Gastón Aigneren (Exxacon): “I have done everything I wanted, I have not postponed anything thinking about the day I retire”

Gastón Aigneren (1950, Santiago (Chile) is CEO of Exxacon, a real estate developer with 25 years of experience and headquartered in San Pedro Alcántara, in the municipality of Marbella (Málaga). A rare bird, as the manager says, who has not yet succumbed to establishing its headquarters in Madrid, where it also has three projects. Born in Chile 75 years ago and to a French grandfather, he says that his great passion are horses. Question. What do you like most about Spain? Answer. The people, the people are what I like the most. Q. What did you want to be when you were little? A. When I was a kid, I was about four years old, I wanted to be a bus driver. I played and spent hours accelerating, braking, cutting tickets. And then I have gone through many circumstances in life, but the truth is that I have not deprived myself of anything, that is, everything I have wanted to do. I have done it. I have been and continue to be an airplane pilot and I dedicate myself to horses, not to raising horses, but to being a rider. I ride three or four times a week. I have dedicated myself to sports and I have done everything I have wanted, I have not postponed anything thinking about the day I retire, I have done everything in unison: working and doing all the things I like. Q. And how is that done? R. Stealing time work, family, friends, and with that he dedicates a little time. For example, when I did my pilot course, the theoretical part was in the evenings, and then the flights were during the weekends. Q. Does it fly now? A. No, not since I saw Spain. In Chile I used piloting a lot for my work, that is, I flew throughout Chile to go to construction sites. Here in Spain there is a very extended, it is not a necessity. I liked it a lot: I felt very free, I really liked that feeling of freedom that is in the air. Q. How did your environment handle the theft of time? A. It never gets along completely well, when you do this type of thing there is always a kind of deficit, but in the end everyone understands that they are circumstances. And there is a bit of selfishness too, because if you dedicate yourself a little to the topics that you like, it will obviously You take time away from other activities that can be done together with the family, but it hasn’t been that much. We’ve had a lot of time on vacation together, with my wife and the children, so it’s not a thing that we say this guy went to take his piloting course somewhere and disappeared. No, I am referring more to the day to day, instead of arriving home early, because it arrived at 10 at night, these are things that happen in a very short period of time. Q. What sports practice? A. In Chile I played rugby for many years, we were even champions of Chile. All through college I was playing rugby. I played tennis since I was a child and when I came to Spain for the first time in 1986 I started playing paddle tennis and we play a lot to this day. Right now, my sport is horseback riding on the weekends. Q. Are the horses yours? How many do you have? A. I have three horses. Q. Do you take care of your diet? A. I love food, but I’m not particularly gourmet, in fact I don’t know how to cook. I simply appreciate a good meal and nothing more.Q. Chilean or Spanish food? R. Spanish. It is infinitely richer than Chilean food. Chilean food, with the Chileans’ pardon, I consider very basic. Here in Spain, there is much more elaboration, different types of food and, Furthermore, Spanish food is very healthy. Because French food, for example, is very elaborate and very delicious and I like it a lot, but I prefer Spanish food a thousand times. It is more Mediterranean, more natural. Q. Do you like to travel? A. I travel a lot. Q. What was the last trip? A. The last trip I was in Iceland, in Reykjavík, a very attractive country, with impressive use of geothermal energy. I was also this year in Normandy. I go to Normandy a lot. I usually go on holiday to the north of France and also to the south of France periodically. And many trips to Chile.P. So, you have nothing left on your to-do list? A. I have never had a goal in life. I have no special concern about issues that have been left behind. However, there is always something pending, and that is the beauty of life. Personally, I would like to extend the time to dedicate to my horses with my family, who are all lovers of horse riding. I am also excited to continue traveling, discovering quiet places with history. And on a professional level, I am very excited to see how new generations within the company are taking over, with fresh ideas and passion for building. I think that seeing what you have created grow is one of the greatest satisfactions you can experience.P. What things can’t you stand? R. I don’t handle the lack of words well and people who don’t keep their commitments. In business and in life, trust is built with actions, not speeches. People who do their jobs poorly also make me uncomfortable. I believe that a large part of the misfortunes in the world come from poorly executed work.P. Any recommended reading? A. I really enjoy reading biographies, because behind each person there is learning. An autobiographical book that has especially marked me is Made in Japan, by Sony founder Akio Morita. I find him an extraordinary example of vision, teamwork and perseverance. It talks about how a company can grow without losing its essence, something with which I feel very identified.P. How do you deal with the bumps, the things that don’t go the way you want? A. Setbacks are part of the journey and many times, although it is difficult to see at first, they turn out to be necessary lessons. When something doesn’t go well, I prefer to stop, analyze and learn. I try not to dramatize: time, experience and being surrounded by good people helps a lot to put things in their place.P. Do you have stress? How do you deal with it? A. I don’t know anyone who doesn’t experience moments of tension, but it is important to understand that many times the key is not in what happens to us, but in how we deal with it. Over the years one learns to relativize. It seems essential to me to disconnect from the digital and be more in contact with nature. Silence and fresh air are great allies to keep a clear head. Q. Do you consider yourself lucky? Is he happy? A. I consider myself very lucky, yes. Life has brought me magnificent opportunities, wonderful people and the possibility of dedicating myself to something that I am passionate about. Happiness is not a permanent state or a state that has to be reached. Happiness is a part of the journey and a sum of moments: a family dinner, a conversation with friends without looking at the clock, seeing a finished project after a great shared effort… Everything is in those small moments. You can read the rest of the interviews in this section here