Paloma Romero-Salazar
Paloma Romero-SalazarTNT Express Madrid – Financial Director
49 years old, married, 2 children
The Spanish are renowned for their love of life and positive nature and Paloma could only be Spanish. With her ever-ready smile, her interest in those around her and carefully composed appearance, it’s easy to imagine her at society events in Barcelona or Madrid. Yet there is another side to Paloma that makes her so good at her job. She is extremely reliable and down-to-earth. She listens, evaluates and only then will she respond. Thing is, Paloma is a financial expert. She and her team have incorporated a major new company into the TNT fold, including 70 new depots, putting TNT Express well and truly on the map in Spain. Not something you want to do without a clear head.
Paloma: “I will certainly remember 2005 and 2006 as they were the busiest of my career so far. But also the most interesting. Early 2005, TNT decided to purchase the third largest domestic company in Spain, TG+. The Spanish Transaction Team, which I was part of, and a team at Head Office in Hoofddorp worked day and night to organise the merger. After an initial failure, we succeeded second time round in January 2006 thanks to team’s great enthusiasm and teamwork. Teamwork is the true driver in business, I think.”
“The issues we faced, at least in my area, were that there were few existing resources, reporting standards not aligned with TNT’s and a huge geographical area that the company covered, spread over 70 depots. We needed to ensure proper branding, deal with numerous cultural differences and give proper training about TNT processes in all areas. Then there was the issue of rules and regulations and determining the allround risks for the project. This would have all been fine, but we were trying to combine the set-up and transformation of the company while business was still ongoing. Growing in fact. That was the tough part. It’s like trying to repair a train while it’s running at full steam!”
“Almost everything is running smoothly now. Where TG+ offered the warehouse space and vehicles, we were able to offer additional volumes and deploy new operational processes. And we were fortunate to find genuinely enthusiastic people within TG+ who are delighted to be part of the TNT family. It was a great marriage and we are now a real player on the Spanish market!”
“I have to add that none of this would have been possible without the hard work and dedication of my team and everybody else involved in the deal. And the fact that TNT management in Hoofddorp works the way it does. They’re quick to make decisions and treat people with respect, empowering them where possible. But they’re also sticklers for detail. I like that. I’m in finance after all.”