“I didn’t choose this job, this job chose me”: this sentence perfectly sums up Juan Antonio García Solano’s professional career. So if you don’t believe in destiny, this portrait will shake up your preconceptions.
Juan Antonio García Solano
General Manager – Techno Pro Hispania
46 years old
Hobbies : Sport, Hiking, Cycling
#PORTRAITCOLLAB
It all started with an Erasmus scholarship: « In 1999, I wanted to get away from the standard university life. I wanted to live a different experience so I decided to apply for an Erasmus scholarship. I didn’t hesitate to choose the country of destination, I directly chose France and then I selected the city of Cherbourg. »
Juan then took off for France to live a new experience but what awaits him is beyond anything he had imagined.
« During my university year, I had to do a 2-month internship in a company. So I started canvassing local companies and sending out resumes everywhere. Techno Pro was the first company to contact me and I quickly understood why. »
Indeed, at that time, Techno Pro was already working with DCNS on the Scorpene Chile submarine program. Mr. Yannick Vergez, CEO of FIVA Group, knew that Navantia and DCNS were working together on this program. When he saw the CV of a person living in Cartagena, the city where Navantia has its shipyard, he immediately contacted him to propose him to join the company for his internship.
« I was in charge of translating the company’s various commercial documents into Spanish and I also had to establish contacts with Navantia. It was not easy because I had no knowledge in this field. So I proceeded step by step by calling the shipyard to start my commercial approach. This tactic paid off because I managed to get an appointment with Navantia in Cartagena to present Techno Pro and its services. It was a first small victory! »
Back in Spain, in June 2000, Juan started a master’s degree in insurance.
« One may wonder why I went into insurance, but it is easy to understand when you know that I have been immersed in this world since I was a child because my father had an insurance brokerage firm. It was a sector that I liked so when I came back from France my goal was to join my father in his firm. I worked in this sector for a few months and then Mr. Vergez contacted me again and my life took a new turn! »
In January 2001, while Juan was working with his father, Mr. Vergez offered him a position in the company with the objective of developing Techno Pro’s activities in Spain.
« I was very interested in Mr. Vergez’s proposal and I thought that it would allow me to try something different, so I went for it and accepted. At first, my father didn’t believe in it, he thought it was temporary and that I was going to come back, but when he saw the development of the company and the size it was taking, he understood that I wouldn’t be coming back. After accepting Mr. Vergez’s proposal, I visited all the shipyards in the country and started to get several contracts. We then realized that there was a potential to develop in Spain and this is how Techno Pro Hispania was born in October 2001. »
Juan was then promoted to the position of General Manager of the entity, a radical and important turning point in his professional career.
« Since the creation of Techno Pro Hispania, my missions have evolved, which is logical because it goes hand in hand with the growth of the entity. As General Manager, I am in charge of the overall management of the entire entity in all areas. When I started, I immediately surrounded myself with the best people in the field because I don’t have a technical background and it’s an engineering world, so I had to be well surrounded to be able to develop our reputation and our brand image. The position of General Manager requires to be everywhere and nowhere at the same time. I have to prepare the annual sales strategy with the sales manager, analyze the results of all the projects we work on every month with the CFO, participate in some recruitment interviews with our HR team, have regular meetings with customers, engineering managers and purchasing managers, etc. I had to adapt to all the changes and the evolution of the company. Currently, Techno Pro Hispania has 135 employees and works with companies in Spain, France and the United States in the naval, oil and gas sectors. »
An impressive development and a growth of which he can be proud when you think about the fact that it all started with an Erasmus scholarship.
« I have always said that this year in Cherbourg changed my life. My first few months in France were a bit difficult because I spoke very little French and I had to adapt to the local habits, especially in terms of meals, which are the complete opposite of those in Spain. To be honest, the most constraining was the adaptation to the weather, there was a little too much rain for my taste but after a few months and a better French vocabulary, my stay was totally different. When I think back on it, I sometimes find it hard to realize that I am in this position thanks to a 2-month internship in which I flourished and which opened the doors to a new sector that I am passionate about today. »
