Miquel Martí, the Chairman of Moventia, took part on 13 May in the True Leaders event organised by The New Barcelona Post and EY. Important business leaders gathered for this event to share success stories, experiences and perspectives on leadership and business management.

This session placed a focus on the representative from Moventia, during which he was interviewed by the consultant and journalist from The New Barcelona Post, Víctor Costa.

In front of an audience of major players from the business world, Miquel Martí explained that “leadership is shown through action”, a philosophy he said has steered his career as leader of Moventia.

The Chairman of Moventia summarised the early days of the century-old company set up by his grandfather, saying that “he did the hardest bit, which is starting out. He was an orphan. He committed to monitored traction. He worked in a textile factory by night and drove a bus for Sabadell by day”. The transport multinational executive also underlined the non-conformist spirit of the company: “we have successfully risen to the challenge of facing risks that could have wiped us out”. Miquel Martí went on to detail the company’s history over the years as it overcame such obstacles as the Spanish Civil War and the loss of an urban bus service concession in Sabadell, among other things.

He then underlined the significance for Moventia of a merger with its main competitor in the sector to create the Sarbus Group. After that, Miquel Martí and his siblings Josep Maria Martí and Sílvia Martí became the third generation in charge of the companies specialising in collective mobility, Moventis, and individual mobility, Movento. He also shone a light on the fourth generation, as Miquel Martí Pierre and Santi Colomer Martí have been in charge of the Movento division since 2023.

“Moventia is a family business that puts the company first because if the company does well, the family will do well. We have done our homework as a family but we haven’t yet managed to create the right structure for the family board”, Miquel Martí said during the interview. He also told attendees at the event that “facilitating economic development by connecting people” is a firm commitment that is built in to the strategic priorities upheld by the company.

The Chairman of Moventia then underlined the crucial role being played by the Next Generation funds for modernising Moventia through an investment in digitalisation and decarbonisation of the company’s bus fleet. He also discussed Moventia’s international expansion efforts, stressing that “we carry 900,000 people every day and drive around the world 12 times”, highlighting significant projects such as the urban transport contract in Mecca and Saudi Arabia. “Internationalisation is no easy path. You need to pick the right local partners and keep pushing to enjoy a successful project”, he said.

The conversation concluded by touching on key issues in local current affairs, such as the success of TRAM, the Fira de Barcelona and the need to improve mobility in the city. Miquel Martí said that “the mobility challenge is essentially metropolitan in a Barcelona of five million inhabitants”. “If we want to decongest the city, we need to raise public transport use in the surrounding metropolitan area to the levels seen in central Barcelona. Private vehicles must clearly be an accessory to public mobility”, said the company chairman.

Participation by Miquel Martí in this session highlights his commitment to sustainability and innovation in mobility for cities, fundamental cornerstones in the vision adopted by Moventia to connect people and drive economic development.

Photograph source: The New Barcelona Post.