|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Ernesto Candia’s move from telecom to tequila took about ten minutes. In fact, his interview was so short, the current head of procurement for the US and Canada at Proximo Spirits remembers calling his wife to tell her he must have bombed his interview at Jose Cuervo in Guadalajara, the Proximo brand where Candia’s “spiritual journey” began.
“I arrived to the interview and the general manager didn’t ask me anything about my work experience,” Candia remembers. “He asked me about my relationship with my parents and my family. He knew I had some experience working at a plant, he knew that I could negotiate, and he also knew that I didn’t know his business at all. He figured I would learn the rest. I didn’t know any of that at the time, I just knew the interview lasted ten minutes.”
For Those Making the Move
Ernesto Candia is open about the challenges of moving to a new country. The procurement leader has reached out to other transfers at Proximo Spirits who have made the transition to the US from Mexico, providing some guidance and empathy during a difficult move for any family.
“The products here are mostly the same, and so the professional move isn’t the challenging part, it’s the personal side,” Candia explains. “Moving here can be a very isolating experience for a while, but it’s something you must work through. I try to reach out when I know people have made that change and let them know that they’re not alone. It’s a very real challenge.”
Candia already had nearly a decade of experience in procurement, primarily in telecom, where he sharpened his negotiation skills and plant operations expertise. This interview was the first time he felt he’d truly screwed up, but he just didn’t know how. It wasn’t until two months later that he got the call inviting him to join Jose Cuervo. It was 2008, and Candia’s been in the spirits industry ever since. It was a pivot that marked the beginning of a transformative journey, one that would take him from agave fields to executive boardrooms.
The transition to tequila was almost as dramatic as the interview itself. Candia was used to the corporate office atmosphere, but his early role in tequila brought him to Guadalajara, where he oversaw end-to-end procurement—from agricultural inputs to manufacturing equipment—driving operational excellence from the ground up.
“Everything I never expected to do, I did in those first four years,” Candia recalls.
As head of procurement for the US and Canada at Proximo Spirits, Candia blends international business acumen with deep operational knowledge, enabling him to deliver not just cost savings, but strategic value across borders.
Candia’s role evolved rapidly, mirroring the growth of Proximo Spirits itself. Now he doesn’t just build procurement teams—he builds procurement strategy for the future. He helped establish a procurement operation, implemented cross-border systems, and spearheaded the establishment of a US office. When the COVID-19 pandemic threatened supply chains globally, Candia navigated the crisis with resilience and clarity, stabilizing operations and laying the groundwork for long-term supply flexibility.
Relocating to the US wasn’t just a logistical move—it was a cultural transformation. Navigating new norms in communication and management style, Candia brought his Mexican roots and adaptive mindset to the American business landscape. This bicultural fluency allows him to manage diverse teams with empathy and strategic clarity.
For Candia, family always comes first, his wife, Lisette, has been a very strong support in his twenty-five years of professional journey. His leadership philosophy is deeply influenced by his personal values, and he believes that strong family bonds foster strong leaders. The challenges he and his family faced during their move to the US strengthened their connection and resilience. That experience reinforced Candia’s belief that personal well-being and professional growth must go hand in hand.
Today, Candia leads a diverse, high-performing procurement team across North America. His leadership style is grounded in empowerment and succession planning. “I’m always preparing my team to take over my role,” he says. “As long as they’re ready to take on that position, I’ll be ready for my next one.” He encourages ownership, critical thinking, and a long-term mindset—hallmarks of a truly strategic procurement function.
Candia’s journey at Proximo Spirits is a blueprint for strategic procurement leadership in the modern era—grounded in operational excellence, empowered teams, and global insight. He’s not just managing spend—he’s architecting value.
Anchor Glass is thrilled to celebrate our long-standing partnership with Proximo Spirits and raise a toast to one of the very best in the business—Ernesto Candia! Over the years, we’ve had the privilege of supporting Proximo’s dynamic portfolio, but it’s the people—like Ernesto—who make this work so rewarding. His leadership, collaborative spirit, and unwavering drive for excellence have shaped not only our projects, but the relationship itself. At Anchor, we don’t just make bottles—we build partnerships. And this one? It’s been something truly special. Congratulations, Ernesto—here’s to everything we’ve accomplished and all that’s still ahead!
