This week, we had the pleasure of speaking with Antonio Cendrero, CEO of Arriva Spain.

1. Tell us briefly about the history, mission, and values of the Arriva Group.

The company’s origins date back to 1938, when the Cowie family opened a second-hand motorcycle shop in Sunderland, United Kingdom. This humble beginning would eventually evolve into what is now the Arriva Group. Over the years, the business transformed and expanded into a leading multimodal passenger transport company operating in 11 European countries. Arriva offers regular and on-demand bus and coach services, trains, trams, waterbuses, shared bicycles, and a rail leasing company. Today, Arriva employs over 34,000 people and transports approximately 1.6 billion passengers annually. In Spain, we have a strong presence in interurban road transport, particularly in the Madrid and Galicia regions. In June, I Squared Capital completed the acquisition of the Arriva Group, marking a significant milestone in the company’s history.

Our mission is to be Europe’s leading public transport operator while contributing to a future where public transport is the preferred way to travel. Our core values are simple and straightforward: do the right thing, make a difference, and work with passion.

2. Tell us about your professional background and your current role at Arriva.

My career began in consulting, but I soon joined ExxonMobil in Spain to work on various transformation projects, including one of the largest SAP implementations in the world. Later, I transitioned to the Facility Management industry, where I helped grow a family-owned company to 250 million euros in revenue and a workforce of 12,000 employees across Spain and South America.

Since 2019, I have been leading Arriva’s business in Spain, focusing on sustainability and growth. My work has been closely tied to people management and profit-and-loss responsibility from early on. Over the years, I have led team and organizational transformations, restructured divisions and companies, and driven changes in business models, strategies, operations, and culture.

I’ve built my career across multinational corporations and family-owned businesses in various sectors (consulting, oil & gas, facility services, and transport). I’ve also lived abroad (Brussels) and managed international operations (Chile, Peru). I hold an Industrial Engineering degree from the University of Valladolid (Spain), completed a General Management Program (PDG) at IESE Business School, and studied the strategic implications of artificial intelligence at MIT Sloan School of Management.

3. What sets your organization apart, and what are you most proud of?

Without a doubt, our people make the difference, and I am incredibly proud of our team. We have nearly 1,000 professionals dedicated to daily operations and committed to the company’s future. Ninety percent of our workforce consists of drivers and engineers—highly experienced professionals with a strong service mindset. They understand their role’s importance, not just to the company but also to the passengers they serve, the urban areas they connect, and the broader public transport network in the communities where we operate.

We saw this dedication firsthand during the pandemic. Even in the darkest times, with devastating news about the rising death toll, our drivers—including a growing number of women—kept operating buses to ensure public transportation remained available. More recently, in Valencia, our team volunteered alongside Madrid’s Transport Consortium to establish emergency bus routes in areas affected by severe flooding.

Meanwhile, our corporate team is responsible for integrating frontline insights with the commitments we’ve made to our clients and partners, ensuring regulatory compliance, and working with social partners and public administrations to continuously improve passenger experiences. We are proud of our role in transforming public transport—a critical, innovative sector that must lead sustainable urban transformation to make cities more livable.

4. Why are Spain and the United States important markets for your company?

We are a well-established company in Spain with an ambitious growth plan. The acquisition of the Arriva Group by I Squared Capital marks an exciting and optimistic new chapter for the entire organization. Having a U.S.-based shareholder brings a fresh perspective rooted in innovation and development. I Squared Capital and Arriva share a common vision of a more innovative, sustainable future.

5. Why did you choose to partner with AmChamSpain?

At Arriva Spain, we have a tradition of building relationships with chambers of commerce that represent our shareholders’ interests. AmChamSpain is a valuable platform that offers great opportunities. Becoming a member allows us to expand our network, share experiences, and learn best practices from other leading companies. We believe that this exchange of perspectives and knowledge will benefit us and serve as a compelling incentive for our teams through active collaboration in the Chamber’s working committees.

Last December 5th in Madrid, we celebrated our traditional Christmas Cocktail, an event that brought together our members, collaborators, friends, and the team from the U.S. Embassy, led by the Acting U.S. Ambassador and Chargé d'Affaires, A.I., Rian Harris.

During his welcome speech, Jaime Malet, Chairman of AmChamSpain, expressed his gratitude to the member companies, highlighting their work, the efforts of the Committees, and the achievements of programs such as the 5th Edition of the Young Leaders Network, and the 9th Edition of the “Moving Upwards with AmChamSpain” Women Executives Mentoring Program. For her part, Acting Ambassador Rian Harris complemented his words by emphasizing the strong relationship between Spain and the U.S., as well as the joint efforts of our Chamber and the diplomatic team from the U.S. Embassy.

At AmChamSpain, we would like to thank all our members for their continued support throughout 2024.

A special thanks to Amgen, Cisco, ManpowerGroup, American Express, Banco Sabadell, Costco Wholesale, Damm, Dow, Mary Kay Global, and SAS for making this celebration possible. We also extend our recognition to our Official Sponsors: Amazon Web Services, Bristol Myers Squibb, Coca-Cola, Delta Air Lines, Gilead Sciences, Google, Nippon Gases, Pfizer, and Santander, whose support has been key to the success of our events and the strengthening of our business community.

Happy holidays to all!

The President of the Community of Madrid, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, participated on October 8th in an event where she met with over 100 senior executives from our members companies.

During the event, key topics were discussed, such as U.S. investment in Spain, Madrid's positioning as an investment hub, the digitalization of public administration, and talent management in the region.

Regarding investment in the region, Ayuso emphasized the importance of attracting foreign capital, particularly from the United States. She highlighted that "the Spanish economy would not be understood without American investment" and added that "Madrid is open to foreign investment, and we are creating the conditions for companies to find here a favorable environment for growth and innovation."

She also pointed out that Madrid has consolidated itself as one of the main talent and investment hubs in Europe, managing two out of every three euros of foreign investment in Spain, and positioning itself as the fifth-largest regional economy in the European Union, with consistent GDP growth above 2.5%.

On his part, Jaime Malet, President of AmChamSpain, highlighted the opportunities Spain offers to American companies, emphasizing the country's position as a safe destination for investments, far from international conflicts, and its ability to lead in strategic sectors such as renewable energy and green hydrogen.

During the event, the importance of digital transformation in public administration was also discussed, focusing on the digital capabilities of new generations and the use of technology in areas such as cybersecurity. Ayuso emphasized the implementation of new digital platforms to optimize public services and the opening of a specialized office in the use of artificial intelligence, in collaboration with major tech companies. She noted that nearly 25% of the top tech companies already have investments in Madrid.

Finally, talent management was another key topic. Ayuso underscored Madrid's appeal as a destination for highly skilled professionals, emphasizing that the capital has become a magnet for international talent. "Madrid is a city open to global talent, with programs designed to attract the best professionals, but we must work to facilitate their integration," she added.

The event concluded with a call for cooperation between the public and private sectors, with the aim of further strengthening Madrid as a leader in investment, digitalization, and talent management, consolidating its position as one of Europe's leading economic capitals.