DEEP DOWN

The steps this Galician native from Santiago de Compostela took were completing a degree in naval engineering on a 6th November to be working on the 16th at the Company in Barcelona. Ten days separated his university theory and the reality of the greatest shipping Company. But, hey, we’ve got an engineer with poetic, rational and bucolic airs all at the same time. He’s wearing the Centennial flag with the pennant featuring the original shield on his tie.

Operations… what does that mean?
We’re dedicated to generating routes, optimising hold space, preventing ships from stopping, planning maintenance docking, managing charters, crews, fuel… In short, ensuring the operational continuity of the fleet.

What is the most difficult part?
As always, the people. Knowing how to balance experience and teamwork. We have the best professionals in the ferry world at this company; few companies have this baggage.

How much is invested in operations?
We have some 200 million euros in annual recurrent expenses. Of that, 50 million are used for fuel, 40 for chartering, 65 for maintenance and the rest is dedicated to port operations.

So, it’s an expenditure area?
The shipping part is, but there are also dependent companies that also bring in revenue. For example, the Barcelona Ferry Terminal or the Transhispanic Maritime Agent. We also have business lines that serve third-party shipbuilders like at the Port of Valencia where we are responsible for 100% of the cruise refuelling.

Where does the idea of acquiring ships come from?
It arises from the company’s needs and the strategic plans agreed upon with the Shareholder, but also in consultation with the operations department, as experts on the matter.

Two Management committees a month.
Yes, one regarding the end-of-month results with a forecast of what will happen in the future, and another regarding transformation. We work with a map of aligned projects with the intervention of different departments led by one of them. The Management Committee is perceived as being more up-close than was the case traditionally throughout the rest of the company. That’s the big change.

Is your position stressful?
Pretty much.

How do you manage that?
I’m lucky enough to have three of the most experienced people at the company: the Fleet Director, Abel Aleixandre, a captain with 35 years of experience and the captain of all captains; Agustín Aguilera, Machine Room Manager and the Technical Director, another 40 years. I hadn’t even been born yet and he was already building boats in Japan. And Manuel Baeza, the captain of the Merchant Marines who is responsible for operations. It’s a tripod that bears the company’s operational stress in an exemplary manner.

What makes you happy to come to work each day?
It’s really exciting to work in my sector, in the most ambitious position for a naval engineer, at the greatest shipping company in Spain and, above all, to share it with the group of people here.

Operations Ambitions
The great challenge lies in renewing the fleet and modernising our ships.