Interview with Jordi Griful, CEO of Quantion, where he tells us the details of the agreement with Lufthansa Group that was announced last Monday, June 19th, by the conseller of Enterprise and Labor, Roger Torrent and Ramió
Good morning, Jordi. How have you dealt with the overflow following the news that the Lufthansa group will rely on Quantion to set up its digital Hangar in Barcelona?
Well, they are pleasant overflows. It’s very important news for the country, for the city, for Lufthansa, for Quantion, and overall for the entire technology sector. In any case, it’s a good sign because it has generated a lot of interest across all communication channels, and we have received congratulations from all corners of the country.
“This achievement is one of the most important credentials I have obtained in my 40-year career.”
Can you tell us how Lufthansa became aware of Quantion, a company located in Barcelona?
It was through a former colleague with whom I had worked before and who had moved to Switzerland. Despite the distance, we kept in touch and started discussing projects related to Artificial Intelligence with Lufthansa. However, the pandemic disrupted our initial plans. We reestablished contact early the following year, which led us to work on several projects together. Towards the end of the year, we applied for a proposal from Lufthansa to become their digital partner in the short, medium, and long term. We were selected out of 65 companies and emerged as the winners. All the values that Lufthansa, the company, the city, and the team members needed have come together. This achievement, both on a personal and collective level, is one of the most important credentials I have obtained in my over 40-year career and represents a great opportunity for everyone in the company.
In this regard, we must emphasize that one of the keys to success has been the talent that Lufthansa relies on and that we have in this country. Should we start trusting in our talent after seeing how it fled to other countries?
First and foremost, we should ask ourselves what talent is. I consider it to be a combination of knowledge and personal values such as integrity, ethics, and responsibility, all multiplied by a positive attitude. I believe a positive attitude is essential for facing challenging situations and moments. If you don’t have a positive attitude, no matter how much you know, I’m not interested.
Furthermore, there are other factors such as language skills that increase this value. However, finding talent is just the beginning. The most important thing is to retain it and help it grow. If you seek it out and find it but don’t retain it and help it grow, you will lose it. It’s not a short race but a marathon where it’s essential to find your team, keep them motivated, and help them grow in knowledge, experience, and commitment.
