I moved from Spain to the US for work. I like the American emphasis on business and the Spanish emphasis on family.

"I've worked alongside my father basically since I was born. Some of my earliest memories are driving with him through the quarries that our family owned in Spain. Later, as my father and his brothers pivoted the family business from natural stone to manmade materials for countertops , I was in the factories alongside them. I always knew I wanted to work for the family business , but I didn't realize just how much it would shape my life, down to where I live and the language I speak."

"About 15 years ago, my father asked me, "Are you ready for a challenge?" Cosentino had recently acquired another company in the US, and someone from the family needed to move to the US to oversee our expansion in North America. I'm the middle child , and my brother and sister are both involved in the business. At the time, I was single and overseeing global sales, so it made sense for me to be the one to move."

Eduardo Cosentino grew up immersed in his family's stone business, working in quarries and factories as the company transitioned from natural stone to manmade countertop materials. The company began in 1945 and expanded from 14 employees in the 1970s to more than 6,000 worldwide under the next generation. About 15 years ago he relocated to Houston to oversee North American expansion after a U.S. acquisition. He took the role because he managed global sales and was single at the time. He confronted a language barrier, studied English with a tutor each morning, and learned most by speaking with customers. He values Americans' no-nonsense business approach.

Read at Business Insider