Interview
Interview Leandro de Gabriel, CEO of Grupo Binternational
19 de September de 2024
Today we talk with Leandro de Gabriel, CEO of Grupo Binternational, who shares his experience in various sectors and how Madrid-T Place to Be can attract entrepreneurs and startups through personalized value propositions and effective talent management. We leave you with the interview:
Leandro, you have worked in various companies, launched your own projects, you teach in business schools… We ask you for a self-introduction: Who are you, what have you done in your career and what projects are you currently immersed in?
They laugh at me when I tell it, but when I was little I would take a box of chocolate cookies, make packs of five, and sell them at recess to other kids. So you can get an idea that my skills to relate and develop business have been present throughout my career, haha.
I have a natural desire to share what I know with others and help them during critical moments. That’s why I teach at ESADE about talent search, attraction, and compensation in B2B. I have reached this point after starting businesses in very different sectors: I began in 2007 with Mevalco, an export business in the UK, launched three publishing companies between 2007 and 2011… And my latest project is Opn, a space for art and events from Thursday to Monday, where we also work two companies from Tuesday to Thursday. In it, I merge the Art business with the purpose of Grupo Binternational, the company of which I am CEO: to build organizations where people feel good, identify and give their best version.
Today we are here to talk about the Madrid-T Place to Be project, which you have been part of in two of its round tables on entrepreneurship. What do you think can attract entrepreneurs and startups to Madrid the most?
If this were a game, Madrid has very good cards, but when there are difficulties to attract we need to play them very well. And this is achieved by thinking of Madrid as a company, with a personalised value proposition for talent, another for entrepreneurs and another for start-ups.
We need to analyse the benefits that Madrid offers to each of these groups compared to other places. Right now we are not aware of the treasure we have and what certain things mean to some people.
The next step is to tell it very well to be able to compete. This is what is known in people management as an employee value proposition (EVP).
Companies urgently need valuable people to be effective. Infrastructures, connections to seek capital or the recognition of past times are essential, but not enough. We have to make the connection as easy as possible with talent.
Tell us what advice you would give to young people or professionals who want to launch their own projects
I’m probably going to go down a different path than usual, but our focus is to train companies to better manage their people and get the best version of themselves. So I’m going to stop at this.
Managers and executives must be very clear about what they need from each professional they hire and ensure they express it as clearly as possible. It’s impossible for me to deliver what the company needs if I don’t know what is expected of me, the timelines, and the level of commitment required.
And you have to be profitable and meet the expectations of talent. People expect to give their time to a company that adds meaning to their lives. And they don’t do it for long, so maintaining their enthusiasm will be one of the challenges.
Also to ensure that the company is diverse and flexible, that well-being is present (logically when there is contribution from the teams), and that it is capable of having a value proposition related to the life of its people. Keeping the balance between profitability and the new ways of working that are imposed are other very valuable tips.
What does Madrid need to take a leap and be a benchmark technology Hub (if it is not already)?
It needs to breathe avant-garde in Madrid. We talked about it at a work table. If in 2011 London already allowed you to board a bus with only your debit card, how have we taken 11 years to incorporate technology into such an everyday gesture? We must take more care of the perception of the city because it builds the collective imagination.
And obviously connect the spotlights where you think with companies that need to innovate, new tools and new capabilities. There is a dangerous gap between the public and the private that must be closed.
The project is about looking for and retaining the best talent. What are the areas of the world where you think Madrid should look at attracting talent and how do you think these young people could be more attracted?
Madrid can be inspired by countries such as Switzerland, Singapore and the USA, leaders in attracting talent because they cultivate technical skills, offer development, have a very powerful education system and dynamic labour markets.
Spain, the second preferred destination for digital nomads, must attract young talent without falling into ageism (age discrimination). And for it to work, we must involve them in the project, ask them what is important to them, analyse it and offer them a destination to develop their professional career with the ingredients they value. If this reflection is made by people from other generations, it won’t work because we will have a disconnected vision of their reality.
And attract taking into account local peculiarities. For example, summers are getting hotter and hotter in the city. If young people value leaving Madrid in the summer and being able to work from anywhere, Madrid must promote new ways of working. We at Binternational Group appreciate flexibility and teleworking. Well, we offer it throughout the summer (also with intensive working hours), Christmas and Easter with the commitment that the contribution to the business is adequate. We have a better quality of life, more enjoyment and we are improving the attractiveness of our jobs and work-life balance.
What are the characteristics that you would highlight when looking for these profiles?
There are a number of skills that are welcome in virtually every context. In our experience advising on people attraction and management, we have found that in Madrid, as in other places that want to take the lead, companies demand critical and analytical people, who question how things have been done so far and ideate, test and iterate. People who take initiative, committed, with the ability to lead other people, and reliable.
What do you consider the great advantages and disadvantages of Madrid for this project?
The most positive aspect is that Madrid has come a long way and is capable of attracting talent, generating knowledge, and providing the means for that talent to settle in the city, as demonstrated by the 2023 Talent Map from the Cotec Foundation.
What can Madrid do to stand out against other nearby economic hubs like Berlin or Paris?
On the one hand, to gain ground in competitiveness. Berlin has played its cards well and has an attractive proposal: an inspiring city that exudes magnetism, quality of life for its inhabitants, powerful accompaniment for entrepreneurs with access to investors and mentoring. But if the cost of living continues to rise in Madrid, what will be our differentiating element? We need to bring together a niche and for our city to be the benchmark in it.
On the other hand, to work on the Madrid brand, so that innovation, technology and sustainability are breathed. What trust does a company born in Germany or Silicon Valley generate? All. What credibility does a company born in Madrid have? A lot, but with room for improvement.
