Relats started the session talking about the history of the TOUS company from when it was set up until today.  The company, which started up in 1920 as a small shop for watch repairs, over time became a jewellery shop which currently has around 500 shops across five continents. 

The speaker also talked about his own professional experience, and how he became the General Director of the company two years ago.  Javier Relats founded an accessories company called AÏTA along with his sister in 2006. Due to the financial crisis they had to close down the company eight years later.  However, before it closed down in 2014, TOUS offered him a position as its General Director.

According to Relats, a good leader knows how to listen, how to make people in the company feel involved and get the best out of each worker.  He underlined the fact that “a good leader is always learning”.

He also described the best strategies for people management.  Relats confirmed that theories do change in practice. “To be efficient you need to learn to obtain the best performance from your team members”.  

Another of the challenges every director faces is decision-making.  Relats’ advice is that in order to do this effectively, the best method is to invite participation in all decisions: this must include both bosses and regular workers. 

The session ended with an open debate with students, who asked what daily life is like for a General Director and how he puts the theory of how to manage people into practice.