“Results matter, but what truly lasts is the impact you have on people.”
Some people seem to be born with an internal compass — a mix of intuition and purpose that guides them, even when the map changes. Natalia Perera is one of those people. From an early age, she knew she wanted to do something that blended strategy, creativity, and human connection. Her answer was Marketing — but her professional journey has also been one of personal growth, constant adaptation, and self-discovery across very different settings.
Raised in an entrepreneurial family, Natalia describes herself as naturally curious and observant, someone who learned early on the importance of problem-solving and the value of doing things properly. She completed her studies between Las Palmas and the UK, graduating in Business Administration, with International Marketing and Logistics as a specialisation. In 2017, she began her career at JTI, in her homeland: the Canary Islands.
That was the first step on an international journey with a company that embraces global mobility and continuous learning as part of its formula for success — a combination of calculated innovation and the steady strength to evolve with every challenge.
With over 130 offices worldwide and a diverse team — just within Iberia, 28 nationalities coexist, and over 120 globally — this rich cultural environment has played a key role in Natalia’s development.
One of the most defining and transformative experiences in her career came in Bangladesh, where she was tasked with opening a new market. “It was a turning point. You arrive in a place you don’t know, with a completely different language and culture, and you must start from scratch. And you do,” she recalls.
There, she learned to lead by listening and respecting, to adapt without losing focus, and to work with a balance of humility and determination that still defines her leadership style today. “I realised there’s no single ‘right’ way to do things. Leadership also means letting go of control and trusting your team.”
After her time in Bangladesh and in Madrid, she was offered a new challenge in the Greece, Cyprus, and Malta cluster. The selection process was tough, and the context was challenging — she had to step into someone else's shoes at a critical time for the business.
It was an intense period, during which she had to adapt quickly, reorganise projects, motivate the team, and maintain results. She learned to make decisions without all the answers, to prioritise under pressure, and to sustain momentum in demanding environments.
This experience taught her the importance of acting swiftly and showed her she could handle complex decisions without losing sight of the human factor.
Today, Natalia leads the Marketing department in Andorra, where she is enjoying a different, more grounded and balanced phase of her journey. There, she explains, Marketing and Sales operate as one team, in a more intimate and direct setting where every person and every client truly matters.
This close connection to both the business and the people has helped refine her leadership style: leading by example. She finds real joy in watching her team members grow, take initiative, and speak up — just as she once had mentors who believed in her potential, even when she didn’t fully believe in it herself.
Throughout her career, Natalia has developed a set of values that now guide every decision she makes; tolerance, to embrace different perspectives; flexibility, to adapt without losing sight of purpose; and independence, to move forward with confidence, even in uncertain terrain. She’s clear that while results are important, what really endures is the impact you have on others.
Ultimately, her story is a powerful example of how professional growth can go together with personal development when the right environment is in place. In a global company like JTI, where mobility, diversity, and continuous learning are embedded in its DNA, people are not only able to find their purpose — but also the space, resources, and trust to fully realise their potential.
“Growing with purpose means never losing sight of what drives you. It’s about doing things with meaning, creating real value, and building environments where we can all become the best version of ourselves.”
Sara Novo joined JTI 16 years ago, just as the company was beginning to expand in Portugal. Her initial interest in marketing had led her to pursue academic training and start her professional career in that field, but an unexpected turn made her reconsider her future: "I always thought marketing was my calling, but when I almost accidentally discovered the world of finance, I realised this was my true passion," she recalls. "I like to think that numbers also tell stories, and the challenge of making them speak has been my greatest satisfaction”.
Following this discovery, Sara decided to steer her career towards finance, and she found in JTI the ideal environment to learn and grow. With a positive, committed, and tenacious attitude, she has witnessed the company’s significant transformation in Portugal, which, in just over a decade, the team quadrupled in size, transforming from a small group into a strong and capable workforce.
"Numbers also tell stories and the challenge of making them speak has been my greatest satisfaction."
Throughout her career at JTI, Sara has been involved in diverse projects, including the implementation of new financial systems and the optimisation of management tools, giving her a comprehensive understanding of the company’s internal processes. In her current role as Free Cash Flow Iberia Manager, she oversees the different markets within the Iberia cluster, which includes mainland Spain, the Canary Islands, Portugal, and Andorra.
She works closely with teams from areas such as Logistics, People & Culture and Sales, consolidating key information to ensure operations run smoothly and efficiently. This experience has enabled her to develop lateral leadership skills and ensure that the knowledge and improvement initiatives implemented benefit all areas of the company. "I find it fulfilling to discover innovative ways to enhance efficiency in processes, especially knowing that these improvements enable my colleagues to work more swiftly and effectively" she explains.
"I find it fulfilling to discover innovative ways to enhance efficiency in processes, especially knowing that these improvements enable my colleagues to work more swiftly and effectively."
Sara greatly appreciates the culture of continuous learning, and the personalised professional development plans that JTI provides. In this context, she has taken part in various training programs, such as Coach Hub, which have equipped her with new skills and resources to progress in her career. Furthermore, she emphasises that the flexibility offered by JTI has been a crucial aspect of her life, allowing her to balance her professional ambitions with family responsibilities. "Being able to work from Portugal and only travel to Madrid, where JTI’s Iberia Cluster base is located, only when I choose has made it much easier for me to achieve a balance essential to my wellbeing and that of my family."
Looking ahead, Sara remains open to new challenges and opportunities. For her, JTI is more than just a workplace: it is an environment where she feels supported and valued, and where she continuously finds new ways to contribute to the company’s growth and success."
She arrived at JTI almost by chance, guided by the curiosity of someone who is always open to new challenges that take her a little further. And it has been 7 years of growth and learning.
María José Torrejón, Pepa to her colleagues, loves getting lost in less touristy destinations with her backpack on her shoulders and camera in hand. But above all she loves people. "Getting to know them beyond what can be seen with the naked eye", she explains, "discovering what their goals, ambitions and needs are and how I can accompany them in the right environment can help them achieve their best version".
Since joining JTI, Pepa has had the opportunity not only to put her extensive experience in the commercial field into practice, but also to exercise her leadership skills by guiding a team of almost 50 people. "The team is made up of very varied profiles, with different nationalities, ages and backgrounds. Being different enriches us, allows us to cultivate a multi-faceted vision of the business and share diverse experiences in the team. Talent has no race, gender or age".
"My professional experience has taught me that the way everything works is... from people to business: only people make it possible for this company, our project, any objective, to make it possible."
With a degree in Law from the Universities of Deusto and Seville, an MBA from ESADE, a Master in Digital Strategy and a PhD in Civil Law, she acquired valuable skills after working for several multinational companies, including AC Hotels, Amena, Vodafone, ADIF, Heineken and the experience of being part of a start-up for the creation of Ferrolineras: thanks to them she has learned skills such as negotiation, team management, sales leadership and adaptation to VUCA environments.
In addition to being able to develop her career within a diverse and inclusive organization, Pepa values very positively the effort that the company has made in recent years to strengthen the presence of women in leadership positions, especially in the sales force. Thus, Pepa has positioned herself in the company as the first woman in the position of Area Field Manager in Spain. "In JTI we are firmly committed to the diverse interaction of talent, where gender does not matter, but the mix of professional experiences and the different way of thinking is a value that adds up and we are living it".
This commitment has been reinforced with important advances in terms of work-life balance, teleworking, flexible working hours and talent management, as well as with the implementation of high-impact initiatives such as the new world-leading 20-week fully paid maternity and paternity leave policy.
"JTI is one of the best companies to work for in Spain, as certified by Human Resources benchmark organisations such as Top Employer, because it is a company where people are the priority. I feel that at JTI I can be myself and express myself freely, knowing that my opinions matter and are taken into account".
I am fortunate to learn from my Centre-South team every day and it is not a cliché, they are all professionals, with more or less experience in the sector and with a high teamwork skills, professionalism and human quality, so it is impossible not to enjoy every day with them!
"JTI is one of the best companies to work for in Spain because people are the priority. Here I can be myself and express myself freely, knowing that my opinions matter and are taken into account."
Although she was born in Seville, Pepa has also considered cities such as Dublin, Bilbao, Barcelona, Malaga, Las Palmas and Madrid her home. Now her life is in the Centre-South Area, from Almeria and Salamanca, a vast territory with very different consumer profiles, trends and opportunities, where she daily looks for opportunities to improve and be part of the change she wants to see in her environment.