Latino Business Speakers Bureau: Johnny Curiel
written by: david gomez
When Johnny Curiel joined J.B. Hunt he had planned to eventually pursue a career in finance but to his surprise J.B Hunt showed him his true passion. At 19 years of age, Johnny didn’t consider his internship role at J.B Hunt could become a permanent job. However, while interning, he witnessed many in the finance field lose their jobs during the 2008 recession. The finance field did not seem as stable as he once thought. He understood the value of supply chain and how he could make a difference in others’ lives through this field.
Johnny is currently Director of Sales for Mexico at J.B. Hunt. His journey upwards through the ranks has taught him lessons that he shares with his team daily as they have helped him succeed in his roles. He encourages his teams to learn from their mistakes and not to make excuses. Excuses put a barrier on learning from important lessons. Owning a mistake translates into a commitment to ensure that any blind spot or area of opportunity is addressed. He also encourages continuous learning. Since his undergrad degree was in finance, Johnny decided to complete an executive MBA from the University of Denver in Transportation Management.
The value of relationships is a career advice that Johnny shares with his team often. One of the most important lessons Johnny learned at the beginning of his career came from a conversation from one of his mentors. He remembers being ambitious and eager to move forward and upwards in his career. However, he confesses that he was not ready to perform at the level he performs now. However, at that young age he believed he was. His mentor gave him a dose of reality and showed him that some skills are earned through putting in the time. He understood that worrying about getting to where he wanted to be in his career did not allow for him to absorb the lessons that would allow him to gain experience.
Johnny, is our last Speaker Highlight for the 2020 Latino Business Speaker Bureau’s Hispanic Heritage Month initiative. As our youngest Speaker, he inspires and encourages leaders to look at new generations of Latino leaders. Johnny is ahead of the curve and he is a promising leader in his field. In addition, his story and lessons are inspiring to young Latino leaders as they can see his trajectory.