At work, Omar Valdez is an inside dealer success consultant. Outside of work, he’s a family man who believes in random acts of kindness. At both, he lives up to Cox’s value of “doing the right thing, always.”
Non-native Texans have a saying: “I wasn’t born in Texas, but I got here as fast as I could.” So it was with Omar Valdez, who was born in Chicago but now lives in Dallas.
“My father couldn’t stand the cold,” Omar said. “He worked for a major corporation for 50 years, and when he had an opportunity to transfer to Texas, he took it.”
His father had a hand both in that move and in shaping Omar’s future.
Omar began his career in telecommunications, but soon after a massive layoff within his company, he received a call from a recruiter for Autotrader. He remembers getting the call, as he was helping an elderly neighbor carry their groceries at the time.
“I couldn’t wait to interview,” Omar said. “I remember looking online and reading what they were looking for in an employee. They wanted someone with integrity; a hardworking person. I was excited because I felt they were describing me.”
He got the job; and this year, Omar is celebrating 10 years with Cox.
“I can safely say it's the best company I've ever worked for,” Omar said. “I really do enjoy the management here. I know they care for people. It’s been that way since the beginning. They treat you fairly and that's all you can really expect. You do your part and they do their part and I appreciate that.”
Omar manages accounts with auto dealers and their advertising needs. He typically works with smaller, independent dealers on their placement on Autotrader and Kelley Blue Book (both Cox Automotive companies). Doing so affords him the opportunity for great personal relationships with the dealers.
“It really pumps me up when they take my advice,” Omar said. “It gives me a sense of purpose. I have dealers that call me to chat, I've had dealers invite me to dinner or, you know, they just want to hang out. I appreciate that. I appreciate that they like me enough to have me over or meet their families. I always enjoy that. You're helping somebody out, and obviously you're helping their families out too.
Helping people is in Omar’s nature, as he is a person of faith who believes in being a good steward of humanity. He's passionate about volunteer work, especially literacy campaigns.
“I’m fluent in English and Spanish,” he said. “It's bad enough when someone comes to a foreign country and they don't speak the language, but imagine coming to a foreign country and not knowing how to read or write in your own language. I try to help people with the basics of reading.”
It’s clear to see that Omar’s father instilled good values in him: values about doing the right thing and helping others. Sadly, Omar’s father passed away in 2021.
“My dad had Parkinson’s,” Omar said. “The last two years of his life were pretty tough. He couldn’t really move around, and so there was a lot of helping him out. And we were in the middle of a pandemic. He did not want to go to a home, and I respected his decision. I’m so grateful I was able to be there for him at the end of his life. He was such a great man. He had a full life. I honor him just by being the best person I can be.”
Omar believes that he gets the opportunity to be the best person he can be at work, as well as outside of it. He recommends Cox as a place where someone can really grow and learn about themself.
“When I started working for Cox, I hoped it would be my last job,” Omar said. “It’s still my hope. And it’s my hope for anyone who works here.”
