Miquel Colet: An Icon of Excellence Innovating New Management Styles and Entrepreneurship Processes / A Demonstrated Business Leader with Expertise in Management and Entrepreneurship
Meet an extraordinary personality, Miquel Colet, CEO (USA and Canada) at Vibia. With over two decades of distinguished experience, Miquel has served many roles and has been a successful leader of organizations in different industries and countries. With his extensive international background and expertise in broad cross-functional management skills like sales, strategy, operations, marketing, finance, and more, Miquel has climbed the top of the corporate ladder. In this interview, he briefly talks about his journey, its challenges, achievements, inspirations, success mantra, and more. He also highlights the company, its offerings and objectives, and shares valuable advice for aspiring leaders.
Can you share a brief overview of your professional journey and how you started in your field?
I went to business school in Barcelona (ESADE, one of the main B-schools in Europe) and later in life expanded on that business management education in the US at Columbia Business School and at IESE in NYC (two of the main B-schools in the world). I started my professional career in Barcelona and worked in different industries (consumer goods, garment, real estate) and different roles (CFO, Financial Controller), until I decided to test myself and my capabilities and expand my horizon and expertise by pursuing a CEO role in the United States that would allow me to have a bigger, broader role beyond the financial department, that would make me a more complete executive and professional, and gain personal and professional experience at an international level. I left my job and everything I had in Barcelona and put everything on the line gambling on this role at Vibia. It was the best decision ever and it has been a great success for both the company and me.
As both an individual and a professional, what core aims and ideals do you prioritize that shape your decision-making and work approach?
Some ideas and practices that I have followed, and I try to share with my team: Not considering the general rules of the industry or the company as a given and immutable has been the foundation of all the new ideas that we have been able to experiment with and implement successfully. Not being afraid of breaking things and trying new approaches. Having the ability to bring together the right team and having them work and participate in every circumstance as one has also been a great value for me. Being able to see and understand how to connect the dots and see the big picture and see what’s possible thanks to the learnings from previous experience in other industries.
Caring about the details and the results, taking things seriously, and always trying to look long-term.
The principles I have been following with our team have a lot to do with teamwork, team communication, transparency/sharing of information, and following an approach of shared decision-making process. This has allowed us to develop a great sense of pride within the team and great team loyalty as well as great results.
I have a constant urge for learning and doing new things and for accomplishing and reaching new goals and I try to motivate the team to do the same. I aim to bring value to the people around me (whether on a personal or professional level) and to be a good resource and go-to person for good advice and help. Fairness and accountability are also important ideas for me.
What sets you apart from your competitors in the industry? How do you differentiate your approach to create a unique value for your clients?
Vibia provides a very hands-on approach to pre-sales project support, a very close project follow-up, and also a very responsive and transparent post-sales support that has allowed us to build great relationships with some of our partners (rep agencies, specifiers, owners, electrical distributors…). On the product side, the ability to personalize the characteristics of the product (both from the technical and the design point of view) via our digital platform offers our customers (architects, designers, owners) the possibility of being able to work with our products to solve their specific design needs in their projects. Being able to offer a high level of technical information and performance for a decorative product has also allowed them to bridge the gap between decorative and technical and use beautiful designs with the confidence that they will perform and deliver the results they need.
Could you highlight the top-notch offerings of your company that clients find most compelling?
One of our latest introductions, PLUSMINUS, has become an overnight success and a best seller in record time. PLUSMINUS is a ground-breaking collection that utilizes the properties of a textile belt which in combination with the various diffusers and spotlights offered allows the possibility to generate different lighting models and moods. From taught to slack the belt which is both the support system and the electrical conduit, traces different configurations in the air that together with the luminaires generate bespoke sculptural lighting installations. The lighting system features multiple elements—component pieces, colours, textures—that can be freely adapted and combined to suit the characteristics and constraints of specific spaces. A powerful tool for unique creations, they present designers and architects with infinite possibilities for integrating light into an interior.
What are the long-term objectives you have set for your company, and where do you envision the growth and evolution of your business in the coming years?
Gradually, GenZ is becoming the bulk of our target audience. We are paying attention to that and preparing the company for the future with the arrival of more and more GenZ team members to Vibia who can bring fresh new ideas and skills to the table. Related to that, the world and business is transitioning to digital. The same can be said for lighting fixtures and controls, and that’s also why our Digital Transformation team is growing very rapidly both on the product and processes side. Shortly we will be focusing on these transitions and on bringing more innovative designs and product categories to the market, of course. We aim to be able to provide a full spectrum of lighting solutions for any project including a layer of services associated with the designing of the project that will help designers and customers create and live in better spaces for better lives.
On a personal level, I see myself continuing to help the new generation of executives and leaders within the company to reach their potential by sharing my knowledge, expertise and experience.
Can you provide insights into some of your ongoing projects? What makes these projects particularly exciting or challenging?
We are creating and expanding support teams in-house for both our own sales team, and for our sales partners, and customers (from Technical Support Service for questions related to technology and compatibility in our products to IT and Design support to help with the online configuration capabilities we offer in our website, etc). Technology, both in the way the products are designed and used and in the way our partners and customers interact with us and our products is quickly changing and poses a significant learning curve for our industry and our teams. We are trying to put the structures and resources in place to be able to meet those demands and provide our customers with the service, help, and advice they need.
Who in your life serves as a significant source of inspiration, and how have they influenced your career and personal development?
In every organization I have been involved with, I have always been inspired and learned from the person leading it by working with them and appreciating their advice. I have also been inspired and learned from many colleagues that I have met and worked with during my professional career. The list of people I’m grateful for is a long one. For example, I also get inspiration from my daughters: the way they face their challenges, and their fears is something that I certainly wasn’t always able to do as a kid.
Share some notable recognitions and accreditations received by both yourself and your organization. How have these accolades contributed to your professional journey?
Vibia has won an enormous amount of product design awards over the years. We launch new products and collections every year which never fail to receive awards from different industry organizations and trade publications: Interior Design Magazine Best Of Year Award, Hospitality Design Magazine Award, Azure Magazine Design Award, Metropolis Magazine Award, IIDA/HD Best Lighting Product Design Award, NYCxDesign Award, Architizer A+ Award, Good Design Award, Illuminating Engineering Society Award, Product Innovation Award, Architect Newspaper Award,… Most of these awards have been won several years in a row.
Reflecting on your career, what have been the most formidable obstacles you faced, and how did you overcome them?
Like everyone else, I have faced many challenges throughout my career. Most of them have eventually helped me become a better business leader. I have been part of several organizations that were going through difficult times, layoffs, etc. and managing and navigating those situations was not easy. Even my beginnings at Vibia were quite challenging: I was arriving at a new company, in a new industry, transitioning to a new bigger role (CFO to CEO), in a new country and language, and having to shut down our location in California and lay off all personnel and move the company pretty much overnight across coasts. At the same time, without previous extensive industry/product training, and no family or friends with me to offer support since I was in a new country. I overcame it because I decided to use this as a test of what I was capable of as a professional and I invested all my time, effort, and energy into making all these changes and transition a success. I wanted to prove to myself whether I would be capable of something like this or not, and to build a future for myself and my family. What I learned is that if you have a clear goal that you are willing to 100% commit to, and then break that journey into steps that you can tackle one at a time, chances are that you are going to get where you want to go.
How do you define success in your career, and how long did it take for you to achieve what you consider a successful position in your field?
One definition of professional success is being able to help people find the way to deliver results by providing the vision and the mentoring and advice needed. Being able to be a good trustworthy resource for the team or the organization and have a positive impact that makes a difference in the trajectory of the company. In my case, it’s been a gradual upward progression, but by that definition, I have always considered myself successful.
What advice would you offer to the next generation of aspiring leaders, especially those looking to enter the construction and design industry?
I believe it’s important to start humble and just try to listen, pay attention, and learn and draw your conclusions eventually. I would say it’s important to have a good, varied background in business and management that will help you make sense of everything and understand what the potential opportunities and challenges are in every situation. It’s important to make a constant effort to learn. The moment you stop making that effort you will start losing touch with the realities and trends in business. And, of course, try to build and rely on a good, solid team. Don’t try to do everything yourself. The ultimate goal should be to gather a team that will not need you. A team that will be able to make decisions and execute independently with minimum input on your end. Establish the direction, set the expectations, schedule the check-in points, communicate, and share thoughts and decisions with your team and then let them do their job.
