Betar

Tell us about your training and how you started your career.

I have a degree in Civil Engineering from the Faculty of Science and Technology of the University of Coimbra. In 2007 I started my professional career at Soares da Costa. At the end of 2009 I joined the team that was developing the Transmontana Highway Sub-concession. In 2012, within the Transmontana project, I left the construction company and went to the Sub-concessionaire team, as Head of Operations. In 2015, I was promoted to Technical and Exploration Director and, in 2017, following the acquisition of most of the capital of the Sub-transferee by Globalvia, I became General Director. In September 2021, I was invited by Globalvia to move to Madrid and assume the role of Director of Operations, a role I occupy in the present.

You came across BETAR at the time of the Transmontana Highway. How was the experience?

Betar is a reference company, and my experience could not have been better. First of all, for the quality of the technical team involved in the work we have done together, but above all for the willingness to help and study new initiatives and solutions to the various challenges and problems.

How is Globalvia defined?

Globalvia is a leading infrastructure management company operating in 11 countries, mainly in road infrastructure (in Portugal, in addition to Transmontana, we manage the Beira Interior Concession) and rail (in Spain we manage the Trans de Barcelona or the Seville Metro). In 2022 the company made two very relevant investments for the future: acquisition of a stake in Iryo (high-speed operator in Spain) and the purchase of Go-Ahead, which is a world reference brand in public transport.

What are your main responsibilities?

I am responsible for overseeing all operations at the global level of the Globalvia Group, supporting the Business Directorates in the follow-up of activities, promoting the implementation of best practices and supporting compliance with existing exploitation plans. Another relevant function is supporting business development. The operations department I lead is responsible for the technical due diligence of the investment projects that are analyzed in the company. This global position is a huge challenge because we have very distinct cultural and contractual realities within our asset portfolio, but at the same time it is an opportunity to contribute to the implementation of our Globalvia way, our way of doing things, our global culture and strategy.

What are the main challenges to the company?

Society is changing at breakneck speed in terms of technology, mobility patterns and means of transport. All these changes impact on the infrastructure and mobility sector. So, the challenges are great but, at the same time, they are opportunities to grow. We know that the way we develop our business will change and that is why we have invested heavily in innovation, not only incremental, but also disruptive. Additionally, at a stage where some of our concessions are ending, this investment in innovation gives us confidence to continue adding value to the current business and, with this, be able to present to our grantors differentiated proposals to improve the existing infrastructures and provide a better public service to our users.

How do you guarantee sustainable activity?

Sustainability is a clear guideline and objective of our shareholders and Globalvia is a leader in sustainability and ESG in the GRESB ranking in the infrastructure sector for 3 consecutive years.
For this purpose, there is a great coordination and alignment of several departments within the company, corporate and business units, which, imbued with the defined guidelines, implement the actions locally according to the constraints of each geography and contract.

Do you find many differences between work in Spain and in Portugal?

Globalvia, being a company with so many different operations in different countries, has its headquarters in Madrid but has a global way of working. It’s a company of the world and for the world. So, I didn’t notice many differences. However, it is true that there is a different work culture between Portugal and Spain but, being Globalvia a mix of many cultures, these differences are also a differentiation of the company, by the diversity of people it has, which add value to management.

What are your prospects for the future?

In the future I hope to continue to grow, as a person and as a professional, improving and learning continuously, because I understand that this is how we prepare for the challenges that await us and, above all, I consider that the development and continuous improvement of the individual, Personally and professionally, are vital conditions to build an ever-better company and society.

This interview is an integral part of Revista Artes & Letras #153, June 2023
Partially automatic translation from portuguese: some expressions may differ from their actual meaning.