Dreamers & Makers

How did you become CTE at Sener?
My former section head, Francesc Massabé, suggested I apply because he felt I was a good fit for the profile being sought for this role. To be honest, I was taken aback by the suggestion and told him so, but when we went through the requirements together, I realised I did indeed fit the role’s description quite well.

What has been the most challenging project of your career?

Resolving the vibration issue in the compressor at the Saih Rawl gas plant in Oman. Both the diagnosis and the standard solution were straightforward… but they involved costs and lead times that were simply unfeasible at that stage of the project. The challenge – and the beauty of it – was to solve the problem quickly and at a fraction of the cost. That required imagination and all manner of resourcefulness and skills on our part, including manual and interpersonal skills. I will always remember walking into (without an appointment) a workshop in Nizwa, Oman, and turning an urgent part alongside a Pakistani operator, neither of us speaking Urdu or English, communicating through sketches, figures and gestures. And the camaraderie of the camp, 200 km from any reasonably large town, with the small impromptu parties making the most of the cool desert night, and learning from the Omanis how to cook a lamb under the sand for almost a whole day!

What value do you think the role of CTE brings to Sener?

It is an incentive for people in highly technical roles. Offices, bonuses and, in general, the most visible signs of recognition were largely reserved for those with managerial responsibilities, rather than for those with technical responsibilities, however significant these might be. But, at the end of the day, the product that Sener sells is technical and must be of high quality. With this role, the message conveyed is that it is also possible to ‘progress’ within Sener through technical excellence, and not just through management responsibilities. In this way, we prevent a potentially excellent technician from leaving due to stagnation or ending up as just another run-of-the-mill manager, by promoting their professional career along the path commonly regarded as the ‘most promising’.

How do you drive innovation and talent development?

The best thing about innovation, for me, is that it’s fun, and that’s what I try to convey, both to those above and below me in the hierarchy. Talent develops, first and foremost, without envy or suspicion. Over the years, I’ve learnt that the student takes natural pleasure in learning and the teacher, in teaching. But both must approach the process without preconceptions.

How do you support teams through mentoring?

As informally as I can. I believe that learning should be natural, cheerful and relaxed, free from rigid rules and ‘procedures’. This fosters a warm relationship between the student who wants to learn and the teacher who enjoys seeing the student learn. I think the rest just falls into place.

What skill do you consider key to convey or enhance?

There are many. One is knowing how to listen: to everyone. Another is not letting yourself be overwhelmed by difficulties. Keeping an open mind. And, generally speaking, taking pleasure in every new skill you learn. That includes manual skills, which I always champion. Knowing the materials and understanding the production processes, building a close rapport with the specialists who carry them out, loving the workshop; all of that helps to create high-quality designs. And even if it’s uncomfortable: get down to the nitty-gritty, set aside your pretensions and listen in person (not via email) to the technicians who operate the facilities. All too often, when faced with a real problem, I’ve had to hear: ‘you’re the first person to listen to me’ or ‘you’re the first person to come and see it’.

What advice would you give to someone who wants to grow in the technical field?
I can’t remember exactly where in the Bible I read this advice: ‘Don’t try to appear wise; try to be wise, and the Lord will paint wisdom upon your face.’ In my view, anyone who wants to develop their technical skills must cultivate their curiosity and strive to be diligent: by reading, researching and experimenting. It is also very important to nurture one’s critical thinking and imagination. And all this should be done without a trace of self-importance, whilst simply trying to enjoy oneself. As for the rest, as the advice above suggests, the Lord will take care of it, and he usually does so well.

What trends will shape the future in your field?
To be honest, I don’t know. Of course, smart materials – or at least innovative ones – will undoubtedly lead to interesting technical advances. New manufacturing techniques, artificial intelligence, and the dramatic fall in the cost of sensors and control electronics will all bear fruit, no doubt about it.

What motivates you most about your work as a CTE?
As I mentioned earlier, I enjoy spending time with junior colleagues, joking around with them, explaining new concepts to them—spicing things up with entertaining anecdotes where possible—and taking pleasure in seeing how they progress and how they end up surprising and surpassing you (which is the ultimate achievement and greatest joy in a teacher’s career). I also really enjoy taking part in conferences and regulatory bodies, because I love travelling and building international networks. In these areas, in particular, I enjoy being able to show colleagues new experimental data, which until that moment only I had, and which confirm or refute theories that have sometimes been debated for years. And that is why I always try to ‘scrape together’ additional observations in the trials I take part in, placing extra sensors here and there, in line with the theories I come up with in the shower.

How do you imagine your role will evolve in the coming years?
I’m not sure if it really needs to evolve that much. That said, the bar is set very high: it demands a whole host of qualities that, even if one wanted to, not everyone is capable of possessing. It’s worth noting that, at times, the merits one can claim are down to having been lucky enough to be part of this or that groundbreaking or challenging project, rather than the usual profitable project we do by rote and which must be handed in come what may by 3 pm on Friday.