How Saúl Castañeda Turns Capital Strategy Into Competitive Advantage

The Strategic Value Creation program felt like the natural next step for me. It allowed me to consolidate and deepen the capabilities I had been building throughout Columbia’s Executive Program for Chief Financial Officers. More than anything, it offered a space to compare perspectives, sharpen judgment, and exchange real-world experience with executives from different countries, industries, and business contexts.

What truly sets the program apart is Professor Shiva Rajgopal. He combines rigorous research with practical experience in a way that makes complex ideas accessible and actionable. He brings clarity to how companies create value across the entire value chain — and, importantly, how sustainable competitive advantage is built and sustained over time.

We operate in an environment where there’s constant pressure to deliver short-term results. At the same time, leaders are navigating external challenges while trying to drive agility and execution internally. There are very few opportunities to step back and reflect deeply on what truly transforms a business — or what ensures long-term strength and sustainability. 

This program created that space. It helped me sharpen how I identify the critical variables that shape performance across the business cycle and understand how those variables interact. It strengthened my ability to focus on the levers that genuinely create sustainable value — the ones that position an organization to endure, differentiate, and outperform over time.

In our company, we’ve concentrated growth in a highly CAPEX-intensive business unit, with significant capacity expansion over recent years. In that context, funding strategy and capital allocation have had the greatest impact on my role. 

The program elevated how we evaluate financing alternatives. We moved beyond surface-level comparisons to a more disciplined decision framework — one that allows us to understand each alternative’s core characteristics, risk profile, and broader strategic implications. 

It also reinforced a critical and objective approach to project evaluation. We now assess capital allocation decisions more comprehensively and monitor expected returns in a way that is closely aligned with management’s objectives and shareholder expectations.

The program deepened my perspective on what sustainable advantage truly means. It strengthened my ability to evaluate projects through a long-term lens — one focused on building durable, enduring competitive positioning within our industry.

Through practical cases, I gained a clearer understanding of how value must be deliberately constructed over time. In our business, this has translated into a stronger focus on integrating into value-added processes that not only expand revenue but also open differentiated and sustainable avenues for long-term growth.

It sharpened my discernment and strengthened the discipline behind our strategic decisions.

One of the biggest takeaways was strengthening my ability to connect structured planning, scenario development, and rigorous financial estimation in a cohesive way.

The impact was immediate. It improved how we navigate complexity and uncertainty — and, importantly, how we anticipate rather than simply react. We are now better equipped to foster substantive discussions around the variables that truly matter and to mitigate external challenges with greater agility.

Professor Shiva creates a powerful learning environment. He translates years of research into clear, high-impact practices that organizations can actually apply.

He balances discipline with openness. Discussions are rigorous, but there’s also trust and space for dialogue. He quickly understands the different perspectives participants bring and guides conversations toward the core value-creation issues.

His accessibility — both inside and outside the classroom — makes a meaningful difference. It’s a privilege to learn from someone who combines intellectual rigor with practical relevance.

It strengthened a decisively decision-oriented mindset. Through structured case discussions and exposure to diverse viewpoints, I refined how I evaluate strategic alternatives and incorporate multiple perspectives into executive decision-making.

The diversity of the cohort also played a major role. Engaging with leaders from different industries and countries broadened my perspective and strengthened my leadership judgment.

I would strongly recommend it — especially if you want to sharpen your ability to make disciplined decisions in a complex environment where anticipation is the true differentiator.

The Strategic Value Creation program gives you something most leaders rarely have: structured time to analyze, reflect, and connect the variables that drive long-term performance. You learn to distinguish what truly matters, understand interdependencies across the business cycle, and focus on the levers that genuinely create sustainable value — particularly around funding strategy, capital allocation, and project evaluation.

The cohort elevates the experience, and Professor Shiva is a defining differentiator. If you’re looking for a program that immediately strengthens how you allocate capital, evaluate strategic alternatives, and build durable competitive advantage, Strategic Value Creation delivers.

If you have questions about the program or are interested in enrolling or sponsoring someone in your organization, please don’t hesitate to contact Christine Tom at christine.tom@gsb.columbia.edu or +1 212-851-2505.