EPISODE 80
Roots Before Résumés; The Story Before Success
Long before Victor Arias Jr. became one of the country’s most respected executive recruiters and institution builders, his story began in El Paso—shaped by grandparents who fed immigrants at their front door, parents whose resilience became his blueprint for leadership, and a family that taught him humility, faith, hard work, and service long before he ever stepped into a boardroom.
In this deeply personal conversation, Victor reflects on the experiences that transformed his life —from overcoming imposter syndrome at Stanford Graduate School of Business to helping build organizations like the Latino Business Action Network, the Latino Corporate Directors Association, and Prospanica. Along the way, he shares the leadership principles he has used to evaluate thousands of executives, why character matters more than credentials, and how curiosity, humility, and resilience consistently separate exceptional leaders from everyone else.
The conversation also explores one of the defining opportunities of our time: the growing influence of Latino entrepreneurs, business leaders, and innovators in shaping America’s economic future. Victor explains why data alone isn’t enough—that positive stories must accompany the numbers—and why telling the Latino story is essential not only for the broader country, but for Latinos themselves.
Ultimately, this is a conversation about legacy. About understanding where we come from, honoring those who came before us, and ensuring that future generations inherit both the opportunities we’ve built and the stories that made them possible.
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ABOUT OUR GUEST
Victor served 10 years on the Stanford University Board of Trustees and is a co-founder and current chair of the Latino Business Action Network (LBAN) which is the key partner with Stanford University on the Stanford Latino Entrepreneurship Initiative. He has served on various boards including Popeye’s Louisiana Kitchen (NASDAQ: PLKI) and retired in 2016 after 15 years. Victor currently serves on the boards of the US Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and was recently named Chair-Elect, the Aspen Institute Latinos and Society, and The Alumni Society.
Victor is a co-founder and past President of the National Society of Hispanic MBAs (now Prospanica) and served as a member of the Notre Dame Institute of Latino Studies board and recently just retired from the board of directors also as a co-Founder of the Latino Corporate Directors Association. He previously served as a White House Fellows Commissioner appointed by President George W. Bush.
Professionally, Victor is CEO of Encantado Advisors, a consulting company and is also a Senior Advisor at The Diversified Search Group where he spent 5 years as a partner. While there, he led the Consumer practice, co-led the Real Estate practice, and a was core member of the Board of Directors practice. He has been with large national firms his entire 25+ year career.
Victor earned his BBA from the University of Texas, El Paso, and his MBA is from Stanford University.
