Meet Ana Quintela – Product Manager in the oil-free air division
As Product Manager in the Oil-free Air division in Spain, Ana Quintela has a clear overview of the division’s product portfolio. Sharing product- related information to stakeholders, providing training to sales, and handling marketing and promotional activities, are a few of the responsibilities in her role.
In 2014 Ana moved from Galicia to Madrid to study Industrial Electronics and Automation Engineering at Carlos III University of Madrid. A few years later, at a university career fair during an exchange semester in Finland, she encountered Atlas Copco for the first time. “Living in Finland was a wonderful experience. At that point in time, I wasn’t looking for a job but after graduating and finishing my internship at a global plastic solutions provider, I started searching for fulltime opportunities. When the job ad as Product Manager at Atlas Copco appeared on LinkedIn, I remember thinking ‘This is destiny’,” she says. Ana applied, got the job and started her new position in January 2021.
Oil-free air is everywhere
Ana explains that oil-free compressors are present in most industries in the world. “You’ll find them in the food and beverage industry, or in the pharmaceutical industry, to just name a few. In these production processes clean air is needed to eliminate the risks of contamination. Oil-free air ensures product quality and safety. Most breweries have at least one compressor so if you like beer, Atlas Copco has probably been present in your life,” she says. As a Product Manager in the Oil-free Air division Ana has responsibility for the full range of compressor products. “My daily activities involve holding product trainings for both internal and external audiences and giving engineering-related support and advice to colleagues in sales. This means being knowledgeable about our assortment of products, old as well as new ones. I’m also involved in the marketing strategy and activation,” she says and emphasizes that there’s a constant stream of new and more advanced products being developed and launched by the Group.
Starting during Covid-19
Ana started in Atlas Copco at a time when many pandemic restrictions were in place. This called for a combined approach of working from home and from the office. Although in-person meetings with customers, and field trips, did not occur to a large extent, she believes the approach worked out well. Possibilities to inspect and see products in use have also presented themselves as time has gone by. “I recently visited a customer in the automotive industry and another customer within pharmaceuticals, two really interesting trips. Seeing how it works in the pharmaceutical industry was definitely fascinating, everything was extremely clean and organized,” she says.
In terms of company culture, she finds it friendly. “It’s like a huge family here, everyone is also very accessible which is something I didn’t expect from a big company. Here in Spain, people are also quite talkative, so I feel like at home.,” she adds. “We recently had a global health and wellbeing challenge called “The Better Way”, it lasted for a month and brought me many new good habits when it comes to nutrition, exercise and managing stress. Overall, the notion ‘there’s always a better way’, speaks for the attitude and culture of continuous improvement,” Ana adds.
Looking into the future, she hopes to gain more experience in her role, and to grow both on a personal and professional level. “I think everyone needs new challenges; it brings out the best in us,” she concludes.
