--- He studied Medicine-Surgery.
--- I decided it at 14 years old. My grandfather, my father, and my uncle were doctors, and I thought that way I could help people be healthier and happier. A book called Una chabola en Bilbao by José Luis Martin Vigil deeply influenced me. It was due to family vocation.
--- He specialized in Odonto-Stomatology.
--- When I was studying, I used to go with a family friend who was a doctor to see cancer patients. Many died, and that affected me a lot. Jaume Llena, who was a stomatologist and a member of Tenis Barcelona, suggested I work in his clinic. I made a complete change and studied Stomatology.
--- His father was a radiologist.
--- At home, they scolded me and told me it was a shame, but my father supported me because he already saw that I didn't like radiology. Llena told me about Periodontics (prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of dental diseases), which was a new specialty about gums that didn't yet exist in Spain.
--- The American dream?
--- I did a master's and a postgraduate degree in Los Angeles (California) in the 80s. Without a mobile phone. There were no health scholarships, but I sought funding on my own. I wanted the freedom to pay for it myself.
--- The banker Pedro Fontana gave him a loan.
--- I will always be grateful to him. I also made the right and daring decision to marry my wife 44 years ago. I got married on court 1 of Tenis Barcelona after convincing the manager and the head of the restaurant. The next day we left for the United States.
"I earned the freedom to pay for my education in Los Angeles (California) in the early 80s." Jordi Cambra
--- To leave to return.
--- In 1982, I returned with a specialist degree in periodontics and a master's in medical education. I started collaborating with different clinics, and a year later I opened my dental clinic.
--- It was time to undertake.
--- We became very good friends with Doctor Echevarría, he was very academic and I was more clinically oriented. I worked three days in Bilbao in periodontics and received clients from all over because there was no other specialist. The beginnings were tough.
--- -Why?
--- The first question they asked me was if Doctor Cambra was my father or me. They must have seen me as a child, I've always been very daring. I got into a lot of debt and looked for partners to invest in the first clinic on Paseo de la Bonanova in Barcelona.
"I got into a lot of debt and looked for partners to invest in the first clinic on Paseo de la Bonanova in Barcelona." Jordi Cambra
--- The debt didn't last long.
--- I paid them back with interest and returns within two or three years. You have to believe in yourself and tennis also helped me a lot in the United States.
--- Where does your passion for tennis come from?
--- My brother [Sixte Cambra] and I played tennis from a very young age. It was our parents' decision. We were on the junior and U21 team and played locally. I was number 14 in Spain and European university champion. Playing tennis opens many doors for you.
--- What kind of doors?
--- I met many university professors and made many friends thanks to this sport. I also met a clinic consultant who was key in my life. I knew a lot about gums, but I didn't know how to manage my company.
"I had the intuition to worry about business management beyond being a gum specialist," Jordi Cambra
--- Being a specialist is not the same as managing a business.
--- That's why I had the intuition that I should worry about business management. The consultant cost me a fortune ---almost the rent at the time--- and my father told me I was crazy, but I gave him a vote of confidence.
--- A vote of confidence.
--- We collaborated for 15 years and he advised many clinics in Spain. The current computer programs of all clinics are inspired by his small machine that divided the acts: prosthetics, surgery, orthodontics, implants... Each act must have time, value, and code.
---What you spend, what you take, and what you charge.
--- And if you want, also what you delegate. Dentistry in Spain used to be about fiefdoms: good dentists and not-so-good dentists. There was an American label and a lot of classism. I was a member of the International College of Dentists, which is where all the shots were called.
--- Classism overcome?
--- Our management improved a lot; criteria were changed, such as not supervising a dental hygienist, following up with the patient, or putting coffee and newspapers in the waiting room. I was very concerned that the patient had a pleasant experience, and for that, I had to be punctual, communicate well, and improve management.
--- The patient at the center.
--- That has been my priority. I made a management manual and created an association of dental clinics to share knowledge. When I was president of the Spanish society of periodontology, we carried out different campaigns to advocate for the dissemination of oral hygiene.
"Prioritizing economic performance within the world of healthcare is very dangerous"
--- What is your assessment of 40 years in business?
--- Prioritizing economic performance in the world of healthcare is very dangerous. I have been able to introduce many things in Spain that did not yet exist because I have been in the right place at the right time.
--- For example?
--- Periodontal surgery, mirror photographs, implants, the curette instead of ultrasound for scaling and removing tartar from teeth... I brought all of this from the United States. We formed the first association of dental hygienists and created the first generation of periodontists in Spain. We were primarily pioneers in the way we did things.
--- You have been a member of Tenis Barcelona for more than 40 years.
--- Tennis is a very good training tool because it has unique characteristics. It teaches you that in life you are alone against danger. And it has a reward. If you train a lot, you will play well and have a good time. Tennis is body and mind. You must never give up. The power of the mind is key and helps you control your feelings. You should not get angry or break any racket.
--- Any role model?
--- Rafa Nadal is the ultimate role model; he behaves well even when things go wrong for him. Tennis is recognizing that the other person is better than you, shaking their hand, and congratulating them on the victory. Apologizing when you make a mistake or have a stroke of luck. Analyzing your opponent. It is one of the few sports where you can play without a referee because you are taught not to cheat.
"Tennis is body and mind, you must never give up and it helps you control your feelings"
--- A noble game.
--- Tennis has changed my life, I don't know what I would have been without this sport. I think about tennis, even in tough times. What should you do? Fight.
--- The Real Club de Tenis de Barcelona celebrates 125 years. Is it difficult to preside over this club?
--- I don't know, maybe for me it's not that difficult because I've known the club since I was little. I know its values and its history and I have a very clear idea of what Tenis Barcelona should be. It is necessary to define the concept, values, and objectives to then apply them in management. This is the most difficult part.
--- Presidential or shared leadership?
--- You have to surround yourself with a good executive team. I have tried not to have a presidential board, although sometimes you have to make decisions that are not easy and you have to do it alone as president. We made a great signing with Rosa Maria Cruells and her team for their efficiency and proximity.
--- Any Match Point moment?
--- We went through difficult times during the pandemic and an Open Banc Sabadell where it rained like never before and people got angry. Tension is the most complicated thing to manage. Good and bad moments depend on each person, I personally function well in a kind, pleasant, and polite environment. You can disagree on everything, but with arguments.
"Tension is the most complicated thing to manage. Good and bad moments depend on each person. You can disagree on everything but with arguments"
--- Argumented discrepancy?
--- Discrepancy is healthy and is part of my position, but it must be based on respect and education. We have experienced delicate situations and have made decisions that sometimes not everyone likes. We have also greatly fostered the relationship with other tennis clubs in what we call G12. The presidencies of clubs are positions of full satisfaction, but some handle the close combat with discrepancy better than others.
--- Tenis Barcelona and the Open Banc Sabadell compete globally against multinationals to be the best of the 500.
--- There are not many tournaments that are owned and held at the club itself. There is Monte Carlo with the Principality or Queen's, which leases management to an independent company. We are a rara avis because we own and manage the tournament. Part of the charm is that it is held at our facilities and the volunteers are the members and their children.
--- What is the drive of success?
--- The club's success is the history of all its presidents, its teams, and its way of doing things. The values are diversity, respect, elegance, rigor, and the pursuit of excellence in behavior, sport, and economic solvency, which gives us a stability envied by the vast majority of clubs. The tournament also helps, obviously.
"The club is self-sufficient without counting the extra income from the tournament"
--- What is the business model of the club and the tournament?
--- The club is self-sufficient without counting the extra income from the tournament. This was one of the main objectives of this board's mandate. We wanted the club to be sustainable beyond the Open's results. We have also made a clear commitment to the Foundation, where we teach tennis, to sustainability with an electrical and water energy plan, to innovation and digitalization... These are traditions that are up-to-date with modernity and proper management.
--- Modern traditions.
--- We must find a system that has inertia to function, regardless of the board. The club is an ocean liner that must move forward beyond the stamp of each board. The values are what they are.
--- Are business deals also made here?
--- It's a meeting place and a game of contacts and friends, but I wouldn't say business deals are made. Tennis has opened many doors for me, and many couples have met at the club. Things happen here. There are people who come to play tennis, to have a coffee, to see friends, to play dominoes, or to eat with a client...
"We carry the name of the city, which is important for international promotion, and we are an asset of civil society. We cannot disappoint"
--- Why is Tenis Barcelona important for the city?
--- Society needs role models, and we want to be one of them. We are Tenis Barcelona, and people look at us because of our history. We cannot disappoint. We carry the name of the city, which is important for international promotion, and we are an asset of civil society. We are one of Barcelona's most prominent entities.
--- How do you see Barcelona?
--- I see it well, eager to do things and with challenges ahead. Fira de Barcelona has major congresses, there's also the America's Cup, Formula 1, the renovation of Camp Nou... It's a society that moves because its people also move, regardless of the governing party. All that's missing is a bit more public-private harmony.
--- How does the public-private melody sound to you?
---There was a time when it was somewhat more difficult, but it has improved. Everyone can learn from their mistakes. We have had support from all the City Councils, although with different ambitions. Each City Council has its priorities based on political trends, but none has left us aside. None.
"As a tennis club, we must be above political and religious trends. We are a case and a meeting point between the public and private worlds. We are obliged to understand each other, whatever the government may be"
--- None?
--- The Generalitat has taken a step forward to collaborate even more with us. As a tennis club, we must be above political and religious trends. We understand everyone and carry out positive actions for the entire society. We are a case and a meeting point between the public and private worlds. We are obliged to understand each other, whatever the government may be.
--- You receive visits from many politicians.
--- My position allows me to meet people I would not have known otherwise. Politicians have a bad press, but all the ones I have met are correct, educated people who seek the best for the population. Some with more or less success. Whoever did it wrong did not do it out of bad faith. Everyone has their principles, and society advances by collaborating. We must learn from others.
--- Your long-term vision for Tenis Barcelona?
--- Impeccable and updated facilities, that the club is attractive, a friendly, welcoming, relaxing, beautiful, clean, tidy environment where a sense of belonging is fostered and sport is practiced. That it be a benchmark for the city and that it grows because we will surely lack space for the tennis school and competition. We must be an economically sustainable club and be very clear about what we want.
"Politicians have a bad press, but all the ones I have met are correct, educated people who seek the best for the population. Some with more or less success. Whoever did it wrong did not do it out of bad faith"
--- And what do they want?
--- An excellent club requires acceptable income and conditions. Our main volume comes from member fees and sponsorships. We want to help members be healthier and happier. Tenis Barcelona must be a benchmark for the city, supportive of people who cannot access the club, and that tennis be an educational tool. I would like my great-great-grandchildren to be members. I hope it helps them as much as it has helped me. I don't contemplate being in Barcelona and not coming to the club.
JORDI CAMBRA'S SEVEN LIVES
- Role model: Grandfather Pepe. Honest, hardworking, loyal to family, educated, elegant, and a good person.
- Book: The Pillars of the Earth and any book by Ken Follet.
- Movie: Guess Who's Coming to Dinner , by Stanley Kramer.
- Song: Stones, by Neil Diamond.
- Favorite spot: Sa Tuna (Begur)
- Motto: The satisfaction of things well done is superior to the effort of achieving them
- Dream: That my family be good people and happy
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