Jose Manuel Sanchez heads up one of seven business units of Epiroc, a $4.4 billion Swedish company that was part of Atlas Copco Group (founded in 1873), until it was spun out in June 2018. The Garland-based drilling solutions arm makes equipment used in mining, exploration, construction, and water and energy applications. He shares his path to Dallas:
“I grew up in Madrid, where my father was a professor in the School of Mining at Polytechnic University,” he says. “Most of his career was spent being an educator, so he had a focus on hard work and people. That was a big inspiration to me, and when it was time to decide what I wanted to do with my future, I studied mining and engineering. I started university in Madrid at 17 years old.
“At the time, Spain had political and economic difficulties; we were transitioning from a dictatorship to a democracy. I don’t mean to say we suffered, but it was challenging for my parents. My mother dedicated herself to her home and children. She was a very patient lady.
“I began my career in 1988, and spent time in China, Sweden, France, Mexico, and Chile. One of the things I did in Spain was to mechanize the old mines. My managerial values were influenced by my father; he cared about the development of his students, so I pay a lot of attention to coaching, mentoring, and developing people.
In 2012, I moved to Dallas, where I helped to create a new company, Epiroc, which has a very strong culture and gives employees the chance to grow. Now, I take 10-hour flights to visit my roots in Spain. Like my parents did for me, I try to provide a good foundation that my children can follow in the future. Those are the same principals I apply in my organization as a manager, and, hopefully, as a good leader.”
