Jorge Lasheras (Thermomix): “My big dream was a Porsche Targa that I bought when the Swiss franc was very low”

On June 3, Jorge Lasheras (Madrid, 1979) assumed the general management of Vorwerk Spain, a German manufacturer of household appliances and owner of Thermomix and Kobold. After two decades in the group and an international career that has taken him through Russia, Kazakhstan, Mexico, Switzerland and Italy, he has returned to his hometown convinced that Madrid offers a quality of life that is difficult to find elsewhere. Son of a Spanish father and a German mother, a basketball fan, car lover and loyal to his first-hour Italian coffee, he assures that the real driving force of the business is the people.Question. Do you use Thermomix at home? What is the recipe that works best for you? Answer. I cook little, honestly. When I cook with Thermomix I like to make things a little more exotic, not so much the classic recipes. I really like making naan, the Indian bread. The dough contains yogurt, ferments with the yogurt and then can be made in the oven or in a pan at high temperature. I make it a lot to accompany a curry or even with hummus. I also make a lot of gorgonzola risotto when guests come, because it costs little, yields a lot and, furthermore, is lactose-free.Q. Do you remember the first time you used a Thermomix? A. I was born with Thermomix. My mother had one at home and on Mondays she made us a stew with vegetables and leftovers from the weekend. It was a TM3300, in the eighties. I hated her. Then I had a TM21 at home, but I didn’t like it too much. Later, for work, they gave me a TM31 and that’s when I fell in love. That was the battle machine and with it I started working at Vorwerk.P. He has an accent that is difficult to place.R. I was born in Madrid. My father is Spanish and my mother is German. I went to Germany when I was ten years old and later, for work, I have lived in Russia, China, Mexico, Switzerland and Italy. In the end I was left with a mixture of all of that.P. He has lived in many countries. Which one do you keep? A. Spain. I think people often don’t realize what they have until it’s gone. No country is perfect, but returning to Spain was the easiest decision of my life. I wanted to be here again. I like the food, the people, the lifestyle… And I love Madrid. It has an incredible quality of life, a lot of life in the streets and a very special energy.P. Did you start very young in the company? A. Yes. During university I did an internship at Vorwerk. One week I had to accompany a Kobold door-to-door salesperson to learn about the business. I really liked what I did and also what I earned. I thought: “This is where I’m from.” I started selling too, it went quite well and that’s how I paid for my studies and my car. Then an opportunity arose to open a market in Russia and I went there.P. Didn’t he know Russian? A. No. Neither Russian nor Chinese. They are very difficult languages. But it was a German company and in some countries they valued someone speaking German. With English and German I defended myself well.P. Before dedicating yourself to this, did you dream of another profession? A. I played basketball for 15 years and, like many kids, I dreamed about it, but there comes a time when you realize that you probably aren’t going to make a living from it. During university I was more interested in logistics, control and numbers. In fact, my internship was oriented towards that area. But I ended up discovering the world of business and marketing, and I stayed there.P. Do you consider yourself an ambitious person? A. I am competitive. Ambitious… I don’t know. I never asked to be CEO. I remember that when I was 27 years old they asked me to take the business to Mexico. We were very few and I accepted. But I have never asked for a position or gone looking for promotions. Opportunities have been arising.P. Do you find it difficult to disconnect? A. Yes. Ideas continue to appear even when the day ends. What I do is write them down in a notebook. And then when I drive, I play the music really loud. That’s my way of disconnecting until I get home.P. Do you practice any sports? A. I go to the gym, do some cardio and, at my age, I’ve already been told that I have to do weight training too. Also, from time to time I go with my children to a basketball court to shoot some baskets.Q. Do you sleep well? A. Very good. Even on airplanes. Nobody wants to travel with me because they say I snore, but I sleep great.P. What is your little everyday luxury? A. The first 30 minutes of the morning with an Italian coffee. No one can take that away from me. If I’m traveling, the first thing I do is look for my coffee. It’s a moment just for me.P. What is your ideal weekend like? A. Don’t worry. It starts with Saturday’s coffee, which I don’t forgive myself for either. Then a lot of time with the children. We like to walk and explore the city. Since they were little we have accustomed them to kicking each other Madrid.P. What quality do you consider essential to run a company? A. In our business it is essential to know the culture and understand direct sales. Many people think that we sell a product, a Thermomix or a Kobold. But we actually offer career opportunities. We focus a lot on developing people, on helping them discover capabilities that they often didn’t even know they had.P. Any example that has marked you? A. One of our veteran leaders recently retired. I was impressed to hear your story. Thanks to his work he was able to raise his family, buy a house, pay for his children’s studies and travel. There are many stories like this within the company.Q. And how do you define yourself as a boss? A. I think I have a very clear vision of where the business should go, but above all I focus on people. I try to get the best out of each team member. I need to surround myself with experts in areas that I do not master. My job is to build the right team and help each one give their best version.P. Are you a car fan? A. Yes. I’m half German, so there’s something. I’m not a fan, but I like them a lot. My first car was a second, third or fourth hand red BMW 325i. My mother asked my grandmother to borrow 2,000 marks, which would be about a thousand euros, so she could buy me the car. I was pretty devastated. My big dream was a Porsche Targa and I got it because I was lucky enough to buy it in Switzerland when the Swiss franc was very low. I think I could sell it for up to twice as much now. Q. What car do you drive now? A. I have a Porsche Carrera to have a little fun with. Q. Where will you spend your holidays? A. The family is already in Italy and I will join them in a couple of weeks. We have a house there by the sea and it is a place where I can relax a lot.P. What music do you listen to? A. Of everything. Between my tastes and those of my children, I go from ranchera and mariachi to German pop, Italian music or even Pavarotti. It depends on the moment. With music it’s like with food: if it’s good for one person, go ahead. You can consult the rest of the interviews in this section here.