saenz has been at Bain & Company for over 27 years and has lived and worked in Asia-Pacific, Europe, and North and Latin America. He is currently a Senior Partner in the Dallas office and serves as the Global Head of Bain’s Strategy & Transformation Practice. Hernan recently served two terms on Bain’s Board of Directors, including the Strategy, M&A, and Talent Committees. He also serves on the Board of Directors of ABB Optical, a New Mountain Capital operating company.

From 2017 to 2025, Hernan served as the Global Head of Bain’s Performance Improvement (PI) capability. He led the transformation of Bain’s PI product line and client services portfolio, including the digitization of Bain’s products and processes. The PI Practice more than tripled under Hernan’s leadership and became the largest capability at Bain.

From 2008 to 2016, Hernan served as the Managing Partner of the Bain Dallas, Bain Houston, and Bain Mexico offices. During his tenure, the Bain Southwest region more than doubled in size, and expanded into new geographies, new sectors, and new capability areas.

Hernan’s client work is focused on corporate transformations, full potential programs, operational turnarounds, and large-scale change efforts. His work covers strategy, growth, organization, operations, and technology. Over his career, Hernan has completed over 200 assignments across a number of sectors, including industrial products and services, consumer goods and retail, healthcare and medical technology, distribution and network-driven businesses, and education.

Hernan has authored over 40 articles which have been published across a number of journals, including Harvard Business Review, Financial Times, Supply Chain Management Review, Business Strategy Review, and by the World Economic Forum.

Hernan is a delegate and advisor to the World Economic Forum and is currently leading a global initiative on designing digital, traceable, and circular business models for sustainable growth and resilience. He is also a member of the Forum’s Chief Strategy Officer community.

Hernan serves as a visiting senior lecturer at Cornell University where his courses focus on the analysis, formulation and implementation of business strategy. He earned an MBA and a Master's in Industrial and Labor Relations from Cornell University, as well as a MS in economics from Stanford University. He is also a graduate of Harvard College, where he received a BA in economics magna cum laude.

Prior to joining Bain, Hernan was a faculty member in economics at INCAE, a business school in Latin America. In addition, he was a principal at a consulting firm serving banks and other financial institutions across Latin America.

Hernan is trustee of Cornell University and a member of the Leadership Council at Cornell SC Johnson College of Business. He also serves on a number of local Boards in Texas.

Selected Publications

Recent Courses

  • NBA 5790 - Applied Principles of Business Strategy

Academic Degrees

  • MILR Cornell University, 1998
  • MBA Cornell University, 1998
  • MA Stanford University, 1994
  • BA Harvard University, 1993