Pablo Lobo Sanchez

I was born and raised in Spain, but moved to the Netherlands to be with my father when I was 12. It was actually the perfect age for an international switch, because I have had every opportunity to really flourish here. As a teenager, I lived in the charming province of Brabant, where I am still very much at home. But my earliest ‘roots’ are in Spain. I often say, ‘I feel almost completely Dutch, but Spain will always have a big place in my heart!’

My family are from Madrid, and I was born in Asturias, the most beautiful part of Spain! I still go there ‘con mucha alegria’ ☺. Several years ago, I moved for love (and work) to Rotterdam – a delightful multicultural city – where I feel at home.

After university, I ended up in Logistics and got a job at a major Dutch logistics company. It was very educational, and I gained a lot of experience, even though the company culture was quite hierarchical and there wasn’t a lot of freedom for self-development. Then, I switched to a small Spanish company in the Netherlands, where I organised all of the logistics. This was really nice and challenging, but, in the end, I missed the energy and working with colleagues.

The nice thing is that, now in the FMI team, I have found ‘the good from both sides’: lots of responsibility and trust, as well as close collaboration with international colleagues, so it’s perfect for me!

The fruit and vegetable industry is new to me, but of course FMI has excellent connections with Spain and the Spanish language. Right away, from the first conversation, I really clicked with the other employees, and got a positive impression of the company’s open culture.

At FMI, no two days are the same, there is a new challenge every time. It’s nice to get some variety in the logistics field, combined with administrative variety. I’m in direct contact with commercial colleagues, as well as colleagues in Spain, so I feel like I’m performing a key role.

My life motto is: ‘When life gives you Lemons, just make Lemonade’. And, here, I am literally working with lemons! Well, I am more than happy to turn them into lemonade!!’