There’s nothing like a well-earned offsite to celebrate a rocketship 4 years. The entire team came together for 3 days in the beautiful Spanish Pyrenees to commemorate what already feels like a lifetime of achievements at Cledara.

We’re so proud of the amazing work everyone has put in the last few years and this wouldn’t have been possible if we didn’t work as one team, guided by a strong culture with a clear sense of direction to best serve our wonderful customers. 

This is why we organize offsites twice a year. It gives everyone a chance to unwind from their day-to-day and spend quality time together, build personal connections, and develop a better understanding of how our combined effort creates something truly special for our customers.

Offsites aren’t new. But a Cledara offsite is something special. Here’s a peek of our time in the Pyrenees:

A shared experience in Val d’Aran 

With teams spread out across the world, we prioritize time together in person to connect with colleagues that we may not work with daily. As the Cledara team is based in London, Barcelona, and Bratislava, we choose Spain as a gathering point. The actual offsite was held in an area of the country more likely to be mistaken for the Swiss Alps than Spain – The Val d’Aran.

It’s a place held dearly by our founders and with good reason. With its pristine nature, relaxed atmosphere, and breathtaking views, it’s a perfect location to unwind and get to know each other. 

Here’s what we were up to:

Team sessions

In the mornings we dedicated time to reflect on our progress, understand how each team adds value, and plan our next steps. One morning included a breakout session where teams made up of different departments brainstormed new ideas and how these could add value to our customers.

Another morning centered on understanding each other better, and everyone had a chance to share their personal story by way of pictures. It’s called a ‘Pecha Kucha’ (you should try it with your teams!) and it was a highlight of the offsite.

A beautiful hike

The Val d’Aran is breathtaking. The Cledara team put on their hiking shoes and headed to Montgarri, an isolated part of the valley with sanctuary dating back to the 12th-century. On the way, we cheered on the runners participating in the UTMB race. 

An ultra trail running event 

Our anniversary happens to coincide with one of the most challenging trail running races in the world, and for the second year in a row, we sponsored the Val d'Aran by UTMB® race. This year’s edition surpassed every expectation, with elite and amateur trail runners from around the world descending upon Val d’Aran to participate in either a 15KM, 55KM, 105KM, or grueling 161KM race. Our team volunteered at the event and some of our colleagues even took part in the race.

A special shout-out to our running heroes Alex Lim, Edward Southern, Eric Edge, Freddie Argent, Joël Barenco, and Viktor Andesilic! We can’t wait to see you race again next year.

Song, dance, and great food

After a packed day of team building, we spent the evenings at restaurants having dinner together and getting to know each other better. It turns out that we’ve got more than one talented singer, some really good dancers, a few ex-athletes, and everyone has a love for food. 😊

Cledara’s values 

Our founder’s vision was not just to create a great product, but to create a company that people would love to work for. Where every team member would have the space to develop themselves professionally and do their best work. This is paramount at Cledara, and an environment like this can only be created if you’re guided by the right values:

Respect, Trust, Curiosity, Transparency, and Communication.
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This is not just an internal guide, it’s what we strive to deliver for our customers every day.

These values form the backbone of our hiring and selection process. We don’t just look for the best talent, we look for individuals who give us an indication that they will thrive in our environment and live our values. It’s what makes teams special – we’re all different, with shared values as the glue that binds us to do great things.

Here’s what our founder and CEO Cristina had to share:

What’s next? 

The team is energized and motivated to build on relationships and ideas formed during the offsite to drive cool new projects and innovations at Cledara. 

As for events, keep an eye out for Cledara at Saastock Annual in Dublin in October. We’re also organizing another Saastock local event right here in Barcelona on September 29th! Get your early bird ticket here!

Want to work for Cledara? Check out our careers page!