Early in his career, Alberto Orozco worked as a geologist for mining companies in his homeland, Mexico, combining his love of art, science, and the environment. “Geology has an art component, mapping the landscape and interpreting information,” Alberto says. “It’s a bit like Indiana Jones, doing mineral deposit exploration. It’s history — in the billions of years on the geologic timescale. I fell in love with it.”
In 2014, Alberto was given an opportunity to transition into a business development position as a CSR (corporate social responsibility) and sustainability advisor for a Mexican mineral exploration company. The new role required expertise in business strategy and management, as well as communication skills. “I was no longer talking to geologists about rocks and reserves, but representing mining projects to politicians and communities,” he shares. “I did not have the tools to do it.”
Alberto knew he needed more knowledge and skills to develop his leadership potential and elevate his career.
In 2015, Stanford Graduate School of Business (GSB) Executive Education launched Stanford LEAD, its flagship online program. The yearlong experiential learning journey empowers leaders with the skills to elevate their impact, transform their mindset, and accelerate their careers.
Alberto was excited to join LEAD’s inaugural cohort. “I needed to learn more business management skills if I wanted to grow beyond my technical persona,” he recalls. “I also needed skills in negotiation, storytelling, and influence to transition into a leadership position. LEAD checked all the boxes. I could learn from my home in Mexico or while traveling for business. It was the perfect opportunity.”
Transforming into a Business Leader
The LEAD curriculum infuses research-based frameworks with social and experiential learning, with courses in critical thinking, finance, leadership, and a wide range of electives to personalize the learning experience.
“I started applying my learnings while still in the program,” Alberto says. He learned to push himself outside his comfort zone — not easy for a self-described introvert who was used to talking to other scientists. “LEAD shows you what you need to work on to really have an influence in your organization or industry.”
Alberto recalls a negotiation skills-building assignment to approach a merchant for a deal. “It had to be a place where there’s a fixed price,” says Alberto, who went to a department store to negotiate the price on a bottle of cologne. “That was incredibly difficult for me to do,” he shares. “It really pushed me into an area where I didn’t know I could perform. It may seem small, but from small things can come big changes.”
LEAD’s courses, Building Power to Lead; Getting (More of) What You Want: Negotiating, Collaborative Problem-Solving, and Value-Claiming; and Power of Story, had an immediate and lasting impact on Alberto’s ability to become a successful business leader — and keep growing. “The program helped me take my career where I wanted to go, to move away from being perceived as a technical person to being [recognized] as a leader and C-suite material,” he shares.
He also developed a long-lasting network with other cohort members. “Whenever I travel, I try to connect with someone from the LEAD community,” he says. “And our network continues to grow, as we see new generations participating through our LEAD community platform. That is one of the great values that extends far beyond the program.”
Rocking a Traditional Industry
In the years following his LEAD experience, Alberto rose through the ranks of North American mining exploration companies, becoming a director, then vice president, then senior VP. He branched out into corporate affairs and became an advocate for sustainable mining practices. His development as both a business leader and a public communicator directly tie back to what he learned in LEAD. “It’s been a great return on my time and investment in LEAD,” he says.
In 2020, Alberto became director and CEO of Capitan Silver Corp., a publicly traded Canadian gold and silver mining exploration company. He has become a voice for change in the mining industry, working to ensure compliance with environmental regulations, meeting with politicians and community leaders, and engaging in media interviews. LEAD not only helped him attain his goal of becoming a CEO, but has provided a foundation that he continues to build on as an industry leader today.
“LEAD gave me the skills to develop parts of my character that I didn’t know existed,” he says. “It pushed me to do things I otherwise wouldn’t have done. I believe the mining industry has a very important role to bring positive change to the world. And I am passionate about innovating in the sector.”
Looking back at the last 10 years, Alberto sums up the value of his LEAD experience: “The program taught me I needed to network, find investors, promote our company, and put our mission out there in the world. I didn’t get that from any other program. LEAD was transformative.”
