Our CEO

Ricardo Romo, CEO at Rubí Automotive, is facing a period of enormous change on all fronts. Internally, the veteran industrial group is considering changes in production and geographical expansion. Externally, it must face serious uncertainties related to technological and geopolitical factors (electric cars, decarbonisation, etc.) and a new war of blocs that is putting the entire sector under pressure.

In a short time, the company has changed its direction, its long-term strategy, and even its corporate branding. What remains of the old Rubí?

Rubí is the same, regardless of how it’s dressed. We have shown our commitment to our environment and our people for seventy years, and that cannot be ignored. It would not be fair to speak of new or old; I would say that we have entered a phase of maturity that offers the possibility of serious growth. Our values and humility remain, but we believe there is a chance for the company to grow.

You can grow in many ways, with different objectives…

Yes, we are talking about growing in all fields within our reach. We are technically and organisationally ready to face growth. And to do so with better processes and with the quality standards that have always characterised Rubí, since long before I arrived. We must then bolster our product portfolio and retain the most prestigious and demanding customers in Europe, such as Mercedes and Stellantis, to whom we have shown how we work at Rubí. We also plan to grow in terms of new stampings, new welding techniques… Also, we do not rule out expanding to other countries.

You come from companies that emerged from the traditional Basque cooperative movement. How do you look to the global horizon without losing your roots?

Well, it’s very easy. Almost like using bifocal reading glasses. We will never become a detached global multinational because we don’t have it in us. It is not something we want to achieve, and neither do our employees or senior managers. We are happy to be rooted in the territory, be it the Basque Country or Galicia. It is an organic relationship, like the one we share with our customers around the world. At Rubí, we want to employ the new generations of those currently working for us (just like we employed their parents and grandparents). It is not an easy to shake mission.

Admirable ideals, but not always possible given the changing market situation (particularly in the automotive sector) …

Of course, of course. There is innovation in technology, in resources, in training and in processes. We know that implementing and learning how to use the latest technologies in the world is no longer enough. This has changed a lot; now you have to do your part, you have to think on how to innovate in terms of your own plant, your own processes. That is why we are going to focus on quality by creating our own Technology Centre, which will be part of the RVCTI (Basque Science, Technology and Innovation Network). Our engineers will work with universities and other centres to improve our factory techniques and technologies.

How far ahead do you think? The automotive sector is crazy: on the one hand, long-term investments are required, but socio-economic, environmental and political changes occur rapidly.

This is, for me, the most difficult thing, because you cannot control all the variables. Our new Strategic Plan covers up until 2027, but we make calculations that go beyond that date. We have a strong will to decarbonise, to embrace the electric car, to crack a certain market. The whole industry in gearing towards this, but sometimes market forces fall prey to geo-strategic interests. Sometimes, we aren’t as global as we would like to be, and we depend on other factors. Take the Chinese electric car or the global energy trade, for example, or how society decides to implement new sustainability or mobility habits.