“At Telefónica, at every step we make sure that we move forward ethically”, Julia del Carmen Suárez

How long have you been with Telefónica and what is your assessment of your time here?

I have been with the group for 15 years, always in the People area, where I have done everything from training, culture, talent development and change management, to being a business partner and accompanying business areas in their development. I started in Telefónica Venezuela, then I spent some time in Sao Paulo-Brazil in the Telefónica International team, then four years in Telefónica Colombia, where I had the opportunity to travel around the country teaching diversity and leadership programmes. Finally, six years ago I came to the global People offices in Madrid and I am currently programme manager at Universitas Telefónica.

I would describe these years in two words: learning and family. I have been fortunate to meet leaders and colleagues who have generously taught me a lot and accelerated my development. And family because when you move from one country to another for work, and you pack your life several times in a suitcase, it is your colleagues in the professional environment who end up helping you and accompanying you beyond work-related issues. Telefónica has made me a TOP professional and has also given me excellent friends.

Is there any project at Telefónica that you are particularly satisfied with or proud of?

Probably the Equipares certification we obtained at Telefónica Colombia in terms of employment equity and gender equality management at the United Nations Development Programme (UN). We literally went through all our processes with a magnifying glass to ensure that they did not discriminate on the basis of gender. By touching a few levers we achieved significant improvement, tangible things that translate into the day-to-day lives of employees. It is almost magical when you hear a story of a colleague who, thanks to a change in a process, has improved their experience. There is nothing better than participating in a project that really improves people's daily lives and leaves tangible changes.

But the best challenge is always the current one. Today I explore the use of new generative artificial intelligence tools as assistants to accelerate our professional development. From telling AI to take on the role of a coach and create a tailored action plan for you (with free dates and resources), to generating forms for 360º assessments or identifying roles that match your skills and are in demand, the possibilities are endless! We are already a group of restless people who, from Universitas Telefónica, are sharing use cases in talks and workshops, and showing that, far from threatening us, AI is accelerating our professional potential.

What do you think Telefónica has contributed to society?

A lot! Too much to put here, but in summary I would say that the possibility of connecting across time and distance is our greatest contribution. As a migrant, it is enormously valuable for me to be able to connect with my family and friends whenever I want. I can still have family, despite the distance, thanks to Telefónica's contribution.

But what really sets us apart I think is that at every step we make sure that we move forward ethically, leaving no one behind and also being responsible to society and the environment; not every digital company can say that. So our contribution is not only the service we provide, but the way we do it… Being an example for other companies inside and outside our sector.

Where do you see Telefónica in the future?

Bigger and stronger than it is. The contribution and value of what we do is undeniable and the role of technology in the future will go through companies like ours.

We are gradually achieving some changes in the environment and it is becoming clearer every day that companies with a digital ethic must gain prominence. Leaders are needed to help define the new paradigm of the digital world, because it has already become clear that we cannot unleash all the possibilities of technology without questioning its impact on society; and companies like Telefónica are an excellent benchmark for ethical services and responsible digitalisation. I can only see interesting opportunities and challenges ahead.

Could you live without a mobile phone?

Of course you could! Mobile phones and digital life extend our capabilities, but they don't replace them. Of course I could live without my mobile phone, in fact, it is good to disconnect from time to time; the point is that with it (the mobile phone) we extend our capabilities; and this is enormously useful most of the time.

I think the question is not whether or not you can live with the mobile and its capabilities, but in which scenarios it adds up, and in which scenarios the connection and value of people is irreplaceable.

Just in the programme on using AI for Career Management we talked about how to turn your mobile into a virtual coach or mentor, but we made it clear that the best career opportunities will still come from our interaction with other people.

Help us solve one of humanity's great enigmas: the potato omelette… With onion or without onion?

In my case without onion, but if I get one with onion I'll eat it anyway. For me the mystery is how to prepare it… I've been living in Spain for six years and I still can't get it right. I think that being able to prepare a good omelette should be part of the exam to be granted nationality.

The thing is that this great enigma of humanity is combined with the mystery of whether the Arepa is Venezuelan or Colombian, and with the Pisco I'd better not even get into it, I don't want to get into trouble with my Peruvian and Chilean friends.

Nominate other colleagues to appear in this section

I nominate Daniela Muñoz Román, Víctor Ismael Rodríguez Burga, Marisi Vivas Zambrano, head of People in Ecuador and Derlin Valentina Leon Tovar, head of Diversity at Hispam. Both have international careers in the group.

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