A Simon-Kucher office location since 2008 and the backdrop of this year’s annual World Meeting: Welcome to beautiful Madrid! For our Global Office Tour feature, Susana shares with us what makes the Madrid office so unique, must-see sights, and what she enjoyed most about our recent World Meeting in Spain’s vibrant capital.
Hello, Susana! Thank you for taking the time to show us around the Madrid office. Would you mind briefly introducing yourself?
Hi, my name is Susana! I’m originally from Ecuador but have been living in Spain for eight years now. I’ve been working for Simon-Kucher as an Administrative Assistant for about six months, and it feels like I’ve been part of the team for many years. I support our Madrid and Barcelona offices in administration and IT topics, and the Latin American teams in CRM requests as well. This gives me the chance to manage many different areas and to work with a variety of fantastic people.
What is something unique about your office?
Something unique about our office is the fact that even though we’re growing, it still feels like a close-knit team. We always try to organize different activities like a sports day, dinners or drinks so we bond and get to know each other better.
How would you describe your office culture? Do you have any office traditions?
Our office culture is bubbling. One of our office traditions is gathering in our kitchen and having a snack when a new colleague joins the company to get to know our “newbie” better. The new team member must tell a joke so we can have a laugh together. The most important thing about our get-togethers: Food and drink!
What do you look forward to coming into work?
I simply like what I do and who I work with, so for me it’s a mix of these two things that make me look forward to coming into work. When I know most of the team is coming to the office, I already know it’s going to be a good day.
What is your favorite office memory?
My favorite memory is my very first day. People in the office made me feel super welcome, had so much patience with me, and were so nice. I immediately felt the great atmosphere and knew that I was about to become part of a fantastic team.
Speaking of a favorite memory – this year, Simon-Kucher’s World Meeting took place in Madrid! What was your first thought when you heard that the World Meeting would be in Madrid?
When I heard that the World Meeting would be in Madrid, my first thought was that this is an amazing opportunity to share the best things Madrid has to offer with all my colleagues – like food, amazing places, and culture. I was so happy!
What was your highlight? What did you enjoy the most?
My World Meeting highlight were the wonderful venues chosen for dinners and other events. I had never visited Castillo de Viñuelas before – for me it was a great place to be with my team and the one I enjoyed the most due to all the activities that the Events Team had planned for us.
You’ve probably heard this question multiple times recently: Is there a best-kept secret location in Madrid that you would recommend? Maybe a place to see or to eat at?
There are always new places to visit in Madrid, and a few of them are indeed secret. One of my most recent discoveries: A theater in the city center that looks like a regular theater from the outside but, once inside, you can find a stone refuge downstairs that was used during the war. It now serves as a venue for shows, karaoke, and live music. It’s fantastic!
What does a perfect day in Madrid look like for you?
A perfect day in Madrid for me looks like this: Going out for some tapas and tinto de verano in the city center during the summer and finishing the day off in a local venue with some live music or a flamenco show. This incapsulates the best of Madrid in one day.
Thank you, Susana, for taking the time to talk to us and giving us these great insights!