"A Job Designed for Me" Interview with Àgata Sallés, Supply Chain Manager

Can you tell us a little bit about what the Montana Colors Supply Chain is? 

The Supply Chain comprises of planning and programming all activities related to the flow of materials that is generated throughout the entire supply chain: from the customer through the factories and ending up with the suppliers.

In many companies, the supply chain also includes distribution and transportation to the end customer, but here at Montana these activities aren’t managed by the supply chain.

However, we do oversee purchasing negotiation and supplier management in the department.

What peculiarities does this department have compared to others at Montana Colors?

The main peculiarity of the department compared to others in Montana is its transversality. Its scope of action is international, since the recent creation of the different MTN subsidiaries has meant that the flow of materials that we control in the supply chain has been globalized and we act on a global level.

This has increased complexity and required new harmonized and globalized protocols and work processes.

Can you summarize your position as the supply chain director? 

My main functions are to define the strategy to follow throughout the supply chain of Montana Colors and its subsidiaries, optimizing inventory levels and guaranteeing service standards whilst coordinating the human team that makes all this possible. This includes the areas of supply, planning, production scheduling, demand forecasting and negotiation of purchases.  

Basically, my job is summarized by giving the impetus, helping, and inspiring the whole team to empower them so that we can achieve success in all these areas together.

We understand that your career path to Montana Colors has been quite unusual. Can you explain where you’ve worked and how you became the plant manager at the company? 

Well, yes. My origin story starts within the walls of the Montana Basics plant in Esparreguera. Who’d have known that I’d return to the same warehouse where I’d spent six years working for a German paint company? That was the start of this great and exciting adventure, which began just after the last Basics fire and meant facing a great challenge at the head of the recovery of the plant and the optimization of all paint production processes.

After my initial interview with Didac and Elisabet, I left thinking that I’d finally found a place where they spoke my language and that I could fit in and help in the project thanks to my previous experience. My interview with Jordi Rubio at the restaurant in El Born gave me the conviction that Montana's values would give meaning to my career. I came to Montana in July 2013. I worked at the plant in the Sant Vicenç industrial estate for the first few years.

I recently participated in the huge, intense project of construction and transfer to the current Basics plant. Carlos and I had a great time designing the new and automated production processes. For me, that move meant going back to our origins in a way.

Although the walls were the same, I was surrounded by amazing technology, great safety systems and a fantastic team, which made my time as the Paint Plant Manager one of the best stages of my professional life. I was very grateful for the opportunity and the team I had.

We also understand that you left the company and came back two years later. Why did you decide to return? 

I left Montana with the intention of looking for new professional challenges and continuing to grow. I was sad about everything I was leaving behind, but I wanted to experience different professional opportunities and take on new challenges that would allow me to continue learning.

After a short time, I came across Didac again, who offered me the project of my dreams: SAP, the Supply Chain, an international project with cross-cutting and global functions. I would coordinate a fantastic team of very experienced professionals with a lot of potential to successfully achieve and face all the challenges they were already familiar with, and others that we had to take on together. Basically, it was a job designed for me. I couldn’t say no.  

Even though my respect for the project and the challenge was enormous and a little dizzying, I threw myself into it and here we are! After almost a year, I’m still really motivated to carry on helping the team by contributing everything Montana needs for its supply chain.

What changes did you notice when you returned? 

I couldn’t believe it! How could it be that after two years including a year of pandemic, so much had changed! In terms of operations: starting a night shift at Basics, a fourth shift at AIR, installing a high-speed automatic packaging line and building a logistics HUB.

If that wasn’t enough, the sales team had grown in parallel, going from one subsidiary to six, spread all over the world! And I'm sure I'm still forgetting some other things.

As you can see, this says a whole lot about the potential, strength and drive that has always characterized Montana. We all carry it in the Montana DNA, and it will surely last forever, because it’s spread everywhere and touched us all.  

Your office is in the Montana Air office. Can tell us what it’s like to work there? 

The AIR office building is one of the authentic signature Montana spaces. It’s surrounded by impressive works of art and there’s lots of light. The modernity, professionalism and teamwork help everyone who works there to be able to achieve the objectives of our work.

We have spaces to chat, work as a team and leisure spaces where we can also relax with colleagues. In the end, all this provides a magnificent atmosphere of companionship between the entire supply team, where we help and collaborate with each other and other departments that work in the same building or the production plant, which is close by.

Do you visit the pool regularly?

Well, although we don't go in the pool very often, we enjoy the space. It helps us to get together and unwind. When the weather is good, we occasionally take a dip.

What part of your job do you find most rewarding? 

One of the most rewarding aspects is being able to see how the fruit of our work translates to good service, filling shelves with our products all over the world, managing to develop all the talent that the team has to face new challenges and continue to grow the company, as well as ourselves as professionals and people.

Do you ever use MTN products? 

Of course! Sometimes it’s so cool, like when we participated in a project at my daughter's school.

There was a project about colors and we explained how colors were made at Basics and then we did a cool mural with the children in her class!

I've also painted some chairs, put teak oil on garden furniture and made some Christmas decorations. Thinking about it, I’m a first class MTN artist! Lol

How do you see the company evolving over the coming year? 

Well, we hope that the new year will stabilize demand, leading to more stable and predictable operations, without as many ups and downs as we’ve been through this year.

Despite the difficult global situation we’re facing, it will be slower, I’m sure that the company will continue to grow as we have always done, with new projects and new ideas. We’ll carry on marching together, taking firm and determined steps on our way. That’s how we’ve always been able to offer great quality spray paint that reaches all four corners of the world, leaving a part of us and our efforts everywhere!