Day in the life of Lucia Casalduero, Marketing Executive

March 4, 2020

Lucia is our Marketing Executive in Spain. Her role involves a lot of multi-tasking, making sure she keeps up-to-date with solar news, and finding creative ways of sharing our projects. Read all about her role…

How and when did you end up in Solarcentury?

There comes a crucial moment in life when you have to make a very important decision, what to study. I honestly don’t think I was ready for this, but I’m someone who throws themselves at things, so after taking economics classes in school, I decided to study Business Administration and Management at the University of Valencia. During the five years of my degree, I took advantage of the opportunities that presented themselves. I got to spend a year at the University of Montpellier, where I got to improve my French, develop new personal skills and grow up quickly – this happens when you live far from home!

After I finished my degree, I wanted to get out of my comfort zone and broaden my horizons. I knew I needed to improve my English, so I moved to the UK with my now husband. But after living there for a few years, I realised I really missed my family and friends, as well as the good weather and the food in Spain, so when offered a position back in my hometown of Valencia, I jumped at the opportunity. A few years on, the opportunity to join the Solarcentury team as an Office Manager and Assistant PM became available. It was a good opportunity to progress in my career, and as someone who cares about protecting the environment, I think the company’s mission to combat climate chaos was certainly an extra motivation to join the team.

Why did you join Solarcentury?

Solarcentury gave me the opportunity to join a young and dynamic team, where I can grow professionally. This was one of my main reasons for joining the company. Now, almost a year later, I have no doubt that I made the right decision – the great team in Iberia, led by Jose Miguel, makes you feel at home from the minute you walk through the door, and that for me is very important.

Why did you choose to work in renewables, and solar in particular?

Working in the renewables sector gives you a sense of satisfaction. This wasn’t my main motivation for joining Solarcentury but I’m so glad I did – I’ve never felt anything like it, I now have such passion for our cause. Without realising it, simply by doing your job, you are contributing to creating a better world. I know that I have a lot to learn and I would love to continue training and growing in the world of renewables for many years to come. Spain continues to be a leader in renewable energy and energy transition, so it promises a good future for the sector.

What do you do day-to-day?

I started as an Office Manager, and had to multi-task a lot and do a bit of everything most of the time, be it marketing, HR, finance, even event management, as well as my main office management tasks. I definitely didn’t have time to be bored. I got to work closely with all the departments in our office, and learn something new from my colleagues every day. Now, as a Marketing Executive, my mornings start with a a virtual coffee chat with my team, which is spread in three countries. We’ve created a professional, but also a personal bond in the months of talking to each other not just about work, but life too. After this I am ready to face the day, planning and managing marketing material for our Spanish projects – from organising photoshoots, to writing blog posts, communicating with the press and sharing our project on social media.

What challenges have you faced in your role?

This one is easy – my biggest challenge so far has been organising the opening event for Talayuela Solar. I’d never organised an event of such scale, and one for a 300MWp solar farm, one of the largest in Europe, is definitely a big challenge, so I had to be at the top of my game. I had a few very busy weeks – from finding the perfect venue, booking photographers and organising the catering, to working with our Marketing team on creating the invites and posters for the day, but I loved it.

I made it my mission to use the services of local businesses, as I think it’s important for our neighbours to be included in the projects that we do. We planned to hold the event on site – we wanted our guests to see where Talayuela Solar will be. Unfortunately, the weather on the day was less than ideal, but the show had to go on. Local authorities, journalists and media representatives were invited, so we had to ensure that the land was in good condition before all the guests arrived. It rained on the day, and our CFO ended up getting stuck in the mud on his way, which was stressful on the day, but now we can laugh about it.

It all went well in the end, which meant that everyone was happy. Now I feel even more valued by my colleagues and am so very grateful to them for all their support during the organisation and the actual day. On top of it all, I met a bunch of wonderful people in Talayuela and am now itching to organise the next event.

What do you do in your free time?

Being by the sea makes me happy. When I can’t go for a swim or go sailing, I like having a beer and looking at the sea, it’s one of those little pleasures that Valencia offers all year round. This charges me for the week ahead!

I also enjoy spending time with my family – Sundays are always spent with them and a lot of delicious paella. And of course, there are my friends too! We have dinner every week to catch up, they’re such a big part of my life!

Another one of my hobbies is gastronomy, which is why I married a chef. I enjoy exploring new restaurants, and our holidays always become gastronomic tours, even without us realising it.

Has working in a renewable energy company had a big impact on your personal life?

It definitely has. Working at Solarcentury has opened my mind to a world I hardly knew. It is becoming increasingly clear to me that a total commitment to renewable energy is the safest option not only for our planet but also for the economy. I am now much more aware of the current situation regarding climate chaos and have incorporated small changes, such as reducing my use of single-use plastics and switching to environmentally friendly beauty and cleaning products into my life. I’ve become very passionate about fighting climate chaos thanks to my job.

We are facing a great challenge, but I think we are on the right track and more and more of us are aware of the need to participate in the energy transition, even if this requires more political will.