International Trade – It feels like yesterday…

It has been more than 20 years now in this fascinating world of international trade, since I took my first professional steps in finance, taxation and accounting… before changing direction hand in hand with ICEX and EXTENDA (now ANDALUCÍA TRADE) and setting my course beyond our borders.

I have always had a strong inclination towards data analysis. Without it, a strategy cannot be properly defined. With successes and mistakes along my professional journey, I can now see that I was not so far off the mark. It is clear that any strategy must be supported by the essential human resource to achieve objectives — people with negotiation skills, adaptability to different environments and cultures, respect, values, honesty and professionalism.

Learning and personal development are key. So is the value of the professionals you meet along the way — always keeping the good and learning from the bad in order not to repeat it. I often say that continuing to discover new cultures and management styles, however different they may be, helps you extract what is truly valuable and inspires ideas that can shape future strategies.

Today, managing Spanish, Belgian, Bulgarian or French teams only adds further layers to the knowledge I strive to build every day. It is not easy. After all, who is attracted to simple challenges where everything is already served on a plate? In international trade, that would be a fantasy. Opportunities must be sought out so that the “guest” leaves fully satisfied and values your work with excellence.

To achieve this, it is essential to communicate calmness, patience and the effort required from whoever is leading the direction towards the goal. The “Chef” must believe in their team — without hesitation or second thoughts.

It is a long journey, without a doubt, but also a rewarding and exciting one. Twenty years ago, everything was very different. Today, one hour can feel like what used to take weeks — the digital environment has changed everything. Sharing with young professionals how international business used to be, how commercial agendas were planned then and how they are managed now, is a true privilege.

Moments and decisions, adaptation, a passion for travel, effort, disappointments transformed into opportunities, resilience, achievements, firm handshakes, collaboration, continuous training, agility, learning from great professionals and students, accepting mistakes as part of initiative… all of this and more is INTERNATIONAL TRADE — a journey I started years ago and one that continues to surprise me every single day.