I was first exposed to Japan and its fascinating culture when I lived in Hawaii. I was almost immediately attracted to the culture's emphasis on politeness, hard work and sense of community. Since then, I had a strong desire to visit and someday live in Japan. My first visit was to Osaka to attend a summer language program, and several years later I relocated to Ibaraki Prefecture on an expat assignment.

A word that resonates in my approach to life is “passion.” Passion is the force that allows people to accomplish great things. It is what helps us transform a boring task into an important milestone, and a mistake into a learning experience. By having passion and putting the best of us in everything we do in life, we are sure to accomplish all of our personal and professional goals.

Rather than a particular professional achievement or accomplishment, I’m most proud of the journey I’ve traveled along to get to where I am now. I was born in Mexico, grew up in Hawaii, and have lived and worked in several places in the U.S. and Japan. Along the way, I’ve worked for different companies in different industries, always picking up bits and pieces of experiences and skills, and the journey continues.

Professionally, my goal is to develop my team to innovate and deliver better customer experiences to our customers. I’m hopeful that along the way, I can also inspire my team to seek and appreciate the value that diversity brings both to work and to life. Personally, my wife and I have a pair of twin boys who we hope to raise appreciating their rich bi-cultural heritage as Japanese and Americans.

A Japanese-language teacher once told me: “Japanese is not a translation of English. Therefore, you must learn it as a unique language within its own cultural context.” I’ve taken those words to heart, not only as I continued to study the language, but also as I’ve lived and continued to build my career in Japan.
Japan is a place of intriguing contrasts. It is both ancient and modern, spiritual and materialistic, efficient and inefficient, serene and chaotic, and so on. While those contrasts may be contradicting and mind-boggling, it is part of what makes Japan both interesting and at times challenging. Taking the time to understand Japan on a deeper level and within its own unique context will allow you to better appreciate and enjoy your time here. A little bit of patience and an open mindset will surely help you discover the many enriching personal and professional experiences that Japan has to offer.