The vice-president of Santander Spain, Juan Manuel Cendoya, receives this Saturday the gold medal of his homeland, Zaragoza, during the institutional event that marks the start of the Pilar Festival. After a life dedicated to the legal profession and the banking sector, today He will receive the highest honor of “my city and my house”, which he always remembers with fondness, and this recognizes his professional journey and his work as an ambassador for this land.
A Zaragoza that he considers, like the whole of Aragon, as an “example of strength” and with a “dynamic business class”. Thus, this has allowed it to be at the forefront of the new economy, based on cloud technology and cloud computing. AND Cendoya has no doubt that “it will go further”, inviting institutions to “raise their voices” and shout to investors and workers that “Zaragoza is here”..
Q.- What does receiving this Zaragoza Gold Medal mean to you?
A.- It’s an honor. I am very content and happy. I’m honored and a little overwhelmed, but in life you have to be grateful and accept recognition. My commitment to Zaragoza, which is my city and my home, and to Aragon is recognized. I never thought I would have another house.
Q.- It is often said that the most complicated thing is to be a prophet in your country
A.- Maybe when you are away it is a little easier, even if I can come very frequently. This fills me with satisfaction. I feel very Aragonese and Zaragoza. A reward of these characteristics, a recognition as profound as the city’s gold medal, moves me.
Q.- How do you communicate it? Did the mayor call you?
A.- The mayor gave it a lot of importance and made him receive it with great honor. He called me, we had a meeting and he discussed the intention of the city council. What is important is that the municipal plenary session approved it, and that’s when she called me and I spoke with her. He managed very well a process with these characteristics so as not to raise false expectations and, at the same time, to perceive the importance of your city by granting you the highest distinction.
Q.- What do you miss most about Zaragoza since Madrid?
A.- What I miss the most is walking, enjoying and talking with friends on the street. For many years, in Madrid, I went to restaurants, to mass, to a square or to play sports and I hardly saw anyone. I missed it, in Zaragoza, when I walked around, I would meet 10 or 15 people. I didn’t feel this feeling until I lived in Madrid for 15 years. In Zaragoza you don’t feel the loneliness of other big cities, but rather you feel accompanied by a wide circle of family and friends.
Q.- You have always wanted to maintain the link with your city
A.- I have always maintained it. I studied here, I have my friends, I come frequently… I try to come once a month to the headquarters of Banco Santander, the former Bank of Aragon, an emblematic and very important place in the economic history of the city and the region. . I am there very frequently.
The Aragonese economy
Q.- How do you see the Aragonese economy from Madrid?
A.- It looks good. It grows more than the average, has less unemployment, more industrial capacity, exports more and has a better future. It is an example of a strong region with a dynamic business class.
Q.- There is strong commitment in the technology sector. Are data centers and cloud technology the future?
A.- There is no doubt that the present and, of course, the future are data, computing and artificial intelligence. These decisions by large companies are a very good sign for Zaragoza and for the entire region.
Q.- It is finally taking advantage of its strategic location and its potential
A.- It has always been like that. The history of Zaragoza has a lot to do with its geographical location since it was founded by the Romans. It now benefits from connectivity and this geographical positioning, with so much territory and renewable energy possibilities. We are at a moment where this takes on a much greater value. The arrival of the AVE was transformative. This will go further.
Q.- Is it difficult for Aragon to promote himself?
A.- Totally. The Aragonese character is, on several occasions, cautious and overly humble. Sometimes you have to step into the ring and attract the attention of investors, say “this is Zaragoza” to investors of future companies and to workers. We are now in a globalized world, in competition with the main European cities. It is good to raise your voice to attract more investment. The Aragonese authorities, both the president and the mayor, represent renewed energy and youth when it comes to raising their voices and saying “this is Zaragoza”.
The banking sector
Q.- Where should the banking sector go?
A.- Support customers. We have 160 million customers worldwide, including 200,000 in Aragon. We support them in their growth, in their lives, their mortgages, their payments… Bizum is a creation of banks and an extraordinary instrument for comfortable and easy payments. It is a strength for the country and for Aragon to have strong financial entities which are the artery of the economy. We are a group of good banks, like LaCaixa, BBVA, Banco Santander, and it is very good to have a local entity like Ibercaja which is very committed to the territory, independent and strong.
Q.- After more than a decade of constant mergers and consolidations, will they continue?
A.- I don’t think so. In Spain there could be a little more consolidation. There are over 100 entities with huge competition. I don’t see big movements, but I see small adaptations, actors who increase their quota or a purchase to complete an autonomous community. Europe must regain its competitiveness. It is falling behind its main competitors such as the United States and China and must make decisive progress in terms of competitiveness and growth.
Ana Botín always says it. Europe must progress in terms of innovation and growth in employment, activity and exports. Today our situation is improving in the south of Europe, because the north was more affected by the war in Ukraine and by gas, but we must not lose sight of the fact that we must increase competitiveness. Only if we increase our competitiveness, integrate more people into the labor market and attract the best students can Europe continue to be successful. We are very good at social protection, but we need strong growth.
Q.- Banco Santander is present in many countries. How does the philosophy of the same bank spread across the world?
A.- It is important to have a unique vision. President Ana Botín has a strategic and determined vision, which unites the entire management team. We aspire to become the best local bank in England, Brazil, Mexico, Spain and Portugal, and we must leverage global capabilities to be the most profitable bank. We must do right by the customer, by delivering good products, with good quality of service and giving them confidence so that they trust us. Thus, we will be able to make a good profit, pay a good amount of taxes and pay an adequate dividend to the shareholders.
The future
Q.- How do you see the future on a personal and professional level?
A.- I consider the future of Zaragoza and Aragon to be very promising. He has a good understanding of future trends in technology and sustainability. I am happy to get up every morning working at Banco Santander. President Ana Botín and the CEO give me the confidence to work with creativity and autonomy. I have wonderful colleagues and a team of 200,000 professionals who I am passionate about. Seeing the Spanish flag on Banco Santander fills me with pride. On a personal level, I try to be a good father, a good husband and contribute my commitment to the society around us, in Zaragoza and Madrid.
