In this feature interview, we delve into the remarkable journey of Miquel Colet, CEO of
Vibia.
From the bustling corridors of ESADE in Barcelona to the hallowed halls of Columbia
Business School, Miquel has walked a path with varied experiences and relentless ambition.
His career spans industries from consumer goods to real estate, which is the point: Miquel
embodies the spirit of a renaissance leader.
Miquel’s journey from a CFO position in Barcelona to a groundbreaking CEO in the United
States reflects a daring navigator who launches an expedition into uncharted lands, driven by
an insatiable quest for growth and impact.
Miquel, during our conversation, unveils his philosophy: breaking conventional molds and
fostering a culture of transparency with shared decision-making. His story is much more than
a personal triumph but serves as a beacon of inspiration to other aspiring leaders who dare to
dream beyond the horizon.
Following are Miquel’s thoughts and words:
Give a brief overview of your professional journey. What made you choose your current
industry?
I went to business school in Barcelona (ESADE, one of the main b-schools in Europe) and
later in life expanded on that business management education in the US at Columbia Business
School and at IESE in NYC (two of the main b-schools in the world).
I started my professional career in Barcelona and worked in different industries (consumer
goods, garment, real estate) and in different roles (CFO, Financial Controller), until I decided
to test myself and my capabilities and expand my horizon and expertise by pursuing a CEO
role in the United States. A role that would allow me to have a bigger, broader responsibility
and impact beyond the financial department, that would make me a more complete executive
and professional and gain personal and professional experience at an international level.
I left my job and everything I had in Barcelona and put everything on the line gambling on
this role at Vibia. It was the best decision ever and it has been a great success for both the
company and me.
Describe your working style in a few words?
Some ideas and practices that I have followed, and I try to share with my team: Not
considering the general rules of the industry or the company as a given and immutable has
been the foundation of all the new ideas that we have been able to experiment with and
implement successfully.
Not being afraid of breaking things and trying new approaches. Having the ability to bring
together the right team and having them work and participate in every circumstance as one
has also been a great value for me.
Being able to see and understand how to connect the dots and see the big picture and see
what’s possible thanks to the learnings from previous experience in other industries.
Caring about the details and about the results, taking things seriously, and always trying to
look long term.
The principles I have been following with our team have a lot to do with teamwork, team
communication, transparency/sharing of information, and following an approach of shared
decision-making process. This has allowed us to develop a great sense of pride within the
team and great team loyalty as well as great results.
I have a constant urge for learning and doing new things and for accomplishing and reaching
new goals and I try to motivate the team to do the same. I aim to bring value to the people
around me (whether on a personal or professional level) and to be a good resource and go-to
person for good advice and help. Fairness and accountability are also important ideas for me.
Brief us about your current role. What unique or fresh ideas have you introduced in
your capacity?
I promoted a shift from the sales channel and type of customers and projects that the
company (and our direct competitors had always focused on) to focusing on a different
channel and type of projects with much more potential as far as sales growth and margins.
That meant coming to market with new types of products and associated services/support
materials and a change of sales partners and sales team structure. I also introduced numerous
new sales and pricing policies and ways of working with our sales partners that have now
become standard in our industry.
How does innovation guide your services and what importance does it hold?
As mentioned before, it is very important for us to prioritize innovative ways to provide
service to our customers along the entire journey of product selection, project design,
purchase, installation, and post-sale. We have specific teams for each one of those areas of
support and we offer online and offline access options to those services to guarantee
maximum convenience and responsiveness.
Technology is dynamic. How do you ensure that your solutions are scalable? How do
you help clients undergo that transition?
We are creating and expanding support teams in-house for both our own sales team, and for
our sales partners, and customers (from Technical Support Service for questions related to
technology and compatibility in our products to IT and Design support to help with the online
configuration capabilities we offer in our website, etc.)
Technology, both in the way the products are designed and used and in the way our partners
and customers interact with us and our products, is quickly changing and poses a significant
learning curve for our industry and for our teams. We are trying to put the structures and
resources in place to be able to meet those demands and provide our customers with the
service, help, and advice they need.
What is the biggest challenge you have faced in your career? How did you overcome it
and what did you learn from it?
Like everyone else, I have faced many challenges throughout my career. Most of them have
eventually helped me become a better business leader. I have been part of several
organizations that were going through difficult times, layoffs, etc. and managing and
navigating those situations was not easy.
Even my beginnings at Vibia were quite challenging: I was arriving to a new company, in a
new industry, transitioning to a new bigger role (Financial Controller to CEO), in a new
country and language, and having to shut down our location in California and lay off all
personnel and move the company pretty much overnight across coasts. All at the same time,
and without previous extensive industry/product training, and no family or friends with me to
offer support since I was in a new country.
I overcame it because I decided to use this as a test of what I was capable of as a professional
and as a person. I invested all my time, effort, and energy into making all these changes and
transition a success. I wanted to prove to myself whether I would be capable of something
like this or not, and to build a future for myself and my family. What I learned is that if you
have a clear goal that you are willing to 100% commit to, and then break that journey into
steps that you can tackle one at a time, you are very likely to end up succeeding.
What, according to you, are the immediate challenges businesses need to address to
facilitate emerging technologies?
It all comes down to having the right people. And not necessarily coming from your own
industry. There is a need for people with the vision, the understanding and technical
knowledge of the new technologies, and the motivation to change things up and willing to
change the way they do their work.
How is the company working towards the sustainability goals of the world?
Vibia is working towards sustainability on different levels. The first one would be designing
products that are timeless and not adhering to temporary passing trends. Having products that
don’t need to be replaced/discarded is the best way to avoid waste.
Another step is introducing in our luminaire designs ways to replace electric components that
have a finite life (drivers, LED chips) instead of having to replace the whole light fixture. We
are reorganizing our supply chain, so the materials and products travel the least number of
miles possible during the different steps in their assembly. And, of course, using recyclable
materials as much as possible, and reducing energy consumption (solar panels, etc.) is part of
the initiatives that the company is working on.
What should our readers expect from your company and your team in the next few
years?
Gradually, GenZ is becoming the bulk of our target audience. We are paying attention to that
and preparing the company for the future with the arrival of more and more GenZ team
members to Vibia that can bring fresh new ideas and skills to the table. Related to that, the
world and business is transitioning to digital. The same can be said for lighting fixtures and
controls, and that’s also why our Digital Transformation team is growing very rapidly both on
the product and processes side.
In the near future we will be focusing on these transitions and on bringing more innovative
designs and product categories to the market, of course. On a personal level, I see myself
continuing to help the new generation of executives and leaders within the company to reach
their potential by sharing my knowledge, expertise, and experience.
What would you like to advise budding entrepreneurs through our magazine?
For somebody going into a leadership position, I believe it’s important to start humble and
just try to listen, pay attention, and learn and draw your own conclusions eventually. I would
say it’s important to have a good, varied background in business and management that will
help you make sense of everything and understand what the potential opportunities and
challenges are in every situation.
It’s important to make a constant effort to learn. The moment you stop making that effort you
will start losing touch with the realities and trends in business. And, of course, try to build
and rely on a good, solid team.
Don’t try to do everything yourself. The ultimate goal should be to gather a team that will not
need you. A team that will be able to make decisions and execute independently with
minimum input on your end.
Establish the direction, set the expectations, schedule the check-in points, communicate, and
share thoughts and decisions with your team and then let them do their job. Most importantly
you have to really care about what you do.
What is that one quote you absolutely live by or find helpful?
There have been a couple of quotes or ideas that are somehow related that made an
impression on me:
One I believe to be by Henry Ford: “Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t –
you’re right.”
The second one by Wayne Gretzky, the ice hockey hall of famer: “You miss 100 percent of
the shots you don’t take.”
I wish I had learned and applied these quotes earlier in my life!
