I first met Karlos in 2019 at the Hughes Landing client site. He had just joined as our new Global Transaction Management Managing Director. We had a team buffet at the Embassy Suites, and I still remember him asking us, “What do you want to do?” A pretty typical question from a new leader—but I would later realize how profoundly he would shape my career.

Raised by a teacher and a soldier, Karlos bought his first .410 shotgun at the age of six. He grew up raising chickens, laying bricks, and breezing through school. He’s both incredibly handy and deeply thoughtful—a mix I’ve always admired. He was the cool kid.

But what impressed me even more was this: after failing to make the basketball team in 8th grade, he didn’t give up. Instead, he built a full court and practiced all summer. The next year, he made the team. And then he moved on. That kind of grit and follow-through has stayed with me ever since.