Extreme has the Same Kind of Synergy: An Interview with Saúl Guerrero Barron

Meet Saúl Guerrero Barron, Federal Government Sales Manager at RETO Industrial and our Extreme Champion of the Quarter.

If you’re in Mexico and are looking for a reliable partner to support you with your networking challenges, better call Saúl! Tell us your secret recipe for succeeding in sales.

Perseverance, dedication, and teamwork are fundamental parts of the path to success, both individually and for teams. Today, I have very capable people by my side, who together make a great team, turning personal accomplishments into company-wide achievements.

You have sold some of the biggest government projects for your company to date. Which one are you most proud of?

Both for me and the entire RETO team, it’s been an honor to play a key role in the technological transformation of Comisión Federal de Electricidad (CFE), the Federal Electricity Commission, our state-owned electric utility of Mexico and the country's dominant electric company.

We were able to include Extreme Networks as part of the solution to modernize the technology supporting a CFE hotline to report problems with the energy supply. This hotline will contribute to the utility providing a higher quality of customer service, allowing citizens to follow up on their support tickets far more easily. In Mexico, we all are CFE clients, which means everybody benefits from this technology update.

The name of your company, RETO, means “challenge” in Spanish. What are the biggest challenges that you’re facing now?

We remain part of the operational continuity for many of our institutional customers, helping them with their projects and demonstrating that the technological platform based on Extreme Networks solutions is the best option for them in terms of cost and benefits.

Tell us about your experience with Extreme Networks.

This story goes back to 2009. I remember my first year at RETO like it was yesterday, running from conference to conference, meeting lots of different networking vendors. What stuck with me was how the Extreme team was able to generate business by clearly presenting all their successes as customer references for my potential customers who, through RETO’s involvement, were able to visit Extreme offices or attend tech days.

During these last 13 years, I have witnessed some of the most important moments in the company’s history. Working closely with the Extreme team for all this time, I’ve met some truly great people and to build strong relationships, not only on a professional level but also on a personal one.

How does the Extreme Partner team support you in your efforts to attract prospects and guide customers through the buyer's journey?

The synergy that RETO and Extreme Networks have been building together for the last 20 years is fundamental to our success. This level of trust and confidence in each other is grounded in our long, joint history, loyalty, and a commitment to always be up to date on all the relevant technology, product news, events, and certifications. The commitment to always be the best partner of Extreme in Mexico.

Alberto Guerrero, your colleague from RETO, is a rockstar. You, on the other hand, are a biker. Tell us more about this passion of yours.

I’m riding an Indian Scout motorcycle with a 1,133 cc engine. It’s a great machine to move around my city and the area. I like to spend my weekends on the road with my partner or friends, going to the so called Pueblos Mágicos – the little towns that have maintained their original architecture, traditions, history, and culture over time. If you happen to be near Mexico City, you should take time to see these places like Cuernavaca, Tepoztlán, Tequisquiapan, or the vineyard in Queretaro.

I hope I’ll soon be able to take the “La Baja” route that takes you south through the peninsula of Baja California. You cross more than 500 km of coastline, enjoying extraordinary landscapes at different times of the day. Simply stunning.

If you had to compare Extreme Networks to a bike, what kind of machine would that be and why?

It could be a dual-sport motorcycle, as it allows you to switch seamlessly between on-road and off-road use. The sturdiness of this equipment will get you through some complicated moments, but at the same time you can enjoy the riding experience -- Extreme gives you the same kind of synergy.

What’s more important to you, the process towards achieving a goal or the goal itself?

I truly believe that the path is just as important as where it leads. At the end of the day, focusing only on the goal and losing sight of the process can lead us to a vacuum of achievement, forcing us to reflect in greater detail on what could’ve been done in a better way.

Any step forward, no matter how small, should be considered a success, because it leaves us with valuable lessons for tomorrow’s journey.

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