A great connoisseur of our company, where he has developed his professional activity as Head of Quality, Head of After-Sales, Director of Purchasing and After-Sales, Industrial Manager, and member of the Management Committee, Javier Rodríguez Vilela was appointed Executive Director of Grupo Castrosua a few months ago. His extensive experience, spanning over two decades in the bus and coach sector, and his close relationship with our company are values that define his profile. A profile that we want to introduce to you a little better through this interview, in which we review his career at Grupo Castrosua and where he offers us his vision on the current situation of the sector and the future challenges that should be faced.
Question. – In addition to his training as a Technical Engineer from the University of Santiago de Compostela, he has additional studies in ISO 9001, 14001, 22301 standards, waste management, and internal systems auditor, is a senior technician in OSH and OSH systems auditor, as well as training in 2D and 3D computer-aided design, industrial maintenance organization, and various training in leadership competencies.
Do you believe that continuous training in a sector like Castrosua’s is the key to offering solutions adapted to current mobility needs?
Training and learning are fundamental for the adequate development of all people’s skills, perhaps even more so in a globalized society that is evolving at ever-increasing speeds, like the current one.
Specifically, in a sector like bodywork, characterized by its dynamism and adaptability to the changing needs in people’s mobility, it is essential to apply training policies of constant and very dynamic recycling, without losing sight of the lessons learned that have brought us to the present moment after 75 years of history.
Question. – In these two decades at Grupo Castrosua, you have been part of several projects and departments. How have you experienced this journey? What can you say about the teams/people?
I feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity to share experiences, and participate in the daily “struggle” with various areas and colleagues, as well as with our clients and suppliers.
In all the areas in which I have participated and worked directly, and there have been many, I have found great professionals and excellent people. One cannot ask for more.
Question. – And in the Management Committee, how has it evolved? How do you work today?
I have been participating in the Management Committee for several years now, and from the perspective that time gives you, I can say that there has been significant evolution in the concept of work, increasingly oriented towards teamwork and collaboration. We have generated a forum for participation in which all team opinions are respected and analyzed; a forum in which divergences enrich rather than hinder, and in which the decisions that are finally reached arise from the commitment of the entire team.
We have always wanted to work and evolve in this direction, while also aiming to extend this philosophy to the rest of the company’s areas. I am firmly convinced that the joint work of all teams and their unity of action is the only way for the project’s success.
To give a tangible example, this is how we proceeded in the development and launch of our latest body model, NELEC, in which all areas contributed and worked in close collaboration to achieve the excellent result we have obtained.
Question. – Precisely the Nelec model has been awarded the “Ecological Bus of the Year 2022” award at the National Transport Awards. In a global scenario where sustainable mobility is pursued and after Castrosua’s commitment to electromobility, what are the next steps?
The recognition received by NELEC as “Ecological Bus of the Year 2022”, among other awards that this same model has received, confirms that we are on the right track. One of the fundamental objectives of public transport, among others, is precisely to improve the sustainability of mobility, based on the reduction of emissions and energy consumption, compared to private and individual transport.
In this regard, electromobility is a vector of interest in terms of improving environmental conditions in cities, and in the constant search for a lower environmental impact.
Therefore, our vehicle models are specifically oriented towards new uses, and focused on reducing energy consumption as efficiently and rationally as possible, while maintaining the conditions of comfort and safety for drivers and passengers that have always characterized us, both in terms of design concepts, functionality, and the materials used.
In all these areas, we are very active in detecting innovations and novelties existing in the market, and even promoting and actively collaborating in the development of new solutions, through alliances with various technological partners and highly specialized suppliers.
We expect to be able to offer novelties to the market soon, with the first fruits of this work.
Question. – Another aspect being discussed at major mobility events is the implementation of new technologies in public transport. How do you see the future of Castrosua bodywork in this regard?
As is evident in many aspects of our lives, we are experiencing a period of intense and rapid technological advances, and these changes will likely become even more intense and occur at an even faster pace in the future.
At Castrosua, we are already introducing very relevant technological changes in our activity at all levels, both in the management, design, and production of our vehicles, as well as in the products and services we offer to our clients.
Therefore, we are dedicating intense effort and dedication to exploring the use of new technologies and methodologies adapted to the new circumstances. We have also opened a specific line of work to address innovation in a broad and ambitious scope.
We expect to have the first fruits of our efforts in this regard available soon.
Question. – Finally, from your perspective as executive director, what are the main challenges facing the urban transport sector in Spain?
This is undoubtedly a period in which the passenger transport sector, and specifically urban transport, is facing paradigm shifts that affect it in many ways. Among them, in my opinion, I would highlight the existence of new dynamics and demands in urban mobility services by users, with ease of use and access to these services being key factors for travelers. This logically leads operators to need to adopt innovative and ad-hoc solutions for each case.
Consequently, it is necessary to work on the integration and interaction between the various existing mobility modes and those that will be generated within the urban and metropolitan environment. All this, with a focus on the sustainability of all transport solutions and their management.
Javier Rodríguez Vilela is one of our own, as we say around here. A great defender of our company who works leading the daily operations of the roadmap set and is in continuous transformation to face the immediate challenges that lie ahead.
Thank you, Javier, for this interview and for your absolute commitment to the Grupo Castrosua project!
