Demetrio Carceller Arce participates in Matins Esade
The executive president looked back on Damm's management during the pandemic and predicted the results for 2020
Today, Demetrio Carceller Arce, the executive president of Damm, has led a new "Matins Esade" session, which is part of a series of meetings organized by Esade Alumni focused on business discussions where managers from renowned organizations share their view on the sector and on their companies. Under the title "COVID-19: what the crisis taught us", Carceller Arce explained the way Damm was able to manage such an unusual year and reflected on the lessons learnt during the last few months, marked by this unprecedented pandemic.
Carceller Arce began his intervention with a speech focused on the main asset of the company: its people. He highlighted that the organization's biggest concern had always been to safeguard the health and security of every one of its members. He also emphasized the importance having the ability to anticipate, as well as to create contingency and continuity plans that allow the company to continue operating in any given scenario. "It has also been a key moment to develop internal leadership. On the bright side, this situation has allowed us to identify who are the leaders with the greatest potential within the company, those with optimal communication, empathy, commitment, flexibility and resilience skills", he continued.
He also focused on Damm's main client and also the main sector affected by the crisis: hospitality. He underlined the support program carried out during the time the establishments had to close, based on direct and permanent communication with the clients through different initiatives such as Bar Manager, as well as the customized support program implemented when the reopening period began. "We tried to help during the reopening by providing free beer barrels and implementing innovative solutions to help them adapt themselves to the new situation, such as digital menus, or even offering them additional furniture to expand their terraces, just to name a few", explained the executive president.
Carceller Arce took the opportunity to look back on last year's results and concluded that food establishments and the online channels were crucial in 2020, to the detriment of the hospitality sector. While food establishments have experienced a significant growth, it has not made up for the hospitality fall whatsoever. Similarly, e-commerce sales were multiplied by 8 during the second quarter of the year compared to the first one, even though online channels are not significant yet within the annual turnover.
Besides, he predicted some business results for the fiscal year 2020, which are still subject to the financial statements resolution: "the fiscal year 2020 is thought to have closed with a 11% turnover reduction but with positive profit results", he explained. From a financial point of view, he has anticipated a significant fall in revenue and has reviewed the measures adopted in 2020 in this regard: implementing an exhaustive program to reduce fixed costs, limiting investments and creating a liquidity provision plan in financial markets.
Carceller Arce concluded his intervention with a thank you message: "Today I would like to thank the over 5,000 Damm associates who have been directly involved in the obtention of positive results despite the huge challenges we had to face during all this time".
