Sandra Illán: "I took the train that only comes once in a lifetime"

Sandra Illán is one of the pillars of IDIAPJGol. A person with a capacity for work and sacrifice that, since he first set foot in the institute, he has been demonstrating this with increasing success. Since 2017, he has been managing the Corporate Resources Department, a position he earned with justice, as he was one of the people who had the most knowledge of all the areas that make up this research institute in primary care. We spoke to her to learn more about her personal and professional life.

 When you were a student, did you already know that you wanted to end up in a place like IDIAPJGol?

Oh no, no. I was studying Business Administration and Management and the only thing I was clear about was that I didn't want to do audits. I started working in a company in the chemical sector, working more focused on commercial objectives. The sectors I liked the most were tourism and health. And I wasn't very passionate about learning languages either, I did a master's degree in health center management and administration. At the same time as I was doing my master's degree, I started sending CVs all over Barcelona to health companies and foundations during the summer. I submitted my CV to the ICS and, shortly after, they called me from IDIAPJGol. In August they called me and in less than a month I was working.

What was your position when you entered? And your homework?

I started working as an economic project manager. This means that you must control the money that is granted to you, manage the money of the research team, that the money that is really due is spent in the time that it has, and submit the reports. This allowed me to have contact with many researchers and, from the beginning, to know the house well. I ended up bringing all the competitive ones from the IDIAP.

You had a first break because of your first pregnancy, but when you rejoined, you had a surprise, right?

Exactly! In 2010, when I came back from maternity leave, I was offered the possibility of quality technician. Until then we didn't have ISO and we saw that obtaining ISO 9001 gave us the possibility of being able to access more calls and gain prestige. So I sat, alternating my tasks with these.

What did I suppose for you to do as a quality technician and be able to implement ISO?

It means a lot because it was a step forward in the company and for me at a professional level. Being a quality technician requires coordinating all the IDIAP procedures we are involved in, ensuring that they are complied with and looking for improvements. A good example is precisely in the processes of management and assessment of research projects. There is a way to do it that goes from the presentation to the call, the investigation process, the monetary control, the writing of the memos, the extensions, etc. And there are many other procedures. In fact, we started with 7 procedures and currently we have drafted and continue to draw up to 25 procedures. Complying with ISO is very important, and that is why every year there is a maintenance audit and every three years we must re-certify. This year is the fourth reaccreditation.

Is it difficult to follow these procedures?

It's not that it's complicated, but you have to be on top of things because there can always be changes. When I am as a quality technician, I act as sheriff, I take a procedure, I look at the indicators of the procedure, I talk to the people responsible for the area... what if this has been done, what if it is done in a different way, etc. If you sell me the sombrero of technical quality, they run. However, with the help of all my colleagues, we are getting there. Small observations always come up, but we resolve them during the year, which is what continuous improvement is all about.

And over the years you have ended up occupying one of the institute's three management legs: the Corporate Resources Area. How did you leave?

Mine was one of those cases where they say take a train that will only happen once in your life. It must be said that I was happy with my tasks. But then the opportunity came in 2017 when the former economic director closed. For me it was a shock, from one day to another. I remember coming home very affected by the departure of my boss, with whom I had a good relationship. But afterwards, my eight-year-old daughter told me that it was an opportunity for me, because I didn't want to. And it made me think about it. When they opened the process, I signed up. They could either get some internment or from outside and everything was brought in by an outside consultant. I suffered a lot, I went through a tough selection process. But in the end they selected me! He already knew everything that was done here, it wasn't just taking the numbers, but he knew how each unit worked. He had written all the procedures and their indicators. And this opened my vision to know and understand IDIAP in its entirety. In addition, the relationship with the researchers was very good. I asked for letters of recommendation and everyone was happy with me. I also received a lot of support from my colleagues who encouraged me to go ahead with the call, for which I will always be very grateful.

Without a doubt, you were a person who knew how to wake up for herself. But haven't you had any mentor?

I have enjoyed working with everyone, and I have learned a lot from each other. But I also have to tell you that I have always been a very self-taught person.

 And now what does it mean for you to occupy that position?

I am very satisfied. I consider myself a person who brings value to this institute, and I like my job a lot: human resources, general services, legal, economic, etc. Except for the purely scientific field, we could say that you can find me everywhere. Y está muy bien también because it is an institution in which you are very comfortable, where you breathe a very good atmosphere. As Pep says, we don't talk about a company because we are an Institute, a Foundation. Here we are more human, we look much for the worker. They offer a series of facilities, flexible hours, fruit, coffee... which I value very positively. And as I said, I really like working in the health sector. And to think that you are working in an institute that is really dedicated to helping people, that brings value to society... It is not a company that is dedicated to earning quarters, it goes much beyond the material.

How do you see the future and that of IDIAPJGol?

The future looks towards that same office and that same job. If everything goes well, I want to retire here. I'm very happy, we have a good team and they won't move me from there. Research in primary care has a lot of future and I will be here, contributing my grain of sand whenever I can.