In this instalment of our Meet the Team series, we speak to Os Diez, Head of Operations about his eventful past, exciting current projects and future aspirations. Os embodies what we’re about here at Gallowglass, without including spoilers, his focus on building relationships with people echoes our philosophy. The team we have are exactly that; a group of people that work towards a collective goal. Thank you to Os for taking the time to answer our questions and for being an essential part of our team.
Tell us a little more about yourself?
How much time do you have? Hahaha!
I am from San Sebastian (Basque country - North of Spain). I’m a bit of a foodie; appreciate a good platter and drink. Occasional skater and trying to get back into Thai-boxing. I also enjoy running, but never ask me this after a long run, and I’m going for my third marathon this October. I like my tech, computers, games etc. the list goes on. But don’t get me started on spreadsheets and Excel!
How long have you worked at Gallowglass?
I started in late 2006, so 13 years.
What was your experience before joining the Gallowglass team?
I kicked off my events career working as a Road Manager for various International world music artists touring Spain, thus ending a slightly less appealing few years working in IT. As an energetic twenty-one-year-old, I found everything about my new role exciting, and it opened the door to the entertainment/events industry. My role involved organising artist travel, managing technical riders, and dealing with all manner of artists’ requirements. That stage in my life ended three years after with a large tour in the USA before I relocated to Barcelona.
How has your career progressed during your time at Gallowglass?
I started from the bottom as “the new guy”, then I quickly became Crew Chief in Gallowglass’ newly opened Barcelona offices. In 2010 I was promoted to Senior Crew Chief and was given responsibility for our Barcelona operation. Subsequently, I became Gallowglass’ Spanish Regional Manager in 2012 – I must have done something right! I finally took over my current Head of Operations role and moved to London in 2015.
What was the most exciting event or project that you have been part of while working at Gallowglass?
There’s always something that makes an event exciting! From the actual event itself to the team or client you are working with, or the event preparation to the challenges undertaken, it’s hard to put my finger on a single one!
From an organisational point of view, the London Olympic Games in 2012 was about as challenging and exciting as it gets! As is my annual date with ‘Mobile World Congress’ in Barcelona, a huge tech fair which involves months of organisation and vast amounts of crew.
From a crewing perspective: both the birthday party of the Kazakhstani president’s wife and a beverage brands world-class barman contest on a cruise liner were both exciting and challenging.
I think the part I have enjoyed the most in my career with Gallowglass was taking over GG Spain. The company was at its early stages of development, and I was able to spend the next few years structuring a great company and growing a great relationship with both clients and crew. It now represents 10% of the company, which makes “papa” proud.
What’s been the biggest change since you started working here?
H&S/legal compliance and professionalisation of the crewing industry. The whole industry now has a much better regard for the safety and welfare of the crew; inductions and training have become much more thorough and Gallowglass have always been pioneers in this area.
What do you think makes the event industry different to other work environments?
The variety of the job and the people you work with: two days are never the same! Events are the consolidation of numerous and diverse tasks and the people that solve or make those happen. The effort and energy of those people is what makes the events happen.
Where do you see yourself in five years’ time?
I don’t have a clue, hopefully doing something just as interesting and challenging as my roles in Gallowglass have been so far. Maybe a new crewing operation somewhere in South East Asia (hint hint).
What advice would you give to those aspiring to a career in events?
People, people, people. We work with people rather than with companies, so treat everyone as you’d like to be treated. You will always have tight deadlines and sometimes even be ‘in a pickle’, and it’s those people who will come to your rescue. So, here’s to those people that pull you through and make every event a success, I thank you.
This concludes our interview with Os, what a gentleman! If you think a career in the events industry could be your next step, then why not get in touch with us? We’re always on the lookout for new recruits, and as we have teams across the UK, there will always be event jobs in Bristol, London and Liverpool popping up. If you need a little more convincing, why not check through our blog to find out more info about working in the events industry?
