CanalCEO – An exclusive interview with Elena Palomo, Territory Director for Shared Access in Spain

In an exclusive interview for CanalCEO, Elena Palomo, Territory Director for Shared Access in Spain delves into the company’s plans for Spain in 2024, the growing demand for seamless in-building connectivity and how Shared Access is addressing these needs through personalised, innovative solutions. Elena also reflects on the evolving role of women in the real estate sector and the importance of leadership skills including empathy, communication and teamwork in today’s interconnected world.

Elena Palomo: ‘Leadership involves the development of skills that facilitate communication, empathy and teamwork’.

Connectivity and economic development unquestionably go hand-in-hand. Everyone expects and demands great connectivity in all aspects of their lives – and economic growth depends on it. Elena Palomo, Country Manager for Shared Access in Spain talks to us about the objectives and challenges of this telecommunications infrastructure company and the development and ownership of shared wireless infrastructures.

Founded in 2007, Shared Access has prestigious investors, including Goldman Sachs. It is also a partner of major organisations such as National Air Traffic Control (NATS), the Church of England and the Football Association of England. The company, which is present in Europe and the United States, has started to market its in-building mobile connectivity solutions in Spain.

Canal CEO: What is the mission and objectives of Shared Access?

Elena Palomo, Country Manager Shared Access:
Shared Access is a leading European telecommunications infrastructure company that provides mobile connectivity solutions. With more than fifteen years of activity in the telecommunications field in the UK and Ireland, we have been present in the Spanish market for more than two years. We work with mobile network operators and landlords to design, install and manage systems that provide robust mobile connectivity inside all types of buildings including offices and coworking spaces, hotels, commercial establishments and student residences.

———

Our plan for Spain in 2024 is to deploy our solutions in 20 locations in the main Spanish cities.

———

We work on each case in a personalised way, studying the needs of each building and its occupants and offering its owners and managers an appropriate solution for each space. We create 3D models, map out how and where connectivity is needed and ensure that all aspects of relevance within each building, for example location, building materials, physical obstacles, are taken into consideration.

We offer the exact mobile connectivity solution that every space and every owner needs and we take care of installation, financing, operation and maintenance of our systems. Our  ̈neutral host ̈ model also allows us to provide service from all mobile network operators within these spaces.

At Shared Access, we ensure that mobile connectivity is effective for both the present and the future of each building. The company’s long history of working on connectivity solutions has allowed us to anticipate and ensure, as the needs of individuals, businesses and homes have changed, the best solutions for each challenge.

———

Mobile connectivity is no longer just desirable, it is a fundamental necessity in today’s economic and social development. Everyone expects it, everyone demands it and at Shared Access we provide it.

———

Canal CEO: What role does connectivity play today in business development and how does it influence social relations?

Elena Palomo, Country Manager Shared Access:
As we mentioned, connectivity is essential in both our professional and personal lives. Companies, managers, building tenants and users know this and value it more and more every day.

Strong wireless connectivity enables businesses to work more efficiently, improve space utilisation and take advantage of digital transformation. Artificial intelligence, big data, cloud computing, the internet of things and augmented reality all require guaranteed connectivity. For example, in the retail sector, uniform and high-quality mobile coverage is already essential in all areas of the business: from operations to sales, to new forms of marketing.

Similarly, in the workplace, strong connectivity promotes competitiveness and employee satisfaction. In our case, we have confirmed this after implementing connectivity in the UK at the offices of the National Gallery in London. This space was designed to provide 250 employees with seven floors of inspiring, collaborative and efficient workspaces.

It was essential that staff had reliable, seamless mobile phone coverage in all areas of the building, including the basements. Shared Access was able to develop the systems to achieve this, despite the building being a listed building, constructed with insulating materials and thick stone walls.

———

Improved mobile connectivity in the National Gallery’s offices is known to have brought major benefits, including improved staff morale, increased productivity and much higher occupancy of previously unused meeting rooms and breakout areas in the basement of the building.

———

And not only is it vital to ensure that all employees can make and receive mobile calls anywhere in a building, but mobile connectivity is also vital to drive the efficiency and operation of critical systems in ‘smart buildings’. Sensors such as those that measure occupancy, energy and water consumption, or alert to maintenance and security issues, to name but a few, depend on robust and efficient connectivity.

Canal CEO: In the Real Estate sector, 56% of professionals are women, although according to BRAINSRE data, 62% believe there is still a glass ceiling. How is the sector evolving to give more prominence to women in decision-making?

Elena Palomo, Country Manager Shared Access:
Fortunately, companies are increasingly involved in seeking equality and promoting the presence of women in management and strategic roles in the real estate sector, which contributes to more inclusive decision-making. But we still need to keep working in the sector to make this equality a reality.

As you point out, the presence of women in this sector is quite consolidated, but only 20% of management positions are occupied by women.

———

We must all work actively to promote women’s participation and leadership. An action that organisations such as Woman In Real Estate Spain (WIRES) and the Asociación de Mujeres Profesionales del Sector Inmobiliario (AMPSI) are already doing very efficiently.

———

In the case of Shared Access, there is a significant balance across all layers of the organisational structure in our company.

Canal CEO: As you point out, something that stands out in your sector is how connected women are through associations such as Women in Real Estate Spain (WIRES) or Asociación de Mujeres Profesionales del Sector Inmobiliario (AMPSI), why is connection and networking so relevant in today’s leadership?

Elena Palomo, Country Manager Shared Access:
In today’s environment, leadership requires the development of interpersonal skills that facilitate communication, including empathy and the ability to work as part of a team. In this sense, the connections and alliances that networking represents are fundamental within this new leadership. Learning from the experiences of others, the value of relationships outside our environment, opening our eyes to new projects and new ways of working is always enriching.

Moreover, to make this real equality possible, it is essential to provide support and mentoring to women who aspire to leadership roles.

———

Create support networks that allow them to share experiences and knowledge. I believe that inspiring other women to pursue their own career goals and to challenge gender expectations is of great importance.

Read the full article here at Canal CEO