By On a typically balmy and delightful late summer evening in Barcelona, Spain, local developers and tech journalists joined New Relic execs—including founder and CEO Lew Cirne—and technologists from around the globe to celebrate the grand opening of New Relic’s European Development Center. The beautiful new space in the burgeoning tech capital on the Mediterranean already holds a team of New Relic developers, and there’s room for more!
New Relic around the world
“I couldn’t help but invite myself” to the opening, Lew confessed to a crowd of more than 50 attendees from multiple countries enjoying delicious Catalan food and drinks. “This team on the other side of the world completely shares our core values. It shows that no matter where you are in the world, you can be part of the New Relic team.”
“I believe software is the ultimate creative medium of our time,” Lew continued. “Startups and big companies share the need to make that software great, and that’s where New Relic comes in…. Let’s ship amazing software that helps people make even better software!”
New Relic CEO Lew Cirne with two of the original Ducksboard co-founders, Jan Urbanski (left) and Aitor Guevara (right).
How they learned about New Relic
Hector Manzano, who works at the Barcelona-based, English-language tech blog Barcinno, hadn’t heard much about New Relic before the event at our slick new offices in the stylish Eixample neighborhood. “New Relic goes one step further” than other similar companies in Barcelona, he said. The addition of companies like New Relic, Manzano stressed, is important. “We have talent,” he said, “we have good engineers” and a unique lifestyle that can’t be matched by bigger European tech centers. Manzano is hoping New Relic locating there can help give confidence to the Barcelona tech scene.
John Fisher, a Barcelona-based software developer, came to the event to learn more about a company he first encountered via our ads on Stack Overflow. He met VP of Engineering Darin Swanson and other “Relics” at the Mobile World Congress a couple years ago in Barcelona, where Fisher was contracting for a company troubleshooting badge readers. He too is excited that New Relic now has a presence in Barcelona.
A truly cosmopolitan environment
The New Relic European Development Center boasts a cosmopolitan feel, welcoming talent from around Spain and the wider European community. In fact, only three of the current staff are natives of Barcelona. Many of the developers were attracted to the city’s unique climate, culture, and lifestyle.
“Barcelona is probably the best spot I’ve found,” says senior software engineer Alexander Kudryashov. According to Alex, Barcelona has it all, including a great work-life balance: “People in Barcelona know how to have fun!”
See more party pics below:
It’s not a proper party in Spain without jamón.
Lew samples the jamón while Aitor and New Relic Director of Engineering Ralph Bodenner (center) look on.
Barcelona Office Manager Vanessa Sobrino gives party visitors a tour of the new space.
New Relic CFO Mark Sachleben, Lew Cirne, and yours truly.
Barcelona party people
If jamón wasn’t your thing, there was plenty of New Relic chocolate on hand.
Read about some of the folks who make our Barcelona team great:
Meet a Member of the New Relic Barcelona Team: Software Engineer Aitor Guevara
Meet a Member of the New Relic Barcelona Team: Software Engineer Alexander Kudryashov
Meet a Member of the New Relic Barcelona Team: Product Designer Ricardo Fernández
Thinking about a job at New Relic? Check out our Careers page!
Barcelona image courtesy of Shutterstock.com.
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