Chile is the protagonist in this edition with the professional of the month. Juan Pedro Reyes Martínez, general manager of Automa, shares with us his vision of the security market in the region and some aspects of his personal life.by Héctor Gómez Pérez
If you ask our professional of the month for his hobbies, without hesitation he will answer that music, football and dogs. Of the first we can say that in his home there has never been a lack of a guitar to liven up family and friends gatherings; even the music at some point made him hesitate between the notes of this stringed instrument and the security industry, although at this point we know which one he leaned towards.
Of football we can point out that he is a fan of Colo-Colo, a team from the Chilean capital; In addition, he usually practices it with a group of friends and that like many Latin Americans he thinks that the world of football will hardly give a bigger footballer than Diego Armando Maradona, the emblematic Argentine 10. As for the dogs... to say that it has 20 specimens of its favorite breeds: English Bulldog and Newfoundland is more than enough.
He is Juan Pedro Reyes, general manager of Automa, a Chilean company that since the early 80s has been consolidating itself as an important marketer of security equipment and project advice in this area. Reyes was born on May 17, 1967 in Santiago de Chile and studied at the Catholic school San Ignacio. At 19 years old, he enters Automa, a place he knows from beginning to end since he has gone through various positions.
In the beginning it was security
There are people who come to a place to stay, to make a career and serve as a reference; that is the case of our professional of the month who first arrived at Automa in 1986. At first he worked as an electronic technician for the manufacture of alarms and in the tasks that involved technical support. This is how Reyes remembers those first years in the company: "they were facilities of a small space and where initiative, commitment and creativity were a fundamental pillar for the company to transform itself into what it is today".
At this point it is important to note that our professional of the month has worked in the company in question in positions of shipowner, technician, support, salesman and executive, officiating as the general manager since 2002. His beginnings in the security industry were given by the hand of Germán Vivanco Cruz and Gloria Grottini Gallerani; at that time what Reyes was looking for was an approach with the industry in Chile and the knowledge of the needs of the market. For him, two episodes were very relevant within his training in the world of security: attendance in 1993 at a fair that was held in New York, United States; that was his first international fair and in it he remembers that he strengthened strong ties with companies such as Napco, Roconet and Saltex.
The second event dates from 1998 and has to do with the fact of having met George Flecher, from the tronex company, "he transmitted to me his experiences within the security industry, which allowed me to apply changes within Automa for its strengthening in the market. I recognized in him his know-how to face an industry that demanded professionalism and innovation in a market that was expanding rapidly," said Reyes.
Sometimes there are events that although they were humorous at the time, become with the passage of the years determinants within the formation of a person or a company. Precisely when investigating Juan Pedro Reyes for some of those moments, he recalled one that has become over time a guideline for business transfer. "In 1986, when I first joined the company, we worked in very small offices, so much so that every day when I went from one office to the other I was hit with the tip of a table. Diario scolded me for giving me the same blow; one day the owner of the company, Germán Vivanco, came up to me and said spontaneously: 'if necessary, take the saw and cut the tip of the table.'"
For Reyes those words were a revelation, according to him, because "over the years, we realized that this phrase that was born from an everyday issue, would become a lesson: it is always possible to transform, change, improve our environment and create the necessary conditions for a future and a better life. We have done so and thanks to this, we have managed to be what we are: a company that poses challenges, that seeks solutions, that is innovative and that is projected over time, "said Juan Pedro Reyes Martínez.
The kings of the house
We have already advanced a little in the personal life of our professional of the month, but it should be added that his family is made up of his wife Paola Fernández and their 3 children, although in the courtyard rest the other members of his household. "The members of the household extend into the yard, as I am a lover of man's best friend: dogs. That's why I have 20 specimens of my favorite breeds: English Bulldog and Newfoundland. To them I dedicate time to the weekend, I share their antics, which finally makes me know details of each one, although it seems difficult, "says Reyes.In turn, this 41-year-old from Santiago, has been learning the secrets of wine "to know its charms, aromas and flavors", as he explains it. About music he also made some clarifications to highlight his taste for it: "I admire it since I was a child because I come from a family with an atmosphere of musical notes. The guitar is the instrument that cannot be missing at home and that I love to play, I also play some percussion and from time to time I do accompaniments with my voice".
Kings in the industry
When asked the professional of the month what are the five success factors of the company he manages, he summarized them as follows: perseverance; innovation, for which he adds that changes must be implemented before it is too late; proactivity towards customers and their needs; responsibility with all the protagonists of the company call themselves customers, internal staff, shareholders or suppliers, and finally commitment to proof of everything. But let's talk about a normal day of work of Pedro Juan Reyes Martínez. The first thing is an inescapable commitment: to take your child to school. Around 8:30 a.m. Juan Pedro Reyes wraps himself in the aura of manager and begins a day that will end around 6:30 p.m., if he does not have a work dinner or some additional meeting. The first thing he does in the morning is to read and answer emails, an activity that occupies much of the time of the morning; then come the meetings with those responsible for the different areas to determine the work actions of the day; then a sacred space that provides Reyes with supplies to direct the company's guidelines: meetings with customers. "With them I share different perspectives of the sector and its market. In these instances I maintain closeness with them, which for me is fundamental since I receive valuable information about their needs, which are finally transformed into the new products and services that we will implement."
Our professional is aware that great projects are the result of an articulated work and many hands that pursue a common goal, "that is why I must highlight the great wealth of our company: the human resource; I value the help of a great team of collaborators who make my daily functions are advised in a professional way and with a great spirit of service," said Reyes. He also considered that without its suppliers and partners: Paula Reyes Martínez, Olga Grottini Gallerani and Germán Vivanco Cruz, the company would not be what it is at the moment.
In this tour, Reyes was also asked about the current situation and the future of the security industry in his country, to which he said that "although in Chile we have an alarm penetration close to 7% of the total number of households, the current offer is aimed at the highest socioeconomic strata, so there are segments of attractive customers, not served, by the traditional industry and that have perceptions of growing insecurity. In turn, there are companies, with large customer databases focused on the middle and lower strata that require entering an unregulated business, with the aim of increasing their current billing levels, shielding and retaining their current customers and increasing the life cycle of their corporate customers. This is an unbeatable opportunity for all actors in the security industry because it is nothing more than becoming the strategic partner of these companies, contributing their know-how and good practices".
Finally, Juan Pedro Reyes said that at present it is of the utmost importance to train people within the security industry, since they must permanently face great challenges due to the type of security requirements that customers in the Latin market have, in addition to the products and services demanded by that niche in which mobility and IP networks acquire more strength every day.
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