Santi Gimeno: “Technology is essential to lead and be an active actor in the economy”

 

Santi Gimeno (Burriana, 1978) is managing partner of Cuatroochenta, the Castellón technology company that despite its youth (it was established in 2011) is on everyone’s lips even more if possible after achieving its latest milestone: the ringing of the bell on the Madrid Stock Exchange.

With a degree in Journalism from the Ramon Llull University in Barcelona, ​​Santi Gimeno’s love affair with Cuatroochenta began when he coincided in a networking session with Alfredo R. Cebrián (CEO and co-founder), Sergio Aguado (CTO and co-founder) and Ismael Ibáà ± ez (Head of Planning) and decided to add synergies.  «In 2017 we integrated the digital business unit of Gimeno 111 in Cuatroochenta and since then I have been a managing partner at Soluciones Cuatroochenta. Since 2019 I have been a member of the board of directors, ”he explains.

He is emphatic when he affirms that “there is no future without digitization”, but technology is not only available to large companies. Furthermore, Gimeno warns that  «technology is a disruptive element that will undoubtedly affect employment». And, for this reason,  «we must bet on more concrete, agile and digital training, for a greater participation of companies in the definition of programs and increase active participation in models such as Dual Vocational Training».

How was Cuatroochenta born?

Cuatroochenta was born in 2011 as a technology company based on the development of applications for mobile devices with a clear vision of growth through the contribution of value and focus on objectives for our clients. This concept, this mentality of being a company from minute 1, was key to putting together a structure and team values ​​focused on working for profitability and meeting objectives. I was not at this moment of birth of Cuatroochenta. We met in a networking Alfredo R. Cebrián (CEO and co-founder), Sergio Aguado (CTO and co-founder) and Ismael Ibá ± ez (Head of Planning). We started talking about a first project that we had in the consultancy. We started with a customer-supplier relationship, but soon we saw that both companies shared the same vision of how to do things and from that moment until now …

How is the day to day of the company?

There is not a typical day to day in Cuatroochenta. As of today, the team is made up of 102 people and each one organizes their day to day according to the objectives they have set, their responsibilities and their workload. It is not easy, since everyone has to organize themselves and there is no profile that supervises the day to day. Each one is responsible for organizing themselves with a clear vision so that their time is as effective as possible for the objectives they have set.

Cuatroochenta is the first Castellón company to be listed on BME Growth. How is this milestone achieved?

It is achieved first by being clear about what company we wanted to be and how we wanted to achieve it. From then on, it became clear that going public was a goal for the company. We are committed to achieving it. We had the opportunity to enter the Pre Market Environment and, from there, work, work and work, very well done, until we reached it.

What are the objectives of this giant step that the company has just taken?

Keep growing. As you indicate, on October 22, when we rang the bell and started trading, we did not reach the end of anything, it was one more step on the path that we have set ourselves to continue growing and consolidating Cuatroochenta as a leading technology company in cloud solutions of our country.

The company has improved its results in the midst of the coronavirus crisis with double-digit growth. Is Cuatroochenta an oasis in the middle of the desert?

I think there are two key aspects here. One is that we are a technology company and our sector is one of those that is being strengthened in this pandemic. Another aspect is that we did our homework when we had to do it and this situation has caught us with a well-structured company, prepared, with resources and with the ability to respond to the needs and opportunities that have arisen as a result of this situation and thank you too n to the commitment of the entire team.

How does the company see the health crisis and the effects it is generating on the social and economic fabric?

We are facing an unprecedented situation. No one could foresee on March 14 that, in one week, at an economic and social level, everything was going to change the way it did, or how this was going to affect the economy and our society in the way it has; affecting all the threads that make up the social fabric: health, education, public services, etc … and radically changing our lives. There is a lot of talk about economic reconstruction, but I think we should also start talking about social reconstruction to try to recover a quality of life that we lost all at once.

How long do you think it may take for the economy to regain its pre-crisis pulse?

We have seen that GDP growth in the third quarter was 16.7% as a result of the summer situation, so we have the potential for recovery. The problem is that a great deal of GDP and job creation in our country is based on tourism, commerce and construction. Tourism, for example, contributed 15% of GDP and 2.8 million jobs in 2019. Now, simply, there is no tourism and what little there is international is a roller coaster that depends on factors that we do not control. I believe that the question is not how much, but when we are going to be able to reactivate these key sectors on an ongoing basis; and to this question, it has been shown that no one can give an answer.

Is it possible that companies, and society as a whole, can emerge stronger from this situation?

I hope that society will be strengthened in values ​​and in improvements in key aspects of our social fabric such as education and health. We have seen how these basic pillars are shaking and that is something that neither a country nor a society can allow to happen. We have to come out with a more powerful education and healthcare at whatever cost. Regarding companies, it will depend on how well or badly they have done it during and, above all, before this pandemic. Those that have been prepared at the level of business, technology, resources and values ​​to have the capacity to be resilient, I think they have a lot of potential to emerge stronger from this situation. Those that do not, surely and unfortunately, will disappear.

What scars do you think Covid-19 will leave on the economy?

There are sectors that will leave you very touched. We are seeing it with a wide range of actors linked to leisure, restoration and tourism. They are key economic sectors of our country, on which many companies and families are based that have seen their way of life suddenly broken, with no anticipation of anything because no one thought of such a brutal condition. The worst of all is that the end of this situation is not seen and that you cannot make any plans, no forecasts of anything. To the extent of the resources that these companies and families have to heal the wound, the scar will be larger or smaller.

Experts say that the coronavirus has caused a leap of years in the digitization of companies in a few months. At what moment is the business fabric of the province of Castellon in this field?

Rather than jump, what has been done in many cases has been to kick the ball up and see what happens because it was that or nothing. It has caught us without defined infrastructures and processes to maintain activity in this situation and companies have had to solve it on the fly. On the other hand, I do believe that this situation has been a catalyst for decision-making and activating projects that in another situation took years to take and now has been taken in a month. Specifying the question, I am participating with more people in a working group of the Castellón Chamber of Commerce in which a photo of the situation of the digitization of companies in our province is being defined. I do not want to spoil it because we are going to draw the conclusions from the oven now, but in short … there is much to do.

What economic sectors act as spearheads?

The current situation has caused changes in our lives that directly affect consumption habits and our needs. This has led the large distribution, electronic commerce, logistics and healthcare to be the spearhead of the economy today. And in all of them there is technology as a transversal element that affects all these sectors and that has become an indispensable element to lead and be an active actor in the economy.

Is there a future without digitization?

Absolutely not. But here we must clarify what we understand by digitization, because it seems that talking about digitization is the heritage of large companies and it is not. For me digitization, in short, is to apply technologies to add value and generate business. Well, with this, for me digitization encompasses so much what the fruit vendor next to my house has done that during confinement I sent him my purchase by WhatsApp, brought it to me and paid him with Bizum like that of a large industry that has activated a cloud solution to manage the work parts of your technical service from home. In the case of the fruit vendor, it incorporated delivery to its business model and a new payment technology, hired one more person for the delivery and has consolidated this service as a value. In the case of the industry, it has continued operating, providing service and generating SAT business. With all this, I return to my statement: absolutely not.

How will the necessary technological bet affect employment?

It is a disruptive element that, without a doubt, is going to affect and here enters both the need to adapt the training model to train current job profiles to the changes caused by technology in the development of work within the company, as well as in the generation of new professional profiles that cover the needs that companies have to face their technological bet. For this, I believe that we must bet on more concrete, agile and digital training, for a greater participation of companies in the definition of programs and increase active participation in models such as Dual Vocational Training.

Cuatroochenta has opted for internationalization and already has offices in five countries (Colombia, Italy, Panama, the Dominican Republic and Spain). Will it continue to grow?

Definitely. Internationalization is a strategic line of growth for Cuatroochenta and we will continue taking firm steps in this line.

Have you ever considered moving your headquarters to Castellón?

Cuatroochenta was born and has grown since Castellón. We have shown that great things can be done from here and the headquarters will continue here.

What advantages does this province provide compared to other territories?

Cuatroochenta was born in Castellón due to a series of circumstances that led the company to start here and as I have mentioned before, we have been growing here and here we will continue because we have created a Cuatroochenta team and ecosystem based in this province. We are not here for any type of incentive or advantage that we have identified in this province that no other can have, honestly.

What will be Cuatroochenta’s next milestone?

November 30. To ensure that the growth objectives and the project development commitments acquired with our clients for this month have been met. In this way we will continue to grow and add value to our clients, partners and society.

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