1. What have you found most challenging as a leader?

To drive a cultural change

2. How did you become a leader? Can you please briefly tell the story?

My leadership journey started when I was 29 year old in Procter & Gamble, when I was appointed as Unit Manager, moving from delivering results based on my personal performance, to deliver results thru a team!

3. How do you structure your work days from waking up to going to sleep?

818 / 5,000
Translation results
Translation result
I am a person of habits, I get up at 5am every day, including weekends. I like to start my routine with exercises, running or swimming, then I prepare my classes, I study new topics to develop with my students and I always start my classes on time. At the end of classes, I like to review and update my work schedule, I check emails, schedule meetings and follow up on pending issues. I like to practice fasting, so I don't have breakfast but at 12:30 o'clock I like to have lunch with my wife, and then spend the afternoon almost always connecting with my team and students. At the end of the day I like to review the progress in my priorities, the results I obtained and I immediately close the computer and stop checking my WhatsApp, to be able to dedicate myself to my family.

4. What's a recent leadership lesson you've learned for the first time or been reminded of?

Leading with the heart and with integrity is the most powerful way to engage others

5. What's one book that has had a profound impact on your leadership so far? Can you please briefly tell the story of how that book impacted your leadership?

"The Courageous Leader" (autor: Angela Sebaly). It showed me how important is to have the courage to be humble but at the same time to take a stand based on your personal belief and values. This book pushed me in the middle of a highly politically driven environment, to stand out by being my self, no matter what. I learned to express vulnerability when others had fear to show theirs, but at the same time learned to be firm when facing injustice or a behavior that was against my values.

6. If you could only give one piece of advice to a young leader, what would you say to them?

Be humble, be vulnerable and be brave to be both. Be a role model of human leadership.

7. What is one meaningful story that comes to mind from your time as a leader, so far?

Working for Mars, I had to face the stagnation of the business in Central America, due to financial limitations, in a project that required a very high legal cost, but which I considered necessary to be able to release the ties that did not allow us to develop the business for the benefit of our consumers. The way I finally managed to influence senior management was by approaching my project from the angle of how the situation was ignoring the 5 principles that the Mars family spoke with so much pride (Quality, Responsibility, Mutuality, Efficiency and Freedom) and that document achieved to reach hands of a family member at the head quarters, which led to being invited to the main office to present my case, which was finally approved by the highest level of the company and became a huge success for the business with high doble digit growth and a massive expansion of our foot print in the region in the following 5 years. The project was baptized "Project Freedom" based on the fifth Mars principle.