José Ricardo lives now in Berlin working as Global Commodity Manager at Siemens Energy, overseeing 30 factories located in different parts of the world.
He still thrives on challenges and pushing the boundaries. And he is not afraid to ask, “and they always give me more than I asked for”. His curiosity and willingness to excel is what led him six months ago to apply for the position he now holds at Siemens Energy and move to a country of which he didn't speak a word of the language.
“It's a challenge, but it's part of what I want,” he said. It wasn’t the first time he packed his bags and set out. Born in Colombia, José Ricardo went to university in Pamplona, Navarre (Spain), where he added a degree in Economics and Politics, before moving to Los Angeles, then Singapore, then back to Spain.
Since June 1, 2024, like other central functions, Purchasing and Logistics at Siemens Energy and Siemens Gamesa are working in an integrated fashion.
For José Ricardo, “this energy giant, emerging as a result of the integration of Siemens Gamesa, presents endless opportunities on the road to the energy transition”. When he finished university, he was heading for a career in the automotive industry, but someone told him about Siemens Gamesa. What really turned him on was the idea of working for a company that could have so much positive impact on people lives - a company dedicated to renewable energy to fight climate change and the terrible consequences of global warming.
“I always liked Siemens Gamesa’s mission statement: make real what matters for the generation to come. Now, with Siemens Energy, the impact goes beyond providing clean energy with renewable energy, or wind energy. It is now the whole spectrum of the energy transition, from manufacturing to improving solutions toward decarbonization,” he said.
José Ricardo has already experienced the aftermath of the merger that gave rise to Siemens Gamesa, and he knows that the journey is not always without its pitfalls.
“Diversity of opinions, different ways of doing things, and legacies. The challenge here is to work as one team,” said José Ricardo.
“If you are used to doing things one way, you don't want to change from one moment to the next, but you must look at what makes sense for everyone as a whole, because it's really what's best.”
“The status quo is meant to be challenged”. Leaving the old ways behind and reinventing oneself is never easy. “This is the process we are in now, and I think there are a lot of discussions to come, but that’s why Team Purple is important, because it is the future” to accelerate the path towards a single culture of innovation.
