I had just returned to Spain from two years working in internal audit and financial control in New Zealand. My background was in the hotel resort industry, but I was keen to look for a new challenge in a different sector and I was really attracted to the huge potential of the data centre industry.
Global Switch in Madrid was relatively small when I arrived, but it has grown enormously since and is now one of the city’s leading carrier and cloud neutral data centre providers. The customer base, sales revenue, the size of the team – everything has quadrupled, and I have seen my responsibility grow along with the business. The number of stakeholders involved in each task has increased and so too has the amount of support, analysis and control that is required. It has been incredible to experience this growth of a company first-hand.
Things are always changing, but in general I look after financial reporting for the group companies in Spain, working closely with other teams including sales, operations, and projects. I make sure our reporting is accurate, meaningful and on time, and that it fits with short and long-term company objectives. I also work closely with the Finance team in London, keeping them updated on our performance and forecasts.
There is a real sense at Global Switch that you can grow at a pace that suits you. From my perspective, I have always felt supported and have been able to develop my skills in a steady way throughout my time here. I think that the high level of interaction I have with different levels of management had played a big part in that.
The demand for resilient data centre capacity in Spain is growing fast, and this brings big opportunities for Global Switch. Madrid is also one of the most important gateways to North and South America, and Global Switch as a DE-CIX enabled site provides access to the world’s largest independent eco system. In my role, I am closely involved in scoping out the financial side of any expansion, so it is fascinating to be part of the journey.
