Manuel Casanueva left a profitable career as a civil engineer to become an entrepreneur – a great risk which paid off. His venture, Grupo GTD, became the first major private entity in the Chilean telecommunications industry, coming up in a market where public corporations were the only suppliers.
Perseverance is an integral part of Casanueva’s success. Grupo GTD’s origins were modest: when the company was founded 40 years ago, Casanueva only had three employees. His technical knowledge in telecommunications was limited to dialling a telephone.
However, Casanueva never failed to innovate and continued to take risks in the name of expansion. His determination did not go unnoticed. Over the years, he garnered the attention of investors, which helped scale and expand Grupo GTD’s reach.
What was once a four-person operation has grown into an international carrier that employs more than 2,500.
Now, Casanueva is looking to the future once more, this time with a succession plan for his family. Already, all seven of his children play an active role in the family business. He envisions Grupo GTD continuing its growth, expanding into new regions and diversifying its technological portfolio under the auspices of the next generation.
