Director of Operations
Overseeing the West Coast and parts of the Southern states, Carlos Lara brings 26 years of experience with Quantum Services to his role as Director of Operations, where he leads a dedicated team in delivering best‑in‑class service to clients. He puts muscle into everything he does—whether guiding his team to excellence or pushing himself through a high‑level endurance race.
In 1999, Carlos Lara applied for the role of Auditor, being drawn to the pay as well as the opportunity to work at different locations daily. Through time, he has come to appreciate that being a part of a growing company brings with it travel to new places, growing leadership skills through self-development, and making operational decisions. As Carlos proved his abilities in forming strong relationships with clients, such as Texas Born (TXB), he moved up into a manager role, until eventually into operations at Quantum Services.
“I’ve been working for Quantum Services since I was 20 years old starting as an Auditor. Fast forward almost 30 years later, and I’m now part of the Operations Team. Needless to say, I’ve grown up with Quantum Services and have developed each of my management skills here. While I am still learning, personally and professionally, I have built what I believe will become a lifetime career with Quantum Services.”
CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT BRINGS ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE
Over the years, Carlos has witnessed positive organizational change, some of which is attributed to the business philosophy of continuous improvement. He is able to look at the systems and processes that guide the work to evaluate which areas would benefit from enhancements. For him, this concept of improving systems of work is tied to moving up in the company, stressing that employees can get involved by making suggestions for improvements that will have a real impact on service to clients. Being successful at a role takes practice in discipline and executing on good decisions. The goal would be to identify even the smallest gaps in our systems and processes, then go to work problem-solving how to bridge them.
CHANGEOVER AUDIT SUCCESS
A highlight of Carlos’ career was in 2020 at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. It was a time when current client, Yesway, acquired Allsups. Yesway needed Quantum Services’ help in performing PDI Changeover Audits for its over 300 sites across Texas and New Mexico. While continuing regular audits in other sites, Carlos’ team obtained a favorable result by completing approximately 600 audits in a three-month period, on top of adhering to health protocols.
Now Carlos’ experience is put into practice as Director of Operations, seeing that quality standards for performance, scheduling, accuracy and consistency are the same across all client engagements. He continues to streamline processes, manage staffing and training, and drive operational efficiency to meet service expectations. Carlos’ leadership keeps the team aligned, productive, and equipped to deliver reliable, best‑in‑class audit results. 
FREE-TIME IS PLAY TIME
With work and life in balance, Carlos enjoys other adventures besides travel to c-stores. In 2024, he participated in the Spartan Race, a three-part competition for strength and endurance where self-discipline was a key contributor to his success. He also has a collection of guitars, enjoying the chance to play when time allows. And, though his newest rescue, Gertie, an Aussie-Texas Blue Heeler mix, brings quite the entertainment, it doesn’t compare to the five grandchildren—all under the age of five—that keep him joyfully exhausted and happily on his toes.
PROOF THAT HAPPINESS IS THE KEY TO SUCCESS
To meet Carlos is to meet the happiest person out there. When you meet him, he will treat you like gold just as he models for team members toward clients. He says, “The biggest impact of my job is seeing our clients happy with our service. Happy clients is a happy Quantum Services’ life!”