Richard Montañez, a retired C-level executive who worked for Frito Lay, visited West Chicago Community High School on the evening of Sept. 13, 2023, to give a keynote speech on how he created the world-famous Flamin’ Hot Cheetos snack.
Montañez spoke to the community in Bishop Gym for roughly an hour and detailed his tumultuous youth life and inspiration to create the ever-relevant snack with Frito-Lay, the company for which he began employment for as a janitor. He offered advice and shared his philosophies on life and his work ethic which allowed him to become successful.
Montañez is the author of several books, such as “A Boy, a Burrito, and a Cookie” and “Flamin’ Hot: The Incredible True Story of One Man’s Rise from Janitor to Top Executive.” Copies of these books along with various other WeGo merchandise were raffled off to event attendees.
“That book changed lives… they were offended because I got a book published and they didn’t, that’s all it is. You have to get me on here and not take it personally,” Montañez said.
The retired executive also is the subject of the 2023 film “Flamin’ Hot,” a documentary-style adaptation of Montañez’s early life and work with Frito Lay as an executive marketer.
The event concluded at around 8 p.m. with Montañez delivering his final remarks and motivating the audience to continue their education and remain true to their skills and family.
“It was really encouraging to see all the support Montañez got from his family for his ideas. It shows that no thought is too small and you can really make something out of nothing,” senior Brooke Schliephake said.
