Where Pattern Recognition Began
I learned to see what others miss through competitive athletics.
Born and raised in Guadalajara, I became a national swimming champion by reading split times, stroke efficiency, and competitors' tells. After years of elite training, you develop pattern recognition—seeing the signal beneath the noise, anticipating what's coming before it arrives.
That same discipline—honed through decades of F1 strategy analysis and elite athletic competition—became my competitive edge in executive search.
I read talent the way a race engineer reads telemetry. Not just credentials and resumes. The invisible data: decision velocity under pressure, cultural code-switching capability, ego strength required for founder transitions, stewardship mindset versus resume collecting.
Most executive search firms evaluate lap times. I read the telemetry.
Cross-Border Fluency That Goes Beyond Language
Born in Guadalajara, based between Guadalajara and Houston, I've spent 20+ years navigating the complexity most cross-border executives never see.
True U.S.–Mexico expertise isn't bilingual fluency. It's understanding what "family business" means in Guadalajara versus what "startup culture" means in Austin. It's reading the unspoken dynamics that determine whether nearshoring operations succeed or fail. It's navigating USMCA compliance, dual-market board expectations, and the institutional versus relational decision-making styles that separate the two markets.
Cultural fluency is my competitive moat. Most firms operate in one market. I bridge both—with deep networks in Guadalajara's $500M+ family businesses and Silicon Valley's venture-backed startups.
What This Means for Clients:
- I find executives who understand both markets, not just speak both languages
- I can assess whether candidates will navigate Mexican family business governance or U.S. VC board expectations
- I bridge communication gaps between U.S. headquarters and Mexico operations that derail most expansions
- I understand nearshoring logistics, cartel risk mitigation, and regulatory compliance that Silicon Valley firms miss entirely
Proprietary Frameworks That Define My Approach
Over 20 years, I've developed five strategic frameworks that guide how I diagnose leadership challenges, match executives to business conditions, and execute transitions with precision.
The Founder's Paradox™
The moment when stepping back becomes more powerful than holding on. I help founders diagnose whether they've become the bottleneck—and navigate the transition from operator to steward without destroying what made them special. Learn more →
The Tire Compound Strategy™
Like F1 teams selecting tire compounds for track conditions, I match executive durability and speed-to-impact to business conditions. Why 50% of executive hires fail: compound mismatch, not talent deficiency. Learn more →
The Stewardship Protocol™
Building organizations that outlast individuals. I guide founder-to-institutional transitions—appointing transformative COOs, CFOs, or successor CEOs—without destroying the culture that made you successful. Learn more →
The Track Limits Principle™
Clear boundaries enable peak performance. I help you define track limits—decision authority, budget thresholds, strategic parameters—so new executives can push to the edge with confidence instead of guessing. Learn more →
The Director Telemetry™
Reading invisible performance data beneath board director credentials. Six telemetry channels that reveal who directors really are—decision velocity, productive disagreement capability, cultural code-switching—and predict board effectiveness. Learn more →
What Makes Me Different
Most executive search firms evaluate credentials. I read the invisible data that predicts performance.
Pattern Recognition
35+ years training across F1 strategy, elite athletics, and executive search. I see what others miss.
Cross-Border Fluency
Born in Guadalajara, 20+ years navigating U.S.–Mexico complexity that most firms miss entirely.
Proprietary Frameworks
Five strategic frameworks that diagnose, select, transition, empower, and govern—not generic search process.
Strategic Advisor Mindset
I think like a board member, not a headhunter. Challenging assumptions, sequencing hires, de-risking transitions.
Performance Discipline
Elite athlete background (national champion) applied to rigorous executive assessment and long-term performance thinking.
Long-Term Thinking
Building legacies, not filling roles. Relationships spanning years and multiple placements.
"I don't just fill roles. I solve leadership challenges that define trajectories—helping founders transcend ego, investors de-risk transitions, and companies navigate cross-border complexity."
Professional Background
Managing Partner, Alder Koten
20+ years leading executive search engagements across U.S. and Mexico markets. Specializing in C-suite placements for venture-backed startups (Series A–C), cross-border manufacturing operations (nearshoring, USMCA compliance), fintech/crypto regulatory leadership, and family business institutionalization.
Member of Alder Koten's Fintech, Startups, Automotive, Manufacturing, and IT practices.
Member, Association of Executive Search and Leadership Consultants (AESC)
Global professional association representing the highest standards in executive search and leadership consulting.
IMD Global Network
Access to worldwide boutique executive search expertise across 25+ countries while maintaining cross-border U.S.–Mexico specialization.
Sector Expertise
• Fintech & Crypto
• Venture-Backed Startups
• Manufacturing & Operations
• Nearshoring & Supply Chain
• Product Management (SaaS)
• Automotive & Logistics
• Family Business Transitions
• Cross-Border Expansion
• Board Director Search
Thought Leadership & Writing
I publish strategic insights on founder transitions, cross-border executive search, and leadership evolution. Not generic recruiter content—grounded observations from 20+ years placing executives across two markets.
📝 Strategic Articles
90+ published articles on executive hiring, founder transitions, cross-border operations, and leadership frameworks.
Read Articles →📷 Photography
Visual pattern recognition—composition, light, and seeing what others miss through a different lens.
View Portfolio →"Pattern recognition shows up everywhere I look—from F1 telemetry to executive assessment to photographic composition. The discipline is the same: see what others miss."
Let's Talk About Your Leadership Challenge
Whether you're navigating The Founder's Paradox, expanding cross-border, or building your executive team—I help you see what others miss.
Schedule Confidential Consultation30-minute strategic conversation. No sales pitch—pattern recognition applied to your specific challenge.