"Working in another country makes you more flexible, resilient, and open to change"

For a few months now, Elisabeth Márquez has been leading the Marketing area at Unioil Lubricants, Repsol's new joint venture in the Philippines. Her responsibility includes three brands — Repsol, Unioil, and Idemitsu — and her mission is clear: to develop the marketing strategy of all three, secure their market position, and strengthen the relationship with distributors and key partners to continue growing in market share.

Her career at the company began in 2017 in the area of International Lubricants Business Development. "I did not yet know where my career would take me," she recalls. There she learned to draw up business plans, establish alliances, and negotiate and design strategies. Later, in Commercial Americas, she gained experience in budget management, subsidiaries, and direct sales. Her last stop before her current role, with Inorganic Business Development and JV Management, was "the most intense but also super enriching and rewarding," participating in an M&A project and supporting strategic partners from Spain. "All these years have created a solid foundation of knowledge and experiences that help me in my new position," she says.

Working in a historically male sector has not stopped Elisabeth, in part thanks to the female role models she has found at Repsol Lubricants. "I have been fortunate to have women in positions of responsibility whose professional value and leadership have been a source of inspiration for me," she explains, although she also acknowledges that there are still environments where it is harder to earn respect, so she values working "for a company where equality is non-negotiable."

Her decision to become an expatriate employee abroad responds to a personal philosophy: to make the most of all experiences that involve growth. "Although it involves a huge change and many personal sacrifices, if you think about it, it is a gift," she says, since, for her, working in a joint venture offers a broader vision and greater responsibility than in larger structures, which accelerates learning.

Adaptation to the Philippines has not been without challenges: immigration paperwork, the search for housing, creation of a social network, and, at the same time, assuming a new role that demands 100% of her dedication. Even so, she emphasizes that "Filipino culture is closely linked to Spanish culture, which has greatly facilitated integration." "It is a unique opportunity to get out of your comfort zone, learn to work with new cultures, and develop skills such as adaptability, resilience, and leadership," she says.

In her day-to-day life, Elisabeth not only manages the Repsol brand, but also Unioil and Idemitsu. With Unioil, she tackles ambitious projects such as a complete rebranding and redesign of the range architecture. "The scope of management is much broader than in Spain, and that forces me to learn in leaps and bounds," she says.

Her previous experience at Repsol, in addition to the training she has received, has been key to adapting to the new environment. "The mix of experience and training is very important," she says. In addition, she believes that living and working in a different country gives the global Repsol Lubricants team a broader perspective, greater flexibility, and a better understanding of multicultural environments: "It has made me very aware of the importance of building bridges and building trust.”