Valentina Matheus
Investing
When I was 17, I took a risk to leave behind the country of my birth, Venezuela, amidst an economic and humanitarian crisis. I had been given the opportunity to live, study and work in the UK, a country where entrepreneurship has served as the spark plug to the country’s economic engine.
What I admire the most about entrepreneurs is they see opportunity where others don’t and have the courage and passion to take risks where others won’t.
Having lived in three separate countries, I know that I feel most vulnerable without my friends and family around me, as social beings we flourish when involved in supportive networks.
At QPE, we empathise with the ‘do it all alone’ approach that sometimes comes with being an entrepreneur. We look to provide a support system, whether that is as a sounding board to help get clarity on key decisions, a punching bag to let out frustrations or an onion peeler to help uncover a business’s true potential.
Throughout my life, my family’s entrepreneurial spirit has taught me the values that I believe are important to be successful. Whilst there will be times when we fail and times when we succeed, it is the courage and persistence to continue that is most important.
That entrepreneurial spirit is the same that I see in the team at QPE. We are not here to ‘rip up the rule book’, but really listen and engage with our management teams to help bring out the best in each other.
The current economic outlook has faced us with unprecedented challenge, but it has taught me that we must remain positive, optimistic and future orientated. I believe tough times don’t last but tough entrepreneurs do.
The best entrepreneurs are not only focused on the bottom line and their own ventures but have the empathy and generosity to understand the importance of giving back to their communities.
In my short yet colourful career, I have become acutely aware that each project has its own unique challenges. As a business grows, different problems and opportunities demand different solutions. Our diverse team at QPE excels at helping energise exceptional management teams to exploit new opportunities and navigate new challenges.
Learning to kitesurf has me chasing the wind across the world when I am not working. When there is no wind, you’ll find me under water diving and trying to fulfil a lifelong goal of spotting a sea turtle in the wild!
