#CurrentConversation with Cesc Mora, Product Manager at Altelium

As part of our #CurrentConversation series, we talk to Cesc Mora, Product Manager at Altelium 

1. What is your current job title and how would you describe your job to a group of students?  

My job title is Product Manager and I work across the business to manage the life cycle of our products. Every day is different. But my main focus is to understand how we could and should develop the product, and to put in place all the steps necessary to make it happen.  

These steps include running tests on vehicles i.e. plugging in devices and analysing the data. Then we liaise with other teams across the business to see if our findings match expectations. We work closely with the device manufacturer to ensure that we're getting everything we need. If we're not, then we collaborate closely to address that.  

Fortunately for me, since we're a fast-growth start-up, I get to work on projects and tasks that don't strictly speaking fall under product management. That's at once challenging, rewarding and immensely enjoyable!  

2. How has Altelium helped you in your career development?  

I've been here less than a year, in that short time, I've already enjoyed a steep learning curve. I've worked with some incredibly talented people on solving problems and progressing challenging projects.  

3. What makes you proud to work at Altelium?  

I'm proud to play a part - albeit small - of a wider solution that will help transition the world to a greener, more sustainable future. In my case, that means sustainable transport and energy. I feel privileged and grateful to be able to contribute my skills and expertise to this vital cause on a daily basis.  

4. What aspect of batteries is the most misunderstood?  

A lot of people think that batteries are all the same but they're not. How a battery behaves - and how you should treat it - varies enormously, depending on the battery chemistry. Even two cars that appear almost identical can have very different chemistries which need to be treated and charged in different ways to keep them healthy.  

More broadly speaking, outside the EV space, energy storage options exist that have nothing to do with electrochemical batteries. A water dam is a case in point. When you want to store energy, you can pump up the water. When you want to produce electricity, you pump it down. So that’s a kind of battery too, even though it doesn’t look or work at all like an EV battery. Energy storage is a lot more diverse than most people realise.  

5. What’s your favourite chemical from the periodic table?  

Carbon! It gets my vote for a number of reasons. Firstly, because it’s a fundamental building block of life. Secondly, I love the uniqueness of this element and its ability to form complex molecules and structures. Both diamond - the hardest naturally occurring substance on earth - and graphite - which easily falls apart - are made entirely out of carbon.  

Finally, carbon dating is a brilliant solution for determining the age of organic matter - I find this aspect of carbon equally impressive. 

6. What’s your favourite activity or hobby outside work?  

I love hiking in the summer and ski touring in the winter! My favourite location is of course Andorra but I'm biased!  

7. Book or kindle? And the last book you read?  

Kindle! This is a great option when you're travelling. The last book I read was Fooled by Randomness by Nassim Nicholas Taleb. It's an extremely interesting book about the impact of chance on our everyday lives and on markets. It's the first of the five-book Incerto series by this author and I would highly recommend them all. 

8. What’s a fun fact about you that people may not know?   

I'm from Andorra and my mother tongue is Catalan.  

9. What skill do you think everyone should learn at school apart from the three R’s? 

Developing the ability to identify and explain problems clearly and concisely, not only solving pre-made problems. This skill is essential, in my view, for effective problem-solving.