I was a practicing lawyer in Barcelona and never thought that I would end up running a tannery.  And here I am today, managing different companies, three of which are related to this industry (Riba Guixà, Panedés, Adombimbe, this last one in partnership with Colomer.

I joined the company in 1989 as managing director of Curtidos Riba Guixà and this implies that I have all the responsibilities of running a company which I consider a critical-size one. In other words, it is essential to set a discipline, a routine, to run this place.

Like the rest of companies within the European tanning industry, Riba Guixà is a sustainable and ecological chain.  In first instance because we ensure that the animals are properly looked after – well fed and managed.

In the leather industry we face more complex and difficult challenges than before.  We have environmental issues, quality matters regarding the raw material, new markets, new competitors... the philosophy or politics behind the running of a tannery had no other alternative but to change, to adapt to new external factors which previously had no direct impact on the industry. But there is a beauty in working in this industry, and it is that of producing nobility, seeing and enjoying a natural product in a world which is so artificial. 

Today one must be - before all - a businessman, and then a tanner, in order to manage the scales and magnitudes which are industry are subject to. Thus training in management is essential.  There is a very fine line between making a profit and losing money.  My background enables me to be objective, analytical and critical and allows me to take decisions which I believe are the correct ones for the wellbeing – present and future – of the company.

Managing a team of 120 staff is not easy. This is why it is essential to set a routine, to be able to delegate and above all set up a discipline that covers every single area and department of the company - we don’t conceive business any other way.  A mistake, an omission in any of the processes can have serious consequences. Thus, even if we are an industry where technology plays an important role, the human factor is crucial to the business.