Operations in Spain with General Manager, Oriol

What made you choose Choco?

Seven years ago, I was living and working in Brazil. Around that time, I made the decision to focus on the irreversible impacts of climate change. It's one of the biggest challenges we have ahead. Since then, I've been spending my time working on that mission. And when I came across Choco, I found that its mission as an organization was very close to my own.

But when I really think about what convinced me to make the switch, I'd say it came down to three main things.

1. The team

I've always valued the importance of great cultures and teams. During my interview process, I could feel the energy and the positive company culture. In the end, that's one of the most important things, right? You're going to spend a lot of time with your team. The quality of your work depends on team collaboration and energy.

2. The complexity and challenges

I was quite fascinated by the complexity of both Choco's product and go-to-market solution. I saw that some complex solutions were needed to solve some of the pain points within the food industry, which made me more interested.

3. Our impact

Another deciding factor was the impact of what Choco was building. Choco's desire to scale is not because of business reasons. Rather, it stems from the positive impact it wants to have on the planet. I loved being in fast-moving environments and wanted to make a positive impact as soon as possible. So my decision to join Choco was an easy one.

You've been with Choco for over a year now. What's been your favorite part?

The team. I enjoy working with everyone at Choco. My days are positive and optimistic because of that. I love the collaboration across teams and departments to solve complex challenges. We aren't working with a playbook that we can follow. We need to think, try things out, and learn by doing.

When you hear from a satisfied user, you feel proud. We're building solutions to real problems and it's having an impact. It's such an amazing feeling, and always a favorite.

What’s been your most significant learning(s) this year?

I'd say it has a lot to do with what I mentioned earlier about trying things out. Sometimes you see something and think it's going to work, so you make a plan. But then everything changes and you're back to square one. It's part of working in a fast-moving industry, a lot has changed in one year alone. So our mindset is important. We need to move fast, but also be able to adapt and change plans based on whatever conditions arise.

Are there any Choco Spain team rituals that you can share?

Yes! Quite a few actually. We always start Monday morning with an office-wide team meeting. Of course, we accept sleepy faces, because it's just a time for us to regroup and kick off the week in the right mood. Positive energy is key. We cover events happening, whether we have any visitors, what went well or didn't the week prior, etc. Then each team also has its own routines. They'll have regular team meetings to keep track of their targets.

We also do bi-weekly all-hands for the entire team in Spain across offices. In these, we go into more detail and give regional updates and shoutouts. So yeah, we spend a lot of time together!

For team building and to keep things fun we host bi-weekly office events. One of the most important parts of a team is the ability to have fun and share experiences. Since September, we've been doing some sports together as a team. It's something that aligns with our mission of sustainability. We currently have two weekly fitness classes for yoga and running, which is quite nice.

We also have weekly sustainability-related activities. Every three months we select a new "sustainability ambassador." This person then gets to own the quarterly planning of these activities.

What do you hope to achieve with your team next year?

In 2023, we're going to focus on scaling our impact. In the end, our goal is to be the go-to company for order management among vendors in Spain. Ultimately, we need to ensure we have a strong voice in the market and that we're offering the best solution.

Tell us about the type of talent you’re looking to hire.

We need people who are energetic and positive. Proactive productivity is something that we encourage. We still have a lot to learn. So we need people who are willing to try, fail, and then try again. We need people who bring solutions. We're not yet at a stage where we have processes for everything. So being resourceful is super important to align with our vision.

What’s the best part about working in Barcelona?

I'm actually originally from Barcelona. It's an amazing city - it's active and always busy. It's also international. You'll meet people from all around the world not only in the city but even in the Choco office. We're a global and diverse team. I'd say it's quite magical and unique.

Our Madrid team plans on growing further as well. Can you tell us more about the team and what it’s like to work in Madrid?

Well, Madrid is also growing fast and becoming a hub for Choco too. Even though our team is smaller, the energy is high and we are definitely looking for more Chocorians to join the team there. Madrid is a city that never sleeps, where the restaurant scene is just booming month after month, which makes it a fun place to live and a great market for Choco.

Any fun fact people might not know about you?

I'm a person of routine. It's something I share with the team and we have a lot of fun with it. I usually have a lot of routines in how I do things and how I manage meetings. It's quite funny. I always choose this one fact. But I also really love sales. My entire career has always centered around selling. I've had a passion for it since I was a kid selling toys on the street in front of my house.

Wrapping it up

At Choco, we’re constantly on the lookout for top-tier, ambitious, action-oriented people to join our team. Whether it be in Spain, Germany, France, Brussels, the UK, or the US, Chocorians are hungry yet humble, and always ready to achieve the impossible. So if you’re thinking about a career change and ready to step outside your comfort zone, be sure to check out our open roles!