[4][5] Fernández graduated with a bachelor's degree in industrial engineering from the Universidad Anáhuac.
During the time he was head of Grupo Modelo the company became the seventh largest brewing group in the world.
He founded the Academia Mexicana de la Comunicación, Fundación Carolina (Mexico Chapter) and Fundación Beca, and he presided over the Consejo Consultivo del Agua and the Consejo de la Comunicación.
[6] In 2006, Fernández sponsored the book México 2025: el futuro se construye hoy, by the Centro de Investigación para el Desarrollo, AC (CIDAC), for which he wrote the prologue.
In 2000, he was recognized as one of the “global leaders for tomorrow” by the World Economic Forum; in 2002, he received the award for the best international strategist granted by Latin American Business Awards; in 2004, for the role he has played as CEO of Grupo Modelo he received the “World 2004” prize offered by the Mexican business publication Mundo Ejecutivo; in 2005 he was named executive of the year by the food industry, and in 2008, the US-Mexico Chamber of Commerce granted him the “Good Neighbor Award” in Washington, DC.