Check out the latest Cyanco Star, Leo Martinez – our Manager in Latin America – who is making contributions every day to our company and our customers.

CYANCO STAR:  Leo Martinez, Manager, Latin America

Day-to-Day Responsibilities:  Every day is different in this job! I serve as company liaison with distributors, agents and mining companies to grow and maintain business in Mexico and Latin America, including the expansion of Applied Technology in this region. I am also focused on looking for opportunities to develop locations for trans-loading and storage facilities and monitoring mine production rates to assess product demand and future forecasts. Additionally, I work with Ben [Cano] and Rodrigo [Gonzalez]on preparing schedules, reports and cost estimates involved in supplying the Mexico andLatin America mining industry.

What Customers Care About Most: Customers want to feel safe, secure and cared for. So, reliability of supply and trust in their suppliers are paramount.

The better Cyanco understands the overall market and the specific needs of our customers, the more reliable we become as a supplier, which translates to customer trust. This means we have to maintain close communications with our customers at all times – and at different levels within the enterprise. This gives us a broader view of their concerns and their goals, and of everything they’re seeing and anticipating – from operations to senior management.

Professional Journey: I’ve been with Cyanco since 2013, but I’ve worked in the industry my entire career, since I graduated from college with a degree in mining geology. I was originally following in my dad’s footsteps, who spent his career in the mining industry as a supplier of drilling tools. After school, I started working for family-owned mining companies in Central Mexico, with a long commute and bad pay! But I learned a lot. Because these were small companies, I was involved in all areas of operations – from exploration to production to process.

During that time, the smaller mines began to struggle due to metal prices – and I ended up in water exploration and well drilling for a while. In the mid-90s, I shifted over to heavy machinery/mining equipment sales. After that I worked for a mineral processing company that basically turned big rocks into small grains. During my tenure, I gained a lot of experience in comminution processes  and the mechanics of grinding and crushing.

Then eight years ago, I joined the Cyanco family as a full-time employee. At that time, the company was looking to expand internationally. Being bilingual, with enduring roots in Latin America – plus having a diverse background across all the different aspects of mining – proved to be a good fit for where the company was going.

The Secret to Success: In my case, two main things have helped me in my career: the ability to speak English and a deep and diverse understanding of mining. I can really sit down and talk to a mine manager about anything, including processes, systems, blasting or the make-up of different types of ore.

This knowledge isn’t necessarily common. Usually, industry professionals have a single focus area in exploration, production OR process. I know my profile is a little bit weird, but it is what has brought me to where I am today.

Trust as a Value: I take my work very personally. When it comes to dealing with my colleagues or customers, when I say I’m going to do something, I find a way to deliver. I will always go the extra mile to meet my commitments, and I try never to over-promise anything. That’s really the key to people putting their trust in me.

I also respect everybody and try to help as much as I can, whenever someone needs something. For that same reason, I get help when I need it.