Luis Gonzalez Mansilla, Corporate Security’s Calm Face

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Most would probably consider their jobs to be stressful. But for Luis Gonzalez Mansilla, director of corporate security for Halliburton, the world’s second-largest oil service company in the world, complexity and a degree of uncertainty are ever-present challenges. Halliburton operates in some of the world’s most complex and dangerous environments across seventy countries and regions, including areas with considerable risk of terrorist activities, the presence of drug cartels, or armed insurgents’ groups. 

Yet after fifteen years in security at a high-risk enterprise, Gonzalez Mansilla is the picture of calm. He smiles a lot and has a professorial demeanor. 

Before coming to Halliburton, Gonzalez Mansilla’s career path included fourteen years with the Chilean Navy and the United Kingdom’s Royal Marines. He held head of security and consultancy roles for global risk consulting firm Control Risks in Iraq in 2005; Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Kuwait in 2006 and 2007; and Pakistan in 2008 and 2009. Earlier, he dedicated four years to managing retail operations in the UK, allowing him to spend time around his family and enhance his business acumen. Later he earned an MBA from the University of Liverpool, and went through business leadership development at Texas A&M.

So, what has kept Gonzalez Mansilla within the same complex organization for fifteen years?

“I believe in what we do as an organization,” Gonzalez Mansilla says. “We help provide energy that is accessible, reliable, and affordable, for the benefit of society, and how we do it: responsibly and ethically, with safety as a priority and unrivalled service quality. Also, the company has supported me every step of the way in my own journey.”

Gonzalez Mansilla came to Halliburton as a regional manager for the Latin America region. His role then expanded to cover the entire Western Hemisphere. He eventually accepted the director of corporate security role across Halliburton’s facilities. 

“I tell my people and to all young professionals that they have to dream. I want them to imagine what they would like their job to be and how we can get them closer to that ideal.”

Luis Gonzalez Mansilla

Within that role, the director oversees all electronic security enterprise operations for physical security, independent from the company’s IT organization, though Gonzalez Mansilla says maintaining a strong relationship with IT is critical for his own organization’s success. From company headquarters in Houston, Gonzalez Mansilla’s team designs, configure and monitor several thousand security sensors, from surveillance systems and access control platforms to a range of more specialized solutions across the world. 

“Electronic security solutions are deployed globally, but they’re managed from a central operations center in Houston,” the director explains. “With our key vendors we also develop digital smart solutions to improve access to security management tools, integrate workflows, and provide data to help us focus on risk management strategies. These tools assist us in handling the complexity of our environment and provide a consistent approach to our service delivery.”

Gonzalez Mansilla shares that another area of emphasis in technology has been the implementation of autonomous solutions as a force multiplier when integrated with the human element, resulting in improved efficiency and capabilities of the security teams. 

“I also contribute taking care of regulatory compliance requirements from several US government security programs,” he says, “and I still oversee the security of operations across the Western Hemisphere.” 

Despite his extensive experience in security, Mansilla still views his role as a bit of an accident. The son of a Chilean Navy veteran father and painter, sculptor, photographer, and art critic mother, Gonzalez Mansilla grew up travelling to different parts of the world. His father, who served for the United Nations, was stationed in Israel, Egypt, and the Middle East at various times. Gonzalez Mansilla eventually followed in his father’s footsteps, despite his mother’s misgivings, and went on to a rewarding and decorated career on both sides of the Atlantic. 

Gonzalez Mansilla says his team, including key service providers, are the real stars and key to achieving success. They do their best when they are motivated and empowered to take ownership of their roles. He wants them to imagine what is possible.

“I tell my people and to all young professionals that they have to dream,” the director says. “I want them to imagine what they would like their job to be and how we can get them closer to that ideal. So many times, people’s work environment can be dramatically made better through small changes that are important to them. I want my people to be open with me about their aspirations, so if it is possible I can be of service or guide them to develop the necessary competencies for advancement.” 

Beyond his direct reports, Gonzalez Mansilla cultivates close ties throughout Halliburton. He collaborates closely with IT, health and safety, legal, real estate, operations, and often with other departments or project teams. Gonzalez Mansilla says he aims to act as a voice of guidance for his organization. He strives to use his expertise in navigating international cultural and security challenges, combined with his business acumen and extensive corporate security experience of over twenty years to be a trusted advisor for these stakeholders and to approach every situation from the most pragmatic position he can. 

Gonzalez Mansilla says Halliburton has provided him with autonomy and career development opportunities, and cultural and value alignment that has kept him inside the organization for a decade and a half. “I’ve been given the space to be successful in my role,” Gonzalez Mansilla says. “I get to work with unbelievably intelligent people every single day. This is the kind of place where you can build a great career.”

Outside work, he enjoys adventurous sports challenges such as mountaineering, including leading an expedition and summiting Mount Aconcagua, the highest mountain in the world outside the Himalayas range. He also spends time with his family and participates in his community, assisting in Cub Scouts and coaching sports at his children’s school and Jiujitsu in his local BJJ gym.

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