The Story
Entrepreneur, disruptor, and optimist
Juan Salas is a Spanish entrepreneur, AI executive, and speaker with over 15 years of experience reinventing global businesses.
His method is born from a rare intersection: the discipline of someone who has led business transformations from within the world's largest tech firms, the accountability of someone who has risked his own capital, and the strength of someone who has chosen to live authentically.
On the global front line of technological transformation - For nearly two decades, Juan has operated at the core of some of the world's largest organizations — Booz&Co., Oracle, Accenture — leading negotiations and multicultural teams on transformation projects and guiding clients through high-impact strategic decisions. In his most recent role at Accenture, he led the sale of AI-driven business reinvention projects for IBEX 35 companies, experiencing firsthand the revolution that is currently redefining our society.
With skin in the game - Between his corporate roles, Juan took on the leadership of his family business: a mid-sized industrial company that needed to reinvent itself to survive. The market responded: over 15 international markets opened, sales quadrupled, and recognition at major design events like the Salone del Mobile in Milan. But what shaped him most was what you only learn when the risk is your own and the consequences are real.
Committed to living authentically - After embarking on a deep journey of self-discovery and realizing the limitations he had placed on his own happiness to achieve conventional social and professional success, he adopted the firm conviction to live life on his own terms and made it his life's mission to help others grow.
At the intersection of this personal growth journey, his business experience, and the unique perspective gained from living the AI revolution from the inside, comes a dual conviction. Juan believes we are entering a golden age of human authenticity powered by AI, yet neither organizations nor individuals truly know how to go about “being more human than ever.”
The story of Juan Salas
Born
Santo Domingo de La Calzada, La Rioja, Spain.
He enters the world in a town in northern Spain where time is measured by harvests and trades.
Childhood in La Rioja, Spain
La Rioja, Spain.
He grew up among vineyards and artisans. He learned to respect the authenticity of the land and to admire those who work it to bring out its best.
Madrid and the world
Madrid, Spain - Wisconsin, USA. La Rioja, Spain.
He moved to Madrid, began his studies at ICADE, and spent a year in the US (Marquette). From there, he launched his career in strategic consulting at Booz&Co.
Return home
La Rioja, Spain.
He leads the reinvention of his family business, Discalsa. He goes from IBEX boardrooms to driving a truck across France to showcase his products in design boutiques and internationalize the company.
First turning point
Paris, France.
He makes peace with his identity as a gay man and shares it with his loved ones. He has his first encounter with what it means to live from a place of authenticity.
The closure
Milan, Italy - La Rioja, Spain.
At the same time that Discalsa achieved its greatest commercial recognition at the Salone del Mobile in Milan, a financial shift led to the project's closure. Learning how to close a business becomes his final great lesson of this chapter.
Return to the corporate world
Madrid, Spain.
Following a period of personal reflection and "recovery" after closing his company, he returns to the corporate world at Oracle, where he leads business development for their applications division in Iberia.
Pandemic, second turning point
Madrid, Spain.
He takes control of his life to build it in alignment with his true self. He begins a long process of self-discovery, connecting with the different spheres of the human experience and becoming obsessed with living his life authentically.
Accenture and the AI Revolution
EMEA.
He holds several executive positions at the European level. He experiences the AI revolution from the inside, guiding IBEX 35 companies through their reinvention.
Founds Salas Santamaría
Madrid, Spain.
After "recovering" from being an entrepreneur, and with a perspective enriched by his years at multinational tech companies, he returns to entrepreneurship. His mission: to put business excellence at the service of human authenticity.
