Nominated by Fermín Gómez Esteban.

What is the best advice someone has ever given you?
It is always difficult to highlight just one among all that I have been lucky enough to receive. Fortunately I have had the opportunity to live in several countries, get to know different cultures and come into contact with many interesting people from whom I have learned a lot. I would highlight one that I think is applicable in any circumstance and that is that you always have to try to put yourself in the place of others and not believe that the world is the way we see it.

What advice would you give us?
I believe that we all have to be prudent when giving advice and aware of the responsibility that this entails; in part by applying the answer to the previous question. In any case, my advice is to always try to surround yourself with good people, personally and professionally speaking; If possible, one of the best… Everything important in life is a matter of team, and playing with the best is always easier and more rewarding.

An indispensable quality to lead…
Leading requires combining different qualities. There are many that are a necessary condition, such as honesty, credibility, the ability to listen, having ethical values, the ability to work in a team… But I don’t think there is any that by itself is a sufficient condition. As much as a leader has the ability to listen to his team, if he later does not have the ability to convey his ideas or is not faithful to his ethical principles, he will not be able to lead effectively.

Among all the qualities that a leader must have, there are several possible combinations that allow effective leadership to be achieved, and it must be taken into account that each industry, company, activity… may require different leadership, so a set of qualities may be valid in some circumstances and inappropriate in others.

If you ask me which of them I think have more weight in the equation, I would say the ability to empathize, inspire and influence others, along with the ability to establish a correct long-term vision.

What book, podcast, YouTube channel or content do you recommend…
Many books I could recommend… Since I was very young I have been passionate about reading, and despite the fact that I currently read less than I would like, I keep trying to dedicate time to it. That means that I don’t spend so much time on other alternatives like Youtube, that’s why I can’t recommend any channel because I don’t use the application.

As for books, I recommend the one I’m currently reading: “Noise” by Daniel Kahneman. I have always been passionate about Kahneman’s research and “Thinking, fast and slow” is undoubtedly one of the books that has influenced me the most.

The podcasts I listen to the most are those on The Economist channel, mainly “The Economist Morning Briefing” and “The Intelligence”. I also find some of the podcasts of “Documents RNE” and “La Contrahistoria” very interesting.

What historical figure would you like to have on your team?
Well, being a historical figure, certainly someone with the ability to adapt. I don’t want to think how surprised he would be when he discovered the world we live in…

It is a complicated question, we must not lose sight of the fact that what we know about historical figures often continues to be partial narratives and images. In any case, I think it would be someone who, in addition to adaptability, would provide a different vision, a vision that would allow progress in directions that are currently unthinkable for society. I believe that the geniuses who have been the precursors of the great historical changes had these qualities, and among them I would name Nikola Tesla.

Have you always been clear about your professional objective?
Not at all. My professional objective has evolved as I have, something that I think is positive. Each personal and professional experience has changed me and has allowed me to grow and have an increasingly global vision of things, which has allowed me to gradually adapt my objectives.

What is the most curious app you have on your mobile?
Probably one of the many that I never use… I’m not a big user of applications beyond the usual ones that we all use on a daily basis. I have a rather curious one installed called IFTTT (If this, then that). It is an application for scheduling actions or automating tasks based on previously established relationships.

What do people assume about you, and don’t they?
I think I’m pretty transparent, and I’d like to think that people see me for who I am, although I’m aware that this may be a bit of a naive conclusion on my part. I suppose that people may think that I do certain things naturally and that they are not difficult for me, such as making certain decisions; and, obviously, it is not so. Many of the things that may seem natural or simple to me have a lot of work, doubts and effort behind them.

What do you think will be the next revolution in your sector?
I think that more than a revolution, right now we live in a constant evolution that has accelerated substantially in recent years. COVID has shown us this, it has not generated a revolution in itself, but rather has been a powerful accelerator of trends. Changes that were to develop at a certain pace have been accelerated by the pandemic.

In my sector I believe that important changes are taking place in two areas: in the field of engineering linked to the appearance of new materials and their possible applications; and in the business sphere due to the entry of investment funds into the concession and construction business, which is completely changing the sector.

In the longer term, I think you have to ask yourself questions from a slightly more philosophical level. In my sector we deal with investment in large road and transport infrastructure, but we obviously do it with our current image of the world. I think that in the long term we must ask ourselves if in twenty, thirty or fifty years we will continue to move at the pace and in the way that we are currently doing, and if, therefore, these infrastructures will continue to be necessary or not. Let’s not forget that infrastructures are built with useful lives of tens of years.

What is the last song you heard or remember?
I remember so many… among them there will always be “Common People” by Pulp.

Tell us about a time you’ve screwed up at work…
Have you ever…? I could count many. I screw up every day, I make more wrong decisions than I would like… The important thing above all is to learn from those mistakes, to be able not to make mistakes on most occasions and, above all, to get the key decisions right.

Mistakes are part of everyone’s life experience, if one is self-critical enough and learns to identify and analyze them, they can – and should – be an important source of learning.

What do you admire and do not tolerate in a person?
I admire people with vision who are able to attract and motivate talented people to work as a team. I admire restless people, hungry for knowledge, from whom I can learn and discover new horizons, those who inspire and motivate me. I admire people with clear ethical principles and who act according to them.

I do not tolerate a lack of transparency, ambiguity, opportunism… Nor do I tolerate people for whom the end justifies any means. I have a hard time dealing with toxic people, with those who try to torpedo any project or venture.

What is the bravest decision you have made in your life?
On a personal level, without a doubt, starting a family. Being a parent is life-changing and comes with a responsibility unlike anything you may have ever known before. In the professional field, it may have been the decision to accept my first expatriation in southern Africa almost ten years ago. It was an experience that, without a doubt, changed me substantially.

What is the first moment you remember in your life?
I don’t think I’m able to identify which one is the first. I remember many moments with my parents, specific situations in the nursery when I was about three years old, my 1982 Spain World Cup ball…

Which three managers would you like to nominate?
Jorge Nadal, CEO at FAPCOM.

Diego Romero, Managing Director at Espina Obras Hidráulicas.

Jorge Romero, Country Manager for USA, Mexico and Colombia at Uriel Renewables.