A Strategic Coach who is also a Good Samaritan
From food to teaching to strategic consulting – the dynamic Cristian Salazar has spent more than 2 decades helping individuals and organisations to be resilient, successful, and sustainable. Today, he has emerged as an internationally renowned Strategic Consultant, Corporate Trainer, Business Coach, and Humanitarian.
Born in Guatemala and based in Canada, Cristian’s academic incline lay the foundation for his professional trajectory. He completed his Master’s in Food Safety Health Program Management in Costa Rica; a Postgraduate Diploma in Environmental Management at the University of Sherbrooke (Canada); and a Certification in Socio-Cultural Management and Gastronomy Practices at UQAM (Canada).
He began his professional career in the food industry back in the early 2000’s in Guatemala. In 2009, he decided to move to Canada and was quickly able to evolve in the Canadian food industry at the corporate level. Throughout his career, he held executive positions such as Quality Director, Operations Director, Auditor and Quality Coordinator in different segments like juice manufacturing, ready-to-eat salad manufacturing, industrial bakery, the canning industry, and the essential oil industry.
At some point, he felt he could extend his expertise to help more companies. He also realized that most owners and corporate managers need support at the personal level. He thus decided to train himself in coaching as well as integrate coaching in his service portfolio. In addition, he obtained a Master’s in Environmental Management so he could help companies create strategies for reducing their carbon footprint.
Finally in 2018, he turned Entrepreneur with his own consulting business in Quebec, Canada – Cristian Salazar – CSM Groupe Conseil, which is into Sustainability Strategies, Strategic Planning, and Food Industry.
Reflecting on his varied choices, he says, “One of the many things I have learned and experienced is the power of our own will. There is no force more powerful than a human being who decides to change the course of his/her life and achieve great things. Also, the power of our own feelings. So many times in my life I tried to be as rational as possible when making business decisions, but deep inside I always knew which option was most aligned with my vision and values.”
Cristian is passionate about helping professionals and companies to become more resilient and face their challenges by creating efficient and sustainable strategies. He feels if organisations integrate the principles of a circular economy, it could go a long way in taking care of the planet. In the past decade, he has had the opportunity to accompany many companies in expansion, sustainability, and quality assurance projects across countries in Central America and Africa.
Today, his main goal is to create several businesses which respond to actual problems, whether it is accompanying managers or business founders to create sustainable businesses, or helping young people to see their big potential and create great things, as a coach and consultant.
“I want to give back to society. Money and success mean nothing if they come without a feeling of achievement by helping others. I’m also inspired by my loving and hard working family, who give me the strength to make an impact.”
Cristian also serves the community as an Academician. He is a Professor in Sustainable Development at HEC Montréal and a Professor in Food Processing at the Collège Maisonneuve de Montréal. Additionally, he has his own YouTube channel and undertakes various social endeavours:
- Collaborated with the organization Food Skills Processing Canada as a volunteer consultant, helping them develop certifications and benchmarks for the food industry in Canada, and received a recognition in 2021.
- During the pandemic, he created a project to support Guatemalan food companies to understand how to export to Canada by creating several videos. This won him recognition from a digital magazine in the US which promotes the successes of Guatemalan immigrants.
- Acknowledged for working as a volunteer mentor with the Montreal Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce; accompanying food professional newcomers to Canada and helping them get a job in the industry.
- He has been implicated in several projects in Africa regarding the transfer of knowledge and technology for African countries, like Sénégal and Tunisia where I actually am.
After having worked his way through each stage of success, Cristian does not believe in luck but hard work aligned with smart work. “When you work smart – when you create a plan, stick to the plan, look for problems to be solved in the market, grow your network, and work hard – all these positive actions converge to create many opportunities for you.”
A much sought after positive leader all his life, Cristian hopes his actions and behavior inspire others to go after their dreams. Leaving us with a message, he says, “People might follow you, and that’s fine, but when you inspire others to do great things, that, I think, is the true definition of leadership!”