The ability to adapt quickly to the challenges offered by reaching a new job was key for Héctor Xatruch to consolidate in the security industry. Today he shares the vision of the industry that years of experience have helped him build.
by Alejandra García Vélez
Fate or perhaps chance are the culprits that Héctor Xatruch is today the Commercial Manager for Latin America at Peregrine Security, so says the professional of the month of this edition when asked about his beginnings in the security industry. But, although perhaps these factors showed him the way, he with his work philosophy managed to position himself as an expert in this field.
Before reaching that point where life irretrievably linked him to this industry, you must first go through his professional and personal development. First of all, it should be noted that this Panamanian, a native of the capital of the country, is a systems engineer with a postgraduate degree in senior management and is about to finish an MBA in strategic management.
There is always a beginning
After working as a technology manager for five years at a prestigious audit firm in Panama, Xatruch had the opportunity to meet Mr. David Young of G4S Technology.
At that time, the company was looking for professionals for the opening of its regional offices in Panama and thanks to the experience as a teacher of our guest and his work career in different projects, he joined G4S as technical support manager for Latin America.
It was then the year 2005 that would mark the beginning of a new path, to which according to Xatruch it was easy to adapt. "The change was easy thanks to my knowledge in the IP world, because at that time the industry was migrating from the analog environment and my knowledge was very useful," he said.
Since then, time has given him the experience to do his job better and better. Currently, as commercial manager of Peregrine Security, a company representing different brands for the region, he affirms that "each of the manufacturers we represent, do not compete with each other, on the contrary, they complement each other, to offer our customers a portfolio of broad products that can meet each of their demands".
The challenges
Evolution, innovation and continuous improvement are constant in an industry that depends on technological advances to offer a better service, therefore, the professional of the month considers that the main tool of any company and professional dedicated to this field should be knowledge.
Due to the above, Xatruch always aims at the training, instruction and education of people in the use and application of the technological tools available today. "In our market the worst enemy is the race between the innovative and the obsolete, many times a product is not well known when a much better one is already available and with benefits superior to the one we are handling," he said.
Another of the characteristics that he considers indispensable to successfully manage a company in the sector is the ability to negotiate and make decisions, in addition to having skills for the management and resolution of conflicts.
He also emphasizes that the best thing about any business is the exchange with people, "every day we have new challenges, which help us to form and grow as individuals. The company is not the manager, it is the set of people who form and sustain the pillars of the organization, which must be based on ethical and moral values to guarantee success," he said.
As for the day to day of his profession, he relates that a typical day begins at 5:00 a.m., when he gets up, and can last until 8:00 p.m. or more depending on the tasks of the day, and it is even common that he has to start his work when he is still at home, because calls are not uncommon very early to solve a situation.
That routine only changes when you are traveling, you can get up a little later if you are away from home, although in that case you will usually have the agenda full of visits and meetings. Otherwise, a normal day's work involves checking emails, skype calls, coordinating customer visits, and addressing issues with distributors and integrators of the manufacturing companies you represent.
In addition to the above, visits to end customers involve a prior organization that includes the preparation of a presentation; precisely, in front of the relationship with the client, he explained that it is key not to size a project, far beyond what the product can offer. "I think this is the shortcoming of a large part of us in this market, hence the customer blames the product for not doing what he was told he could do," he said.
Learning and forecasting
Xatruch also referred to the advances and perspectives that, according to his experience, are being seen in the field of electronic security. For video surveillance, for example, he stressed that despite the amount of equipment available and the penetration of IP technology, analog solutions will remain for a few more years.
As for access control, he pointed out that smart cards are becoming increasingly positioned, although proximity cards continue to have a high level of demand. "Our region is growing; the possibilities of expansion in the electronic security industry are enormous, the issue is to know where those opportunities are and enhance them," he said.
Among the markets he sees with positive returns and growth opportunities are Peru and Panama. In the case of the Central American country, it affirms that its main advantage is to have a stable communications network which facilitates the introduction of IP technology, although cost is still a determining factor for the decision making of many of the companies that opt for this alternative.
Similarly, wireless networks and solar panels are options that allow electronic security to be brought to places where it was previously almost impossible. "The evolution is notorious, we no longer offer independent systems, now we talk about, and we offer integrated electronic security systems that contemplate all services on a single platform," he said.
Finally, the professional of the month pointed out that today security should not be seen as a persuasive issue, but should focus on process management, production quality, cost reduction, among many other applications that should aim at the benefit of companies, shareholders, collaborators and end users.
Beyond work
His wife, Cristel, and their two daughters, Cristel and Lissette, are for our guest the best reward when he comes home after a long day. Playing with his daughters and receiving their affection fill him with good energy for the tasks of his work.
