Meet Ana Fernández: Towards sustainability contribution

Ana Fernández has more than 30 years of experience developing communication and storytelling plans for corporations with a special focus on aviation, tourism and the entertainment sector. She was a Board Member of Vueling’s airline (2016-2022) as Chief Communications, Public Affairs and Sustainability Officer.  Nowadays, she is a board member of the airspace women association Ellas Vuelan Alto, collaborates at Conscious Capitalism Spain  and is currently participating at Chief Sustainable Officer MIT Professional Education.

Her personal purpose: “to promote the transformation that will deliver a better world for my children and those who come after”.

Let’s know more about her!

How did you start your career as an entrepreneur?

By chance, it was my first job. The owner told me that he had a job for me. I needed professional experience. I was still living with my parents, so it took me 5 seconds to say yes. I remained for 18 years as an entrepreneur. It was incredible.

What have been the main obstacles or barriers in your career?

Maybe myself.  Sometimes I had the feeling of “the imposter syndrome”. A journalist at an MC? I have joined a course to work on my personal purpose and reinforce my experience, and put it in value. I had the chance to work with a lot of people. I learned a lot from incredible positives and not-so-good situations. This experience and background are the one that has brought me here.

What soft skills have been most helpful to you in your professional career?

The ambition to learn from everybody and every situation. Care about people in the first place always. As Raj Sisodia (Conscious Capitalism) says, be a SELFLESS Leader that based all your decisions on “Trust, Accountability, Caring, Transparency, integrity, Learning and Empowerment”. I will add Honesty with yourself and your people.

Which professional success are you most proud of?

I have been able to enjoy every moment of all my professional career. I had partners and bosses that are now friends. I also had bad moments, but I am a positive person.

You have led several projects and initiatives in the communication sector and sustainability. What values an effective leader should have?

Taking care of people. If you don’t care, if you don’t think you can add value if you don’t think you can leave a better world, is it worth it? And a better world doesn’t mean the whole world. If you can just change the day of your family, your friends, the way your company performs or the one you have influence…That’s enough 😊

Why is sustainability so critical for you?

Because the world is not infinite, and we need to find the balance of taking care of the planet at the same time that we find a way to develop a viable economy that has brought us a prosperous society and welfare in terms also of education or health, for example.

What knowledge do you think you should have had or wish you had before starting your career?

I think a career is a path, and you should try to learn from each new and unexpected situation.

What professional advice would you give your “younger self”?

Enjoy the way and be honest with yourself and the others.

What advice would you give someone wanting to make a positive difference in the world?

Dream and make it happen.

Do you want to share an inspirational phrase? (Yours or some famous personality)

I have one on my cv and LinkedIn: “I am a part of all that I have met.” (Alfred, Lord Tennyson, English poet (1809-1892).