We are going to interview our colleague Ernesto Pérez, export sales manager. We would like to thank him for giving us a few minutes to answer these questions.
- For those who do not know you, how would you describe yourself?
I am impatient but also persistent, you do not get rid of me easily, but it would be very difficult for me to treat you badly. My goals are ambitious, but they are not above people. I think you can trust me, it is said that to know how to lie you have to have a good memory, so I always try to be as honest as possible (because my memory is not my strong point).
- Could you give us an overview of your business career from the beginning to nowadays?
I just told you that I do not have a good memory… and you ask me that? Just kidding. I started to work quite early in my family’s company in Venezuela (the old Venezuela), in a factory of loudspeakers and electronics. First, I was bending cardboard boxes, and then as an assembly line pawn (inserting parts, welding terminals, on riveting machines, etc). Later, I moved to the laboratory, where I did some inventions and also repairs of sound systems and loudspeakers. Little by little I started to work on projects, in the sales and implementation part. After this, already in Spain, I worked in a small company of projects and audiovisual installations, in the commercial area, although I sometimes helped in technical tasks. Then, an entrepreneurship and personal project and some other jobs, but, above all, studying a lot in specializations for the business world and commercial management. Finally, I started to work in Fagor exactly 8 years ago. The time had come for the business to explore other markets outside Spain and that has been my mission since that moment. There was no clients or projects out of Spain, so I started from “0” (well, we had a lead that nowadays has evolved into Fagor Colombia, our first “overseas” SDS filial). Step by step we combined the distributors recruitment with the recruitment and monitoring of projects, creating a teamwork and raising the bar little by little. And all this is integrated and actively involved in all aspects of the business. Every year we have grown a little bit more, in terms of results and teamwork, and nowadays I have team, which I am very proud of and to which I owe all the successes we achieved along the way. It seems that 22 years of work is a long way.
- What is your biggest achievement in the position you hold?
That one is definitely coming! “work in progress”, the day it comes, I will tell you and I will retire. A little more seriously, looking back, none of the achievements have been individual, I do not have medals to hang up, but we have many trophies in the “club-house”. I have learned a lot from my colleagues and bosses.
- How is the working environment with your colleagues in the company?
Great! I am very lucky because I have a good relationship with the team. Obviously, there are different opinions on many issues and cases, but I can speak with everybody with total comfort both up and down, on one side and the other.
- What do you like to do in your free time?
Playing dinosaurs, superheroes and taking walks with my 4-year-old son (almost 5, as he would say). When he falls asleep, I like watching some new series, and if none of them meet the expectations, I use the wild card of watching some random chapters of Friends (never fails for my generation). I like walking a lot, as long as it´s not all downhill. Metting together with my friends and family is something I really value, I always say yes to those plans.
