Meet Daniel Sanchez, C&C Commercial Director for North LATAM
First, thank you for your time, Daniel. Please tell us about yourself. What is your background and your area of expertise? What brought you to Bostik?
Thank you very much for considering me for this interview. It´s my great pleasure to be part of it and share a little about who I am.
As a student, I was always good at science including math, physics, chemistry, and biology, but what always caught my attention and made me happy was meeting and interacting with new people and taking opportunities to learn about different countries, cultures, and points of view.
That´s why, despite the advice of my family and teachers, I decided to study Marketing and Business. I have a bachelor's degree in International Marketing and a still-to-be-finished MBA in International Business.
I have a very eclectic job background. Before graduating, I worked in sales for my family´s business; then I worked for my alma mater as an assistant in the marketing department; and then at the IT department as a webmaster.
After that, I was hired by an international nonprofit to establish and manage their organization in Mexico. Then I worked for a while at an advertising agency, where I was involved in graphic, online, audio, and video campaigns.
I enjoyed my time there, but, again, I needed more contact with people, so I switched gears and started working as a sales rep in a local company that represented international companies with no direct operations in Mexico. Such companies as Quick-Step, Unilin, Palram, Simpson Strong-Tie, Pittsburgh Corning, and some others. That´s how I got to know the world of construction. And I loved it!
I stayed for less than 4 years at this company, starting as a sales rep, then product line manager, market manager, and, finally, the commercial director reporting to the owner. I liked my job, but I knew I had nothing more to learn there.
Then I got a call from a nice lady from Bostik HR offering a position as a sales rep, but that didn´t matter to me because it was the perfect opportunity for me to belong to an international company with many opportunities to learn, grow, and make a difference.
And your career at Bostik? Can you please give us a picture of where you’ve worked, what projects you have been involved in, and perhaps two or three of your Bostik career highlights so far? And what role does the C&C Commercial Director perform?
I joined Bostik 17 years ago, in February 2007. I was a sales rep for what was then called the Elastic Bonding division, which used to handle all polyurethane, silicone-modified polymer (SMP), and butyl-based products for Construction and Transportation in Mexico. Those were the early days of the Construction & Consumer (C&C) division in Mexico.
Before that time there had been no sales for C&C in Mexico, so one of the biggest challenges was understanding the market, including its needs and pain points; the different players, including competitors; and how we could differentiate ourselves in a mainly price-driven market. I was also involved in qualifying several butyl and SMP applications with transportation customers who used to purchase products from our competitors.
After a few years as a sales rep, I was promoted to Market Manager, then Sales Manager, then Sales Director for C&C Mexico. Most recently, I was promoted to C&C Commercial Director North LATAM where I´m responsible for the P&L of the business, but more than that, for developing and executing the sales and marketing strategy, including new product introductions and training, differentiating from our competitors by delivering value to our customers and, most importantly, developing the team to the next level, all this resulting in the profitable growth of our business.
During these years, I´ve had the privilege to be involved in the introduction to Mexico of the following solutions: Hardwood and Soft Flooring Installation Solutions, Surface Prep Products, Urethane Grouts, Ventilated Facades Installation System (Paneltack) and the most recent one; High Performance Waterproofing solutions for roofing applications. All of these solutions focus on high-end, high-value, and high-performance niches.
We’ve been able to specify many of our solutions in thousands of the most iconic projects in Mexico, including museums, hotels, stadiums, schools, hospitals, and most of the high-end high-rises in the country.
It´s been quite a journey. I´ve had the pleasure of meeting valuable people inside and outside the organization, including my team, which is, for sure, one of the best in the industry!
Tell us about some of the innovations and trends in the area of adhesive technology that Bostik has driven in the past in the north LATAM region.
Everything we have brought to our region has been an innovation, we´ve been the first in PU-based hardwood flooring adhesive, thus changing the mindsets of contractors and installers who had been accustomed to using a solvent-based adhesive. We were also the first to bring in moisture-control and sound-damping solutions for flooring applications, as well as the first on premixed grouts and ventilated facade chemical installation solutions, which at that time were completely unknown to the market.
Being the first is good because you can position yourself as the leader – an innovator. But that comes with a lot of challenges, training being the biggest one. When your solutions are so disruptive no one knows how to use them, you need to convince the market to use them and then teach them how to do it.
Can you tell us about any new developments to emerge in adhesives that you are working on?
When your growth targets are greater than the national economic growth rate, you must continually introduce new products. Therefore, we are constantly looking for new solutions that become available in the “Bostik world”. Our latest launch is the High-Performance Waterproofing portfolio for roofing applications, which we are sure will be a huge success.
What benefits does the Academy hold for not only users of Bostik products but also the wider construction industry in the north LATAM region?
The Bostik Academy is a community of experienced people willing to share their knowledge for the sole purpose of elevating standards and helping people execute their projects in a more reliable, efficient, and problem-free manner.
What is your personal involvement with the Academy? How long have you been involved?
At C&C Mexico, we´ve always believed training is key. We already had a very strong training program even before Bostik Academy was officially established. Everybody in my team plays an important role, from designing the training modules, inviting attendees, preparing demo stations and presentations, and then providing instruction. I like to be involved in everything, but the part I enjoy the most is being in front of the trainees, both sharing my knowledge with and also learning from them. I like this part very much because it keeps me in contact with the market and the users and helps me better understand their needs.
How does Bostik use the Academy to highlight aspects such as innovation in adhesives, as well as sustainability and quality?
Not only the Academy, but Bostik as a whole focuses all the time on innovation, sustainability, and quality; that´s part of our core. As a company, we are aware and, most of the time, ahead of the megatrends. We work on developing solutions to support those trends and make our customers´ lives better and easier.
Are there any new developments that users of the Academy can expect to see there in the near future?
More training, more videos, new products, and easier ways to be part of our community.