Joan – Vice president SYSTRA Ibérica

Could you describe your academic background and your career at SYSTRA?

I am an engineer by training, graduated in civil engineering, specialised in infrastructure, and I also have an MBA completed while already at SYSTRA. My path naturally led me to work in the field of infrastructure, a sector that I am deeply passionate about, both for its technical challenges and its social impact.

At SYSTRA, I started by getting involved in consulting assignments, then in project management, before taking on increasing responsibilities. Today, I am the head of SYSTRA Ibérica, where I oversee activities in Spain and Portugal and part of Latin America. My goal is to sustain our presence in these territories, develop talents, and showcase our expertise, particularly in areas such as urban mobility and sustainable transport, but also – given the specificities of the region – in water, energy, and mining.

Could you tell us about the culture of mobility and international mobility at SYSTRA?

International mobility is an integral part of SYSTRA’s DNA. The Group is present on every continent and encourages exchanges between teams, assignments abroad, and international career paths.

As a professional myself who is very mobile – I have worked in several countries, and I am often on the move – I see how this culture opens up unique human and professional perspectives. It allows for the creation of bridges between know-how, sharing innovative approaches, and building a global vision of infrastructure challenges.

How does mobility contribute to innovation and the development of new solutions?

Mobility, whether geographical or professional, is a catalyst for innovation. It confronts us with other realities, other constraints, and different ways of thinking about projects.

At SYSTRA Ibérica, we promote transversal approaches, multi-geographical teams, and the sharing of best practices between subsidiaries. This circulation of ideas and experiences is at the heart of our ability to design tailored, sustainable, and high-value-added solutions.

In fact, we recently launched an internal competition to reward the best ideas for applying artificial intelligence to our professions – proof that innovation also comes from the initiative of teams on the ground.

What would your advice be to a young engineer?

I would tell a young engineer to stay curious, open-minded, and to never stop learning. This profession requires rigour, of course, but also a great capacity for adaptation and a constant desire to evolve.

I would also recommend not hesitating to take unexpected paths: accepting an assignment abroad, joining a project that is outside their comfort zone, or proposing a new idea. It is in these moments that one grows the most.

I would also tell him not to be afraid to commit for the long term. In a world where everything moves fast, we forget that it is in the long term that we build the most beautiful journeys, learn the most, and make decisive contributions.

I would advise him to stay true to his professional and personal values. We live in a world that is changing rapidly, in a time when the certainties we had are being questioned, and solid values serve as an anchor to hold onto in these situations of upheaval.

Finally, I would remind him that what we are building goes far beyond infrastructure: we are helping to improve daily life, bringing people closer together, and making the world more accessible and sustainable.