Born in Bogota, Colombia, Ruben Giraldo immigrated to the United States in 2002 with a strong will to succeed in America. He began his career path by taking English classes and working different jobs before he began work with the Boy Scouts of America, which had been a passion of his since he was a child.
He ultimately started a path in the construction industry which gave him the opportunity to oversee and manage a $34 million project. Giraldo worked in many facets of the industry as a project manager and quality control manager preparing him for making the switch to Anatek Inc. where he became the new owner and president of the company.
Anatek Inc. is in the construction industry in the transportation, aviation, watershed facilities and commercial sectors with a mission to provide customers with the best service by providing a safe working environment for its workers, quality workmanship and timely completion of projects.
Under Giraldo’s leadership, the company has added two existing lines of work (reinforcing steel and metal deck) and developed a concrete division. During his tenure, he also obtained DBE certification in Georgia and South Carolina which has made Anatek more competitive.
“Ruben always showed the desire to lead a company but in order to do that he knew that he needed to work in different positions and learn as much as possible about how a construction business works – not only on the operations side but on the administrative side,” said his staff. “He has earned the respect of the people around him who know that when he assumes the responsibility of an endeavor, he will do everything in his power to bring it to a conclusion with the best possible outcome.”
Giraldo is known for being an empathetic, collaborative leader. “I am good at solving problems – not because I think I have all the answers, but because I can bring the necessary people together to find the best possible outcome,” he said. “Empathy is important because you need to relate to your team’s needs and concerns and be understanding.”
According to his staff, Giraldo is a titan because he had the courage to leave everything behind and move to a different country to start over. “This decision made him go through situations and jobs that were difficult and uncomfortable but necessary to get where he is now,” they said. “Throughout his career, he had people and opportunities presented and he took advantage of those with dedication and honesty and ultimately gained the trust of those who gave him an opportunity and believed in him.”