1. Tell me in five words who is Camilo Sánchez?
   Curious, adventurous, caring, daring, Colombian.
    
2. What made you join CeMM?
   I moved to Austria, and I was trying hard to land a job before my 6-month language course-visa expired. CeMM had an opening for a unique EU project were luckily CeMM´s role was not related to science but finance. I was skeptical but after my interviews, I saw how international it was and realised they had experience with the whole non-EU work-visa process, which was a real deal for me. I joined the finance department with my focus being the EU-Openscreen project finance stream.
    
3. What is it about science that interests you the most?
   I was fascinated by animal planet and discovery channel when I was a kid. However, my strength at school was definitely not chemistry nor biology, I was rather more into numbers. Despite joining CeMM in the admin side, I attended the Friday lectures and was interested going through topics that I´ve never been close before. Seemed like science fiction to me and it was exciting. Similar experience when I dived into the financing world related to science….grants, sponsorships, stipendiums and of course audits. This is a tough and very competitive world for financial means in basic and translational research! Later on, this knowledge proof to be an advantage when I moved into corporate finance and was more used to real budget constraints.
    
4. What is the best career advice you ever received, or you can give to the CeMMcommunity?
   Don´t be shy, dare to ask & try. Albeit cliché, luck is when preparation meets opportunity. Basically, a message that hard work and going out of the comfort zone, will be rewarded sooner or later.
    
5. Tell us what happened to you after you left CeMM?
   I went to another research centre in the area of technology and telecommunications that ended up being liquidated since they lost their main grants from FFG. Within this job, I got my German skills dialled and afterwards I was able to get a job in one of Austria´s largest firms. I´ve been working with OMV for 10 years building on an international career in Finance and being expat in Kazakhstan and most recently Norway.
   
   As we speak, I am starting a new job with a new energy company from Dubai, so exciting times ahead!
    
6. What book do you have on your night table at the moment
   Sovietistan. A mesmerising trip across central Asian ex-sovietic countries (Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan etc.) and an attempt for me to get familiar to this culture that I will be closely dealing with in my new job. It is written by a Norwegian anthropologist & writer which makes very interesting as these two cultures couldn’t be more apart.
    
7. What is the last song you heard?
   Hora Loca, Monsenieur Perine
    
8. Any message you would like to give to CeMMies or a former colleague?
   Don´t underestimate the power of networking. I was very impressed on how things have developed in my recent visit to CeMM. Seeing former PhDs leading their own labs as PIs, other CeMMies being part of great spin offs or being successful in top pharma companies shows a great outlook for current and future students. CeMM has earn a reputation out there and is up to you build upon that.
   
   Very grateful to CeMM for having started my career here backed up with full support for my working visa. Things might would have turn different for me otherwise ?

Camilo Sanchez: Finance professional with a proven track in corporate finance and project management controlling. High intercultural competence having completed my business degree in Colombia and master’s Diploma in Australia. Gaining international working experience since 2010 in different industries with solid results. Hands-on approach, goal oriented with excellent interpersonal skills and sound IT knowledge. Sports devote, outdoors fan and mountain bike national champion.