Meet Paco Garcia, Westcon-Comstor's longest-serving employee
Paco Garcia (IT Administrator at Westcon-Comstor) recently celebrated his 40th work anniversary with us, making him our longest serving employee – ever! Discover his journey with Westcon-Comstor so far, what keeps him staying, and the technology changes he’s seen over time.
Congratulations on your work anniversary, Paco – what a milestone! Can you take us back to your early career and walk us through your journey?
I started working in 1983 at 19 years old. Back then, I had joined a family business that belonged to a group of companies, and this is where my first steps began with the technology of that time (data recorders and accounting machines – PCs were yet to arrive!).
After several jumps between group companies, I ended up at Afina Sistemas, where I began my path in user support.
Afina Sistemas was later acquired by Westcon-Comstor, and I’ve since continued my role here as IT technician. I’ve now celebrated 40 years at the company, taking into account the time spent at Afina Sistemas. Westcon-Comstor itself isn’t 40 years old yet, so technically, I’ve been here longer than the company!
It’s probably safe to say that if you’ve been with us for 40 years, you must like working here! What do you think it is that keeps you staying?
I know I’m a strange case – nowadays, it’s rare to stay in a company for so many years!
As part of my character, I always look for the positives in situations. I give much more value to liking the work you do, the environment you carry it out in, being happy, and having a good relationship with your colleagues who you work with day-to-day.
And that’s what I get from Westcon-Comstor. I enjoy the work I do and the positive atmosphere I share with my colleagues.
Can you share your favourite memory of working at Westcon-Comstor?
It’s hard to say when there are so many! But if I had to choose one, I’d say the change from Afina to Westcon.
The migration and unification from a 400-person Spanish company to a large, multinational business was a great challenge for me, as well as the change of systems, technologies, and languages.
Admittedly, I had some concerns at the time, but with the help of the Westcon family, I was able to overcome these.
How has technology changed in the time you’ve been with us, and how has that influenced the business?
I’ve watched technology evolve from the first computers (Amstrad, Commodore, IBM), the first MS-DOS operating systems, and the beginnings of Windows and Linux.
I’ve also seen communications evolve from their physical state – including the characteristically noisy RS232 connections with modems and the first LAN networks (which were a nightmare for locating faults). It wasn’t until the RJ45 arrived that we had more stability.
Now, Wi-Fi, laptops, and mobile phones have given us much more freedom. Information is now far more accessible than in the past, and the cloud has also made our lives easier.
What qualities do you think are most important for being successful at Westcon-Comstor?
To be on the right path, people must be proactive in their work, able to adapt to changes, and willing to learn and evolve. Above all this, they should have a positive energy too.
Discover more about Careers at Westcon-Comstor.
