Women and Leadership in Spanish Home Furnishings: Nani Marquina

Nani Marquina, a creative soul and the promoter of one of the Spanish home furnishing firms with the greatest international presence, has turned her contemporary style carpets and handmade manufacture into a reference point in the world of design. A project where she been leaving her personal mark for over three decades, and that reflects a particular concern for innovation through color, materials and textures.

Her transgressive spirit led her to study industrial design in the 70s, a time when the discipline was beginning to emerge in Spain, and this is how she set out on the path that would lead her to create her own brand in 1987. "When I started there were very few, if any, women heading up companies in the sector. The biggest difficulty I had was getting other companies (run by men) to take my project into consideration and believe in it. The fact that I was a designer and a woman offered little confidence that I could progress," she recalls.

Even today, she notes that there are still certain barriers to female talent: "Rather than bigger obstacles, we face different obstacles." The reconciliation of professional and family life is one of the aspects in which she admits progress still needs to be made. "In my day, I heard a lot of comments comparing me to other mothers who didn't go out to work. I tried to do as much as I could, taking into account my professional commitment. It was a matter of social vision.”

"Fortunately, an increasing number of women are taking on leadership roles, not only in the home furnishings industry but throughout the business environment. I think that the evolution has been positive, because women have now been accepted in all areas of work, and in all sectors.

A positive and enriching development, since "in general women always bring a different, more sensitive point of view, something that in my opinion is very positive for a society: it’s good to be able to combine two different visions, that of women and that of men".

"nanimarquina is an example of a ‘feminine’ company, which is much appreciated when from the outside the perception is of sensitivity and a more intimate way of doing things, which is very typical of women," she says. It is no coincidence that 75% of senior management positions are held by women.

"Being the daughter of a businesswoman, I couldn’t imagine a company where gender has relevance. Gender should be left out of the equation", says María Piera, the second generation at the helm of the company, who as general manager works on defining strategy and "aligning the functioning of all departments to ensure that this 'orchestra' sounds good, and can continue to build a successful future".

"The main lesson that my mother taught me is how important effort, dedication and devotion are to successfully carry out a project. Inspired in this way by one of the pioneers of design in Spain, her objective is "to ensure a solid structure and a competent, motivated team so that we can meet the new strategic challenges and grow Nanimarquina".