From the US Air Force to CTB: How Mario Jaramillo brought a military mindset into automation leadership

“I’ve never been comfortable standing still.”

This mindset has shaped every stage of Mario Jaramillo’s career - from a decade in the US Air Force to his current role supporting automation projects and continuous improvement at Cooper Turner Beck.

Mario joined the United States Air Force in 1998, beginning a career built around technical responsibility, operational discipline and teamwork under pressure. After completing training in Texas and California, he was assigned to Elmendorf Air Force Base in Alaska with the 3rd Logistics Readiness Squadron, working in special purpose vehicle and equipment maintenance.

During his military career, Mario earned multiple “Tech of the Month” recognitions and progressed to Staff Sergeant, taking on responsibilities across logistics, maintenance, warehouse operations and purchasing.

But for Mario, the biggest influence came from the standards and mentorship around him.

“I had mentors who pushed professionalism, accountability and self-improvement,” he says. “That stayed with me throughout my career.”

Over time, that mentality became central to how Mario approached every role: looking for opportunities to broaden his skills, take on greater responsibility and keep moving forward.

It’s an approach that would later shape his transition into engineering and manufacturing at CTB - and one he now aims to pass on to colleagues around him.

Finding progression beyond the military

By the time Mario left the Air Force in 2008, he had spent a decade working in highly structured operational environments where planning, accountability and teamwork shaped everyday decision-making.

After a short period staying in Alaska, he moved back to New Mexico to be closer to family and joined the New Mexico Department of Transportation.

Starting in the maintenance shop before moving into equipment operations, Mario became part of a district responsible for maintaining some of the highest highway lane miles in the state - supporting frontline operations, responding to incidents and helping keep critical infrastructure moving.

While the environment had changed, many of the core skills remained the same: staying calm under pressure, solving problems quickly, working as a team and maintaining high operational standards.

For Mario, the transition reinforced something important - military experience can translate naturally into engineering, operations and manufacturing roles where responsibility, discipline and adaptability matter every day.

But after several years in the role, he began looking for a new challenge.

“I don’t like staying in one place without progress,” Mario explains.

Wanting an environment where he could continue building his technical capabilities and take on greater responsibility, Mario made the move to Colorado - a decision that would eventually lead him to CTB.

Mario’s development journey at CTB

Mario joined Cooper Turner Beck in 2022 and quickly became involved in projects supporting the company’s growing automation capabilities. Soon after joining, he helped install two automated production cells and actively pursued further technical training as CTB expanded its automation capabilities.

Since then, he has completed KUKA robotics operator and electrical maintenance training, while also enrolling in an Industrial Maintenance Technology degree programme sponsored by CTB.

For Mario, the opportunity to keep developing his skills was one of the things that stood out most about the business.

“When I learned about the 26 Steps programme, I volunteered immediately,” he says. “I thought it would be a great way to learn new things and refine things I already knew.”

CTB’s internal 26 Steps leadership development programme reinforced many of the principles that had shaped his earlier career - professionalism, accountability, communication and planning - while also challenging him to approach leadership differently.

“It changed my mindset in a lot of ways,” Mario explains. “I actively try to apply what I’ve learned to my daily tasks.”

That focus on continuous improvement has shaped both his leadership approach and the operational projects he supports across the site.

Alongside his training, Mario has contributed to operational improvement projects including maintenance optimisation, inventory reviews and lean initiatives focused on reducing waste, improving safety and increasing reliability.

Jarrod Christie-Smith, COO of CTB Group, says Mario’s mindset and commitment to development have made a strong impact across the business.

“Mario brings a huge amount of operational experience, professionalism and commitment to the business. What stands out most is his continued focus on self-development - whether through leadership training, technical education or the way he supports the wider team.”

The power of mindset in career growth

Mario believes many of the skills developed during military service naturally carry across into engineering and manufacturing environments.

“A lot of it comes down to mindset,” he says. “Being dependable, staying disciplined, working as part of a team and always being willing to learn.”

For people considering a move from the military into industry, Mario hopes his story shows that those experiences can open the door to long-term opportunities in technical and operational roles.

At CTB, he has found an environment that encourages people to take initiative and continue developing their skills.

“I still want to keep improving,” Mario says. “I don’t think that ever stops.”

More than two decades into his career, he’s still guided by the same mindset — and unwavering drive to keep progressing.