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Pablo Fernández (Clidrive) inspires tomorrow’s leaders at the 23rd Annual Real Estate Dinner

Attended by a host of Esade students and real estate professionals, the event was a meeting point for discussing the opportunities and challenges facing today’s real estate market.
Pablo Fernandez

The Esade Alumni Real Estate Club organized its traditional Annual Real Estate Sector Dinner, now in its 23rd year, featuring Pablo Fernández, the founder and CEO of Clidrive, the No. 1 car finance platform that uses AI to connect vehicle owners with financial institutions offering affordable bank loans with the car as collateral. Pablo is also the president of Clikalia, the No. 1 residential real estate platform in Europe and Mexico, and the founder and CEO of Clicars, the main second-hand car marketplace in Spain. On a personal note, Pablo holds 6 Guinness records in long-distance swimming and was nominated twice by the World Open Water Swimming Association for the “Performance of the Year” and “Man of the Year” awards.

The event was attended by a host of Esade students and professionals in this sector and was a meeting point for discussing the opportunities and challenges facing today’s real estate market. Carmina Ganyet (VV ‘03), president of the Esade Alumni Real Estate Club, highlighted the importance of fostering a sector able to make a positive impact on society and engage with future generations of real estate leaders, and thanked the many Esade students who came along to learn from Pablo Fernandez.

Carmina Ganyet

Success is an attitude

During his talk, Pablo Fernández revealed the keys to his success and shared personal anecdotes and lessons he learnt during his career. On the basis of his experience as an elite swimmer and his achievements as an entrepreneur, he regards success as the attitude one adopts in the face of life’s challenges, and believes that discipline, perseverance and the ability to adapt are crucial for being successful.

The entrepreneur compared his experience in swimming to business management and explained how setting a record in 24-hour swimming can be applied to perseverance and dedication in business. He illustrated this by telling an anecdote about his encounter with a tiger shark in Africa which taught him how to handle uncertainty (vitally important in business). He also highlighted the philosophy of the swimmer Michael Phelps who believes that in order to be better than your competitors you must do things they are not willing to do (always from a positive viewpoint of competition).

Pablo Fernández

He also talked about his failures, including dropping out of university, and the challenges of financing his business at the age of 22. He also mentioned the importance of being willing to adapt – a lesson he learned after attending eight different schools.

Pablo also believes that it is better to have been in employment before starting a business – which is why the average age of the founders of unicorn companies is 35 years old. He founded Clicars in 2015, and his vision of the company had a multiplier effect because since then up to 79 companies have been founded by former Clikalia employees. Clidrive also achieved a record in Spain, soaring to €10 million in its first year as a start-up.

In addition to this, the entrepreneur recommended investing in people and sectors that are well known, without overestimating any idea, and opting for a business model that has a positive impact. He also emphasized the importance of surrounding yourself with people who are better than you. Apart from his successful business track record, Pablo has invested in more than 100 start-ups and has donated part of his assets to social impact ventures, particularly in the areas of education and climate change. He is a prominent Endeavor entrepreneur and was acknowledged by HBS to be one of the alumni who made the greatest impact in entrepreneurship and social impact. Finally, he recommended that young people should make an effort, be resilient, leave Spain and work for other entrepreneurs before starting their own projects.

Cena Inmobiliario

The presentation was followed by a buffet dinner: the perfect setting for sharing experiences and networking with professionals in the real estate sector.

Thanks to Jaume Roig (Lic&MBA 03), member of the Board of the Real Estate Club, for his collaboration in the preparation of this article.

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