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AT&T was part of Eric Sauceda’s world years before he became director of global real estate for the company more than a decade ago. Both his parents retired from AT&T after more than thirty years, along with many other family members both retired and active, so the company has always had special significance to him. Still, he wasn’t planning on following their path.
“I was born and raised in a small town near Fresno, California, and growing up, I had to switch high schools multiple times due to family circumstances,” he recounts. “This early experience taught me how to deal with change at a very young age. I graduated high school at seventeen, moved out on my own, and became a first-generation college student, though I didn’t know what I wanted to do.”
A conversation with a family friend who worked in real estate intrigued him, so Sauceda talked to his college’s department chair of construction management. “He told me people who were graduating were seeing five to seven offers and the salaries were highly competitive. That was all I needed to hear, and as a young adult, I was all in,” Sauceda recalls. “I knew nothing about construction, so I began my journey as a learning leader, absorbing everything I could.”
He took six to seven classes a semester focused on his new major and immersing himself in two campus organizations associated with the field. Sauceda eventually ended up leading both. “What that taught me was how to envision the organization’s goals and take initiative to achieve them,” Sauceda explains.
As predicted, he received five offers upon graduating and dove headfirst into commercial construction, where he managed a multitude of large-scale projects in the public sector. “I loved seeing projects transform from nothing into buildings, schools, airports, and seeing the final result gave me the satisfaction I was looking for,” Sauceda shares.
When AT&T recruited him to join the real estate side of the company in 2014, he remembered how well the company always treated his parents and felt it was kismet. Today, Sauceda leads a team of more than 150 people, responsible for all design and construction at AT&T facilities across 30 million square feet and manages an annual budget of about $300 million.
“I lead the west region for our global workplace services team, overseeing planning, design, construction, and facility management,” he says. “I strive to be an adaptive leader, motivating my team through authenticity and challenging them to think differently. Whether it’s providing clarity on business objectives, offering constructive criticism or alternative perspectives, I encourage my team members to be themselves, apply all their experiences, and bring their best to work.”
“Growing up, I had to switch high schools multiple times due to family circumstances. This early experience taught me how to deal with change at a very young age.”
Eric Sauceda
One of his latest initiatives is advancing AT&T’s electric vehicle program nationally. He also jumpstarted the national food and beverage amenity program geared toward improving the workplace experience, helping attract and retain employees.
Sauceda coordinates with the company’s real estate strategy team, mapping out what AT&T’s real estate footprint will look like in the next three to five years. He works with company leaders to allocate funding and align business units.
In his decade with AT&T, Sauceda has evolved in both his knowledge and roles. Though he had been successfully managing projects as a general contractor for years, when he joined AT&T, Sauceda wanted to learn more about project management. He earned a credential from the globally recognized Project Management Institute.
“One of the biggest challenges was switching from work mode to study mode,” he explains. “Because balancing family, studying, and work commitments was difficult. Still, completing the program and obtaining the Project Management Professional credential brought me immense satisfaction and emotion when I achieved my goal. It was a huge accomplishment for me.” Sauceda credits his success with the support of his wife and children.
“I loved seeing projects transform from nothing into buildings, schools, airports, and seeing the final result gave me the satisfaction I was looking for.”
Eric Sauceda
Another big change for Sauceda was moving his family from California to Colorado in 2016 for a promotion that saw him learn more about the facilities management side of real estate. There, he also went back to school again, this time obtaining his MBA in organizational leadership.
“I was able to show my children that with determination, you can accomplish anything,” he says with a smile.
As a Mexican American, Sauceda has strong family and cultural ties, which meant moving to Colorado was difficult. Seeking connection, he joined Hacemos, AT&T’s Latino employee network. He eventually became vice president of the board and became the one of few AT&T employees to receive the company’s President’s Volunteer Service Award.
“We pursued philanthropic and community service opportunities, and offered annual scholarships to first-generation students similar to myself,” Sauceda notes. “This was a great opportunity for me to give back to my community.”
Working with Hacemos inspired Sauceda to do more to help marginalized and underrepresented communities. He started chairing a Culture and Inclusivity committee in real estate and began mentoring high school students from underrepresented communities.
“That’s been incredibly important to me,” he shares. “I think about my career and the mentors I had. I was very fortunate to have good managers who showed me how to elevate myself. Since mentorship has been vital in my career, I am passionate about elevating the next generation, helping them understand the business world and achieve their goals.” Sauceda’s advice to the next generation is, “Do not be afraid to fail. Failure is normal. Fail fast and fail forward by learning from your mistakes.”
On behalf of Hal Hays Construction, Inc., we extend our heartfelt congratulations to Eric Sauceda on this well-deserved recognition. Eric’s leadership, vision, and dedication to fostering innovation have made a lasting impact not only at AT&T but also within the broader industry. His ability to inspire teams and drive meaningful results sets a benchmark for excellence. We are proud to collaborate with such an exceptional leader and look forward to continuing our work together. Congratulations, Eric, on this outstanding achievement!
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