Sener culture

Cristina, could you tell us how you joined Sener?

I knew about Sener through my father and my cousin, both of whom worked at Sener, and also because I worked in the aerospace engineering sector. It was my cousin, Silvia Diaz, who at some point told me that they were starting some interesting projects. They were certainly innovative and ambitious projects and that aroused my interest. The idea appealed to me, so I decided to take the plunge and join Sener, and since then, I haven’t looked back.

What does it mean to you to have followed in your father’s footsteps in this company?

In a way, it made the initial period in the company, when I joined, quite easy. He was a very loved and appreciated person and perhaps because of the way people are at Sener, they often passed that on to me. They still do. It’s a precious thing, a luxury.

Is your activity similar to your father’s?

Apart from the evolution of technologies and the transformation that the company has undergone in recent years, it is quite similar. We are both dedicated to the development of solutions in the aerospace and defence industry, very focused on avionics solutions. Even with many changes and technological advances, the essence of our work remains the same: to innovate and create solutions that make a difference in the aerospace and defence industry.

In your opinion, what are some family values and traditions that can be extrapolated to the work environment?

Without hesitation: honesty, integrity and the value of commitment. Commitment not only to the project, but also, and more importantly, to people. Commitment to and from colleagues drives us to work together, to strengthen teams and, in this way, to achieve common goals. I believe that these values have been transmitted and are reflected in Sener’s culture.

What advantages do you see in working in a company that has been family-run for several generations?

Probably that values are better transmitted, that they are conceived as the cornerstone of a company’s culture and, perhaps, that the commitment and interest or care for people permeates at all levels.

Can you share any anecdote or experience that highlights some pros of working in the same company as other members of your family?

There are many anecdotes that I’m sure I wouldn’t know how to convey exactly, but without a doubt I’d say that it means listening to people talk about these people, mainly my father and my cousin, who are the ones who have built their professional careers at Sener. I like to hear what people say about them, how they say it, and the affection and appreciation they convey. It is touching. It is a privilege.

How do you manage the dynamic between family and professional relationships at work?

I think I am very fortunate to be able to share part of the profession with them. In a more day-to-day context, I think this dynamic flows very naturally. We maintain very clear perimeters on the professional side and on the family side, it’s easy. Anecdotally, I can say that my father, at more than 80 years of age, is still interested in what we do. He still asks about Sener, about the work we do, about the changes and about the people he knows.

What do you expect from our company´s future and how do you see yourself contributing to its continued growth and success?

I expect Sener to be ambitious in the projects it undertakes. That this ambition applies to technological solutions, but also to people and to the legacy and significance we want to leave in the world around us and in society. As an example, I am very encouraged to see how the use of AI is being promoted in many areas of business, with initiatives such as the IA Lab. AI is going to change the way we do engineering, and to see that Sener is strongly committed to this technology as an asset for the future of our engineering is certainly exciting.

From an organisational point of view, I believe that all achievements are based on teams. As I see the future, our challenge in large and ambitious projects will be to build cohesive groups with common goals, speaking with one voice and expressing a team spirit. To do this, it is essential to build values; I believe we must work to facilitate this context. I believe that I can best contribute to this through effort, commitment, generosity and, I repeat, a strong awareness of the importance of the team.

As I see the future, where we have large and ambitious projects, our challenge will be to build cohesive groups with shared objectives.

Inocencio, how did you start at Sener?

I started my career at INTA. I had already been working there for years and I knew well Álvaro Azcárraga [former Head of Space at Sener and eminence in the field]. It was Álvaro who told me about Sener and who brought me to the company.

The beginnings were somewhat complicated, not so much because of Sener, but because the space industry was just taking off in Spain. It was a field with great uncertainties and with the foundations of the aerospace industry still being laid in our country, at all levels. This was reflected in the projects we tackled.

What were some of the biggest challenges you faced in your career?

The biggest challenge, which was a shared challenge, was to start Sener’s trajectory, first in the space industry and then in the defence industry. The second challenge was linked to the size of the projects that Sener was tackling in those years: they were getting bigger and bigger and required a more global, more industrial vision.

How do you think being a family business has influenced the company’s growth?

It has managed to transmit values to the different generations that have permeated into the people, but also into engineering and projects.

What advice would you give to someone who is just starting their career in this company?

The company has grown and evolved enormously and in a very positive way since I left. I don’t see myself giving advice in this Sener today. It would be presumptuous of me to do that.

Ignacio, what motivated you to join our company and what do you hope to achieve here?

I liked my experience as an intern at Sener. I was also motivated by what I heard at home from my mother and grandfather.

What skills or knowledge would you like to develop during your time with us?

I am interested in learning about solutions and technologies related to AI applied to industry. Artificial intelligence is a constantly evolving field and I believe it has incredible potential to transform industry.

How do you think we can improve our work environment to better support young employees?

In general, I think flexibility is very important: in working hours, in holiday days and in teleworking. Much of this is already covered at Sener with teleworking options, S-Reward and flexitime. I also believe it is essential to focus on the use of emerging technologies in our day-to-day work, such as more connected work environments and the use of AI as a tool in development and engineering, beyond the AI applications themselves.