the door in a way that not all com-panies can. We also have a culture of respect for our partners which is fundamental, because we need their knowledge of the terrain, their resources, and their contacts. And it’s not me who says so, but our partners themselves who have recognized this sense of respect. Obviously, there are still some cul-tural differences in our day-to-day operations, but we are gradually bridging the divide. Why is this area becoming a strate-gic region for the global economy? The ASEAN region has some 600 million people with a very large percentage of young peo-ple who have more access to edu-cation every day. It has impres-sive faith in that strength, some-thing that’s evident in the sacri-fices that parents make to send their children to study in uni-versities in Europe or the USA. It’s already paying off for them, and it will bear even more fruit in the future. They’re trying to emulate the leaps made by China or Singapore, examples with a knock-on effect that partly explain the swift post-pandem-ic recovery, 5% or 6% growth mORE personal What personal lesson has Southeast Asia taught you? Deep respect for others is a lesson I try to put into practice every day. And a professional lesson? Partners and customers need to be able to clearly see your added value; that factor has to be worked on diligently. And patience. In these coun-tries you need a lot of it. What do you most admire about these cultures and what would you improve if you could? Perhaps because I’m quite a family man myself, I admire their respect for tradition and family values. And sometimes I’m struck by something relat-ed to money, like the love of gambling in some countries. What local writer deserves to be discovered in the West? Rather than a particu-lar author, I’m particularly inspired by history books that reveal amazing civilizations apart from Greece and Rome. They make you rethink your world view. What major regional contract would you sign here and now? Without a doubt, Manila Bay Bridge, one of the biggest projects in the entire region which will be the equivalent of the Golden Gate Bridge or the bridge over Cadiz Bay. We’ll be bidding for the con-tract next year. INTERVIEW