This September, it will be a year since I joined 11Onze as Chief Technology Officer. A year, now that I think of it, is not a long time, but in a young and dynamic company like 11Onze, the feeling is that I have been there for a long time.

Raul Arribas, Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of 11Onze

As Chief Technology Officer of 11Onze, my task is to oversee the entire technology resources of the business. Nowadays, whether they want to recognise it or not, almost all companies are technology companies. From different sectors, but all technology based. Any company in any sector, in the 21st century, needs technology to operate efficiently and to be not only competitive, but even viable. And financial businesses are no exception.

At 11Onze, we use technology in all areas of the company. We use it, obviously, to create our product and reach our customers (with La Plaça and El Canut). But technology is also essential in the rest of our processes. Without it, it would not be possible to meet the needs of people the way we do, whether by chat or with 11Onze a Casa, for example. Nor would we be able to work collaboratively as we do between all internal departments, as well as with external suppliers.

Therefore, the word technology encompasses many aspects and functions within a company like 11Onze, sometimes visible and sometimes invisible to our customers. That’s why it’s vital to maintain order and outline our present and future in terms of technology, and take advantage of the best the market has to offer in order to constantly improve the products and services we can offer our community.

The power of teamwork

To achieve all this requires, to begin with, a talented team with diverse expertise to keep on top of each of these often very disparate technological aspects. And it is precisely the constitution and evolution of this team that is one of the main tasks of the Chief Technology Officer. At 11Onze, we are building our team, and as we do so, we also collaborate with external suppliers who help us where we fall short.

One of the other responsibilities of a position like this is to define what technologies we will use, how we will use them, and why. Technology must always be a means to an end, not the end itself. Therefore, analysing the different alternatives on the market and choosing the one best suited to our needs in each case is key to building the 11Onze we all want.

And, to cut it short, a third key responsibility of the Chief Technology Officer is to go out and explain our project, to be seen and, at the same time, to make the necessary contacts to establish the relationships and partnerships that will allow us to advance better and faster towards our ultimate goal: to be the financial institution that we all deserve. The road is difficult and long, but the destination is clear, and so is the way to get there.

11Onze is the community fintech of Catalonia. Open an account by downloading the super app El Canut for Android or iOS and join the revolution!