Staff Spotlight – Sergio Gómez 

Welcome to the next installment of our series, shining a spotlight on the driving forces behind Sparta’s success. Take a sneak peek behind the scenes and meet the incredible individuals who are the backbone of our operations.

In this feature, we sit down with Sergio Gómez – our Data Supply Manager. Originally from Spain, Sergio’s journey has taken him across the globe to some of the world’s most prestigious companies including Repsol and Bloomberg, shaping his path towards overseeing the intricate world of our market data at Sparta. 

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN WITH THE COMPANY?

I joined Sparta in June 2022, so it’s been a little over a year now.

CAN YOU EXPLAIN YOUR ROLE

I am the Data Supply Manager. This means I oversee the acquisition, management, and governance of the market data sets we use at Sparta. I work closely with our product team to provide the data that fuels our insight tools, manage the relationship with our third-party data providers, and ensure we honour the terms of our contracts. As Sparta continues to grow, so does the complexity of managing a larger number of suppliers, and thus, we are developing our content strategy accordingly.

HOW DID YOU GET STARTED IN THE INDUSTRY?/CAN YOU GIVE ME A RUNDOWN OF YOUR CAREER PATH UP UNTIL THIS POINT?

My career has been anything but linear. After a short stint at Repsol, I joined the ICEX program to work at the Embassy of Spain in Romania for a year. Following that, I spent around 5 years at a corporate strategy firm in Madrid. A decade ago, I relocated to London and joined the Content and Acquisition team at Bloomberg, where I gained exposure to international markets, data analysis, corporate workflows, and product development. The only common thread among these experiences is my curiosity and inclination to learn new things.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE PART OF WORKING AT OUR COMPANY?

Sparta is a vibrant young company with an ambitious growth plan, so everything is in a constant state of evolution. You can quickly see the impact you’re making on the bottom line. 

Despite the start-up vibe, there is a wealth of experience from colleagues with strong backgrounds. The learning opportunities are immense.

WHAT ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF IN YOUR CAREER SO FAR?

I come from a medium-sized city in the interior of Spain and didn’t have a clear plan for my future. Being able to travel the world while collaborating with fascinating individuals in the global financial markets was a significant achievement. I’m typically risk-averse, but I occasionally embrace change and pivot, usually for the better.

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE OUR COMPANY CULTURE?

Sparta’s culture revolves around an obsession with the end client. We’re dedicated to simplifying the pre-work of traders, enabling them to focus on deal-making by eliminating anything that doesn’t add value. This ethos permeates our internal workings as well. We craft new tools based on continuous feedback from clients, suppliers, and other teams. We iterate rapidly and consolidate successful approaches.

WHAT’S ONE THING PEOPLE DON’T KNOW ABOUT YOU THAT THEY WOULD BE SURPRISED TO FIND OUT?

Fun fact. When I was about 21, I bought an all-zones, one-month Interrail Pass, that allowed me to take all the trains I wanted in Europe for a month on a solo trip. 

Night trains meant one less hostel to take so I travelled a lot. When I reached the border between Poland and Belarus in Bialowieza I rented a bike and went for a ride. I ended up completely lost in one of the largest forests in Europe for good 10 hours (this was pre-GPS or anything like that). Luckily, late in the day I found a farmer who more or less told me to “follow that path straight and you’ll get to the town” and so I did. 

I told this story as an ice breaker to my now Polish wife and here we are, 20 years later. Thank you, interrail. 

WHAT’S THE MOST INTERESTING PROJECT YOU’VE WORKED ON HERE?

The first significant project was establishing a content management system. When I joined Sparta, it was in better shape than I expected, but we needed a scalable approach for future growth. Now, I have the opportunity to contribute to the design of new verticals from their inception, providing me with a better understanding of the overall landscape.

WHAT PIECE OF ADVICE TO YOUR YOUNGER SELF?

Be present, be bold and go for it, try more things, cherish the time with your grandparents. 

HOW HAS YOUR ROLE EVOLVED OVER TIME SINCE YOU’VE BEEN HERE?

I started negotiating individual deals with data providers and now, while this is still very important, I am developing a system that looks at the whole life cycle of content management, including negotiation and renewals, data governance, budget, ROI, etc. 

WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS FOR THE NEXT FEW MONTHS/YEARS?

Professionally, I want to make Data Supply a cornerstone of Sparta. If we have the right data at the right price and have a clear system that helps us manage where we are and where we want to be I can simplify things for my colleagues so they can focus on building awesome tools to understand the markets better. 

IF YOU HAD THREE WISHES, WHAT WOULD THEY BE?

I want to have the health and opportunities to try exciting new things and keep growing, I want my friends and family close, I want to enjoy the journey and the little things.

WHAT’S ONE THING THAT SURPRISED YOU ABOUT YOUR CURRENT ROLE?

Data as a product is often a new line of business for many companies in the market. It is very important to explain what we do, how do we care for the data and avoid misuse and to manage expectations. 

WHAT’S ONE THING THAT YOU WISH PEOPLE KNEW ABOUT YOUR JOB?

Nobody thinks about data until it breaks. No news is usually very good news. 

WHAT’S THE LAST SONG YOU LISTENED TO?

My music library is constantly in shuffle mode. I can listen to Turandot right after La Bamba. Let me check what was the latest song: “Bang Bang”, by Joe Cuba Sextet. You see, randomness at its finest. 

WHAT, IF ANYTHING, ARE YOU CURRENTLY BINGE-WATCHING OR READING?

I just finished Mrs Davis in HBO, it is really clever and funny. I am always looking for new series to add to the pipeline so open for suggestions.

I am reading “The World for Sale” written by two former colleagues from Bloomberg. 

WHAT’S ONE THING ON YOUR BUCKET LIST?

I live very close to Sopelana now, so I want to learn how to surf.

Sergio Gómez is our Data Supply Manager here at Sparta and can be contacted at sergio.gomez@spartacommodities.com

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Sparta is a live, market intelligence and forecasting platform that enables oil traders, refiners, banks, hedge funds and wholesalers to have access to real-time and global actionable insights to capture market opportunities before others.

To find out how Sparta can allow you to make smarter trading decisions, faster, contact us for a demonstration at sales@spartacommodites.com