2002 American Express Global Leadership Awardee

Begoña Zunzunegui, honoured for her professional career
Expansìon

  “A female entrepreneur should be persevering, intelligent and creative”

Perseverance, intelligence and creativity are the keys to success for a female entrepreneur, according to
Begoña Zunzunegui, founder of Becara, who has just been honoured by American Express for her brilliant professional career. 

Begoña Zunzunegui (Bilbao, 1936), founder of the gifts, furniture and decoration firm, Becara, is a clear example of a self-made businesswoman. She began designing decoration objects at 25 armed only with a table and an old typewriter, and today she heads a consolidated company with 180 employees that exports 60% of its production. With this award—presented during the Global Women’s Summit—, American Express wishes to prove its commitment with women, since the company has traditionally been linked to male businessmen. Besides this initiative, the company is preparing the launch of products targeted to the female market.

What were the main obstacles you encountered when you began?
I would have liked being better prepared, since I never completed secondary school. That was the main obstacle, but one ends up acquiring knowledge through experience.

What would you say to those women who are thinking of setting up their own business but are still undecided?
Women who are afraid should not become entrepreneurs, because this is a world in which you need to be very brave and capable of taking on challenges and risks. Those women about to take the plunge should definitely obtain plenty of information and advice first.

Do you recall living any critical moment?
The crisis of 1990 in Spain was a delicate moment. But then we decided to sell in Germany and the response was excellent. There is always something positive to be derived from bad times and besides, it is better to act than to complain.

You are a wife and a mother. Has it been very difficult to balance your work with your family life?
It requires a lot of sacrifice, but you need to face things cheerfully. Today, although family life still depends much more on women than on men, I would encourage all women to work.

How do entrepreneurs work best, with women or with men?
I do not discriminate at all. You need to find the right person for each job, regardless of their sex. At Becara, out of a staff of 180 people, 70 are women.

What is your opinion regarding the scarcity of female managers in Spain?
The truth is I am amazed there are so few. However, I believe in a few years the situation will improve. We will not reach total equality, but there will be many more women in positions of power.