Talent returns home to work in Amazon Web Services data centers in Aragon

During the years of the economic crisis and well into the recovery, Spain and also regions such as Aragon, became exporters of talent to other countries , especially those in the European Union, but there were also choices to cross the pond and head to the United States or Canada to seek new professional horizons .

It's an export of talent that has continued, to a greater or lesser extent, in recent years, especially in some professions such as those linked to the healthcare and engineering sectors, with the majority opting for countries like Germany and France. Returning is not always easy because many people have already started their families there or value the work environment they couldn't find in the Aragonese region.

However, in recent years, there has been an interest in returning home . The latest data from the Ministry of Labor, for 2023, show that consular leave of absence for Spaniards residing abroad reached 10,369 across the European Union of 27. Noteworthy are the absences from countries such as France, with 3,288, and Germany, with 2,351. Other countries such as the United Kingdom, with 5,138, have also seen a rise in leave, largely due to Brexit and the additional difficulties this process presents in working there, among other countries.

These returns are accompanied by various situations, some of which, in recent years, are primarily linked to a worsening economic performance in those countries, which makes talented people consider returning home. In other cases, it's simply that the outward journey was made from the beginning with the desire to return. A process aided by the emergence of new job opportunities with the arrival of companies, which "makes the light bulb go on" and makes the decision.

This is the case with companies like Amazon Web Services, with the opening of its technology region in Spain, based in Zaragoza, which has allowed Aragonese residents to leave their international experience behind and return home . Each of these returns has its own personal stories, but they all share the common thread of wanting to return to their families without having to give up their jobs and careers.

And this is what Cynthia Peña , a Zaragoza native who studied Industrial Engineering at the University of Zaragoza's Higher Polytechnic Center , tells us. After working at Expo Zaragoza 2008, she decided to move to Barcelona, ​​to work for SEAT, because the economic crisis wasn't conducive to her job prospects. From Barcelona, ​​she decided to move to Germany , specifically Bavaria, to work for a multinational company and gain more experience.

She was there for eight years, "but she always had in mind to return," Cynthia Peña tells elEconomista , who adds that "she knew it was going to be temporary, but she didn't know when she would be able to return. I saw in the media that Amazon Web Services was opening data centers in Aragon" and she decided to do it , even though her professional career has not been linked to data centers or the cloud .

But, "I did my research and applied for positions," highlighting his experience gained at other companies, specifically in team management , especially during his time at Audi. "It takes a lot of preparation because they're very powerful companies, and you have to add value."

Specifically, in the automotive sector, this type of management is complex because "there's a timeline , and you have to launch the product by a specific date. The entire process aspect can be applied favorably in the IT sector," he adds. International relationships are also necessary because AWS is a multinational company with diverse, multidisciplinary teams.

It's an experience she has brought to AWS , where she is responsible for managing teams across the three current data centers in Aragon. And the change "hasn't been difficult because I felt at home. AWS has an international mindset, and the teams are versatile, with diverse experience and also local people." However, the selection process is "demanding because it requires preparation . It involves getting to know you as a candidate and seeing if you fit in with the company's philosophy," emphasizes Cynthia Peña, who clarifies that Germany and the United States "have different cultures, but they give you the means and the environment allows you to adapt," although the individual's own ability to develop, regardless of the company, also plays a role.

Cynthia Peña has been at AWS for three years now, with a "stable, good, and well-paid job . I've developed within the company," where she continues to see her professional future in Zaragoza, where her family lives and where her partner is also from.

Germany isn't the only country from which talent has returned to Aragon to work in Amazon Web Services data centers. There are also Zaragoza residents in this cloud region, but they come from the United States . A destination they headed to for work reasons.

This is the case of José Joaquín Calvo , also from Zaragoza, and specifically from the Delicias neighborhood, as he likes to point out. An Industrial Engineer from the Centro Politécnico Superior of the University of Zaragoza , he began his professional career locally working at Gamesa. However, in 2003, he decided to opt for a career path that ultimately led him to the United States, where he worked for companies in the energy sector that led acquisition processes and promoted new business projects.

"I was a director of Engineering and Construction in the United States ," the country where he met his wife. But after a period there, "I was eager to return home," but the return journey slowed down, passing through England to work on wind farms; Wales; and London. His last destination was Manchester, "where the weather is harsh. We wanted to leave, but in Spain, in 2012, the economic crisis brought him back to the United States."

The idea of ​​returning to Spain persisted, and the solution came in the form of AWS . "My wife was already working at the company, and it was easier to move around with Amazon Web Services. With the announcement of the data centers in Zaragoza, I conducted the interviews" for Facility Manager at the Villanueva de Gállego center.

Like Cynthia Peña, she highlighted her extensive professional experience in energy and electrical companies, as well as her experience in team management, her previous experience in data centers, and her knowledge of electrical substation construction and design.

Today , he and his entire family are back in Zaragoza after 17 years away . "I'm very happy, but I didn't know when I'd be able to return. I was looking at Madrid and Barcelona because there wasn't as much work here—compared to the Aragonese region—and the timeframe was shortened by this data center objective. I couldn't believe it," Calvo emphasizes.

Her integration into the data centers has also been easy. "They provide training and there's a lot of similarity with companies" she'd previously worked for internationally. "It wasn't difficult for me to integrate," she notes. She also positively values ​​the fact that AWS "is developing by leaps and bounds, and, as we see in other international locations, there's professional development and senior teams."