In 1993 he went to work for CMI, an international consulting firm focusing on negotiations strategy and conflict management.

[2] On April 20, 2009, President Barack Obama nominated Sánchez to be Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade.

[4] Sanchez oversaw the development of U.S. trade policy, promoted U.S. companies in the global economy, strengthened American competitiveness across all industries, addressed market access and compliance issues, and administered U.S. trade laws.

[citation needed] Sanchez led international trade missions with multiple U.S companies to emerging markets like China, India, South Korea, Vietnam and Saudi Arabia.

[citation needed] Sanchez was appointed by President Obama as one of five senior administration officials to the Congressional-Executive Commission on China from 2011-2012.

[4] On November 6, 2013, President Barack Obama nominated former Bank of America chief executive Stefan M. Selig as Sanchez' successor.

[8] In May 2014, Sanchez was elected to the board of Archer Daniels Midland, an American global food-processing and commodities-trading corporation, headquartered in Chicago, Illinois.