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THE MAN FROM ZARA: THE STORY OF GENIUS BEHIND THE INDITEX GROUP
COVADONGA O'SHEA
An Ethical Project Made to Measure How Amancio Sees his Company and his Life
In 2007, there was a devastating earthquake in Peru. To help the victims, Intidex donated millions. This made it to the news, and subsequently, many more companies followed. Ortega's philanthropic nature is well-known, and he has never hesitated to do charity. Amancio is someone who's respected and loved by everyone in the company. Whether it's a manager or someone who irons the clothes, everyone loves him. They can have varied opinions based on the company, but everyone has the same opinion about Ortega. They love him. Since he's the kind of person who makes sure he speaks to everyone he sees in the factory, everyone feels engaged and respected. In May 2008, I has the opportunity to have lunch with Amancio again.
Sometimes came up because of which he came 10 minutes late. He kept apologizing for being late. He told me that punctuality was something he had inherited from his father. He didn't like to be late and waste other people's time. He is someone who truly values his time and, as such, wants to value others' time as well. This was the meeting when I talked to him about the book. He kept telling me that there were other important people in the company too who should give me a different and better outlook. He kept telling me that everyone who worked at Inditex was responsible for making the company what it is. He said that he wouldn't have been able to raise this empire all by himself if his employees hadn't been there for him. But I tried to persuade him that people have a right to know who the man behind the company is. Inditex has been an inspiration, and it should be fascinating for people to know who made the company what it is today.
During this meeting, I also told him that I remembered looking at a woolen jacket at Zara that I wanted to buy. Since the heat was too much, I decided to wait until September. When September arrived, I tried looking for the jacket everywhere but couldn't find it at all! Sometime later, I went to Mexico and could see the same jacket at the store. When I went in to check if I could buy it, the store manager told Amancio of the incident, he laughed and said to me that a fundamental part of the strategy was to never repeat a product. If someone liked something at Zara, it was best to buy the product right away at the store. It wasn't possible to find the same thing months later as they would never repeat making the same product. This strategy enabled the company to be one of a kind.
The Driving Force; There's Good and Bad in Everybody
Ortega is a believer. I met him one particular day when he had just returned from his pilgrimage to Santiago. Amancio was brought up with faith since his childhood. A few years ago, he had undergone an operation in the United States. He had decided then that he'd come to this pilgrimage if everything went well. He also had a small tumor that was removed, and fortunately, he needed no chemotherapy. These experiences made him a firm believer in God. Along with Amancio, I had the pleasure to meet and know another important figure in the company. Pablo Isla, the President of Intidex, soon after joining the company told Amancio that he had to be closer to the warehouse. It was then that Amancio realized Pablo was a person who wasn't afraid to get his hands dirty. Rightly so, Pablo became the President.
Pablo is loved by Amancio, but he is not the only person appreciated by him. Amancio is someone who appreciates everyone who works at the company. He told me once that Luis, the warehouse manager at the job, had a heart attack. He was taken to the hospital, and while in the ambulance, he asked for a phone to tell his second-in-command to take over the job. The dedication and determination of every employee towards doing their job rightly impress him so much that he gives all the credit to his employees only. In June 2008, I had the opportunity to have breakfast with Amancio. I asked him about his sleeping routine as I wondered if he was one of those people who could do without much sleep and somehow manage to be active all day long. To my surprise, he told me that he sleeps at least eight hours daily to function well. But he is a workaholic who strives to spread his company as much as he can. Uterque is the latest Intidex chain. When I asked him about the story behind the name, he told me he once saw a boat with only three letters on it. He wanted to register it immediately but found out it was already registered.
Then Antonio came up with the name, and they both liked it. This amazed me how involved the founder is in matters like looking out names for the company chain. He takes everything seriously and pays attention and effort to every work he does. Amancio believes the source of inspiration for anyone in the industry should be watching the street. Observing people can help them become creative and design new things. He says that if you put great designers locked in a room for a few days, their innovative ideas will stop. By looking at the fashion of the people on the street, one is inspired to create more. Since he's a very private person, I acknowledged that a lot of reporters might have varied opinions on him. I asked him if other's opinions mattered to him. He replied that they didn't. He told me that he had done most of what other successful businessmen have done what he has done differently is that he has not partied or won prizes. He told me that his idea of happiness was different, and it didn't matter to him what people thought of him.