How long have you been with Telefónica and what is your assessment of your time here?
I have been with Telefónica for 12 years, although I previously worked for another 7 years in a company in which Telefónica has a stake. My assessment of these years is undoubtedly very positive, both personally and professionally. Honestly, I consider it a privilege to have a balcony with a view to the future by working here.
Is there any project at Telefónica that you feel particularly satisfied with or proud of?
ProFuturo. I have always thought of education as an essential lever for bringing about transformations. With digital education, the barrier of distance is broken and knowledge can be taken almost anywhere, but it is true that another important barrier arises along the way, which is the digital divide. ProFuturo, from my point of view, tries to overcome both barriers in those countries where transformation is most needed, and that is why I like it and highlight it.
What do you think Telefónica has contributed since its inception?
Allow me to give you my personal case as an example and I will answer that it is COMMUNICATION (in capital letters). Between the ages of 13 and 24 I lived in 6 cities and Telefónica allowed me to keep in touch with friends at a time when everything was much more complicated. In 1997 the internet came into my home and everything was much easier.
Where do you see Telefónica in the future?
Bearing in mind Moore’s law, it is very difficult for me to imagine the future in the long term, but I believe (and I would like to think) that Telefónica will be there, true to its mission, helping to make this world a more human world, because in such a technological world I consider it essential to vindicate humanity, specifically in its meaning of capacity.
Could you live without a mobile phone?
Right now I would say no, but who knows what devices are still to come. I remember the first time I used a mobile phone. It was in October 1996. I had just landed in Madrid and some friends had taken me into their house while I was looking for a place to stay. One of them had one of those big square mobile phones with a little cover. As my friends didn’t have a landline in their flat, I had given my friend’s phone number to my parents so that I could be reached. One afternoon we were walking down the street and my father called. I remember that I had to stop in the street to talk, because it was very strange to be walking and talking on the phone at the same time. The following year my parents gave me my first mobile phone, which came into my life to be reachable and to communicate with home. Since then the mobile phone has been a part of my life.
Help us solve one of humanity’s great enigmas: the potato omelette… With onion or without onion?
A tricky question if ever there was one. Generally speaking, I would say with onion, but, as a good Galician, I adore Betanzos potato omelettes and traditionally these omelettes are made without onion.
Nominate another colleague to appear in this section
I imagine I won’t be the only one to “nominate” him but, personally, I would like to know how Telefónica sees Chema Alonso in the next 100 years. If I have said before that working at Telefónica means having a balcony with a view of the future, I consider Chema Alonso to be one of those who can practice base jumping from that balcony.
