Welcome to Our New Program Manager and Chief of Staff: Esther García Martín

We're thrilled to announce the newest addition to our Linux Foundation Europe family: Esther García Martín.

We had the pleasure of sitting down with Esther to get to know her better and learn about her journey to joining our team. 

Here are some highlights from our conversation:

Esther, what inspired you to join our team as a program manager and chief of staff?

I’ve had the seed of open source planted inside me for the last five years, quietly growing without making much noise. However, when the opportunity appeared, it was significant. Not only are the challenges and the opportunities to contribute to meaningful projects what motivates me to join, it’s something deeper. When you believe in certain values and have the chance to work in a place where you can implement them, then you know that’s where you belong. During one of our initial conversations, the Open Mobile Hub project was introduced, and I spent hours reading about it (I found a great report) and trying to understand the need for such a project. I was somewhat frustrated because such a necessary project had not yet been brought to the world.  

John, Mirko and Gab were key figures in my decision to join the Linux Foundation. After speaking with them, the feeling of belonging grew stronger; I truly wanted to work alongside them and learn from their expertise. I saw myself with actionable leadership, allowing me to spearhead initiatives that enhance the Foundation's impact across Europe's vibrant technological landscape.

What are some of the main responsibilities you'll be taking on in these roles?

I will be immersing myself into two main projects that are very much interconnected: 

• Program Manager of Open Mobile Hub: My role involves working diligently to drive the project forward. I will collaborate closely with the team to support the operational, strategic and tactical aspects of the project. Additionally, I will assist in establishing Open Mobile Hub as an attractive branch to consolidate the community. We have several ongoing projects, including a new branding identity, a webinar, a workshop, and a roadshow. You will learn more about these projects very soon.
• Chief of Staff of Linux Foundation Europe: This role is more dynamic as we are part of a growing organization. I will be in charge of our operational aspect to support the growth of the company. Some of the tasks I’ve been involved in (and learning from) include providing support for EU grant proposals, assisting in the incorporation of new projects, ensuring member success or representing the company at events (participating in KubeCon your first month should be a must! :)

What's your favorite thing about open source?

The spirit and values of the community for sure. I am glad to share and respect the same values of OSS: transparency, collaboration, enthusiasm, meritocracy, and continuous desire for improvement. When I realized that writing code was not the only way to contribute to the development of open source, I was excited to participate by providing operational and strategic support to the projects. 

Any fun facts about yourself?

My first experience with Linux was during my days at source{d}, I’ve always been a Mac user, but suddenly the entire company had to switch to Linux. However, it was not the Linux distribution I expected, it was Arch... you can imagine how much time I wasted trying to figure out how to print or even set up basic video settings on this distribution. 

Any final thoughts or messages you'd like to share with our community as you start this new journey with us?

I feel overwhelmed with all the kindness received in these first weeks, but even more so for the projects ahead. It is really motivating to work with such good people, especially when their purposes are to build projects that give back to the community, it’s like a dream come true. As a society, we are losing the capacity for collaboration, but when you see it as one of the main principles here, you feel so proud, even if you have not collaborated a lot yet. So the message to share would be “I can’t wait to be 100% ramped up. Linux Foundation is composed of people fully dedicated to supporting you, your project and the community you belong to. I am proud to be one of them.” 

Once again, we're delighted to have you join our team, and we look forward to the positive impact you'll make as our new program manager and chief of staff!

As we embark on this new chapter with Esther leading the way, there's no limit to what we can achieve together. 

We encourage you to reach out, say hello, and share your excitement for the journey ahead!

Stay tuned for more updates and adventures from the Linux Foundation Europe team!