This article is the second in a series about young professionals at HDI with unique backgrounds and experiences. Check out part 1 here and part 3 here.
When you work in the insurance industry, you don’t often receive an invitation to speak on national television. Thirty-four-year-old Javier Quintana-Lacaci had this opportunity a year ago – not in order to talk about risk assessment or claims management, but to reflect on his family’s experiences during the Spanish coup d’etat in 1981. Even though he hadn’t been born at the time, he wouldn’t be working for HDI in Hanover, Germany, today if this episode in national and family history had played out differently.
Grandfather “the first to be removed”
The TV interview took place shortly before Javier, a Property Underwriter, left Madrid in January 2019. It was part of a programme about Spain’s political transition to democracy, which started with the death of dictator Francisco Franco in 1975. Not all parts of society welcomed the change, and in February 1981, about 200 Civil Guard officers stormed the parliament to stop the election of a new prime minister and take control of the government. They had support from parts of the military.
“My grandfather was the general of the First Military Region”, Javier says. “He’s dead now, but he had a big role in the military in Madrid at that time. He was responsible for the greatest number of soldiers and battle tanks.”
His mother and father – who also worked for the military – were living in his grandfather’s house during this period. They were at serious risk: His grandfather had opposed the coup. Therefore, “he would have been the first one to be removed”, Javier says.
Phone call from the king
His father was present in his grandfather’s office when King Juan Carlos called. “’We need to stop this coup’, the king said”, Javier explains. This was the first sign that the uprising would fail – the rebels hadn’t been able to gain the king’s support. The family was safe.
After Javier was born in 1985, his family’s life continued to be influenced by their military careers. They had to move often – from Madrid to Mallorca and later to southern Spain. “In my family we’ve been used to changing locations all our life”, Javier says. “and this way of living has left an imprint on our mind-set: My sister used to live in Strasburg and Brussels, my eldest brother in Panama, Cairo and Washington, the younger one in France and I, now, in Germany”. He learned to be open to new acquaintances and customs.
While he pursued a completely different career path, taking on responsibilities in various areas of the insurance industry, his family’s military life had conditioned him to cherish experiencing new places and acquaintances. He describes himself as a “multi-task worker at heart, who’s always willing to travel, if required.”
“That’s part of the adventure”
In January 2019, he took on a new underwriting business consultancy assignment for HDI in Hanover. Speaking of his move from Spain to Germany, Javier says: “It’s been an exciting experience working in a new country and the tasks have been stimulating and rewarding. It hasn’t always been easy living away from family and friends but that’s part of the adventure.”
Javier was surprised that moving abroad turned out to benefit his communication skills in many different ways, not only by increasing his confidence in speaking English. “Life begins outside your comfort zone, and there is no better way to leave that zone than by leaping into a work role in a foreign country. International experience has taught me to communicate better. It encourages me to be less fearful of speaking in a non-native language.” Having successfully appeared on national TV probably increased his confidence in his communication skills, too. “Imagine the popularity it meant, my views on LinkedIn skyrocketed!” he says.
Unique international connections
All this has made it easier for Javier to make friends in his new environment. While meeting new people had always been a part of his life, the position in Hanover gave him an opportunity to experience a wider range of backgrounds. “Every Thursday, we have an international lunch where you meet people from Spain, France, UK, Japan, China, Sri Lanka, Peru and Italy, among other nationalities”, he explains. “It’s a great atmosphere. People are openminded and the international connections I’ve made are unique and priceless.”
In addition to personal friendships, he learns about office culture in different parts of the world. For example, “in Germany, you’re encouraged to ask your boss questions in meetings, but when you do the same in parts of Asia, you might be considered disrespectful”, Javier says.
Being far away from home, he also still employs lessons from his childhood family life, for example during negotiations. “My childhood’s chess experience taught me to be patient and wait for the other side’s move before making my decisions, which is a very valuable tactic in underwriting.” His grandfather, the general, would be delighted to hear this.