They say that Pablo Picasso’s father hung up his brushes the moment he saw his son’s early masterpieces, humbled by the clear evidence that the student had surpassed the master. While the father of Pablo Fernández Rodero did not retire when he saw his son’s achievements in the infrastructure sector, he has watched with pride as his son took the trade he taught him—earthworks and infrastructure—and expanded it across the globe. This other Pablo learned the value of a job well done and the drive to leave a positive legacy from his father. Through ACCIONA, he has turned those values into reality, albeit on a vastly different scale.

Those lessons, learned as a boy in the small Navarrese village of Ablitas in northern Spain, have travelled with him to projects all over the world. They are particularly evident in his current assignment on the Fargo-Moorhead diversion channel, a project designed to protect vast swathes of North Dakota and Minnesota in the USA from devastating floods. It is a monumental piece of resilient infrastructure that works with nature to mitigate the impact of climate change. In this interview, we explore the Fargo-Moorhead project and the journey that has taken Pablo Fernández Rodero from a village in Navarre to the cutting edge of global infrastructure.

Pablo literally dreams about infrastructure. “Sometimes I’ll dream about a project and wake up knowing exactly where I need to focus my energy,” he says. His current focus is Fargo-Moorhead. “To me, this project is the perfect embodiment of ACCIONA’s commitment to sustainability. It’s the first P3 (Public Private Partnership) project in the USA to be funded by green bonds, and its sole purpose is to combat climate change by preventing the floods caused by spring snowmelt.”

The periodic flooding Pablo refers to has become increasingly severe; eight of the ten worst floods on record have occurred since 1989, crippling the local community. The solution is a 48-kilometre channel that required moving over 30 million cubic metres of earth to create embankments.

These are being planted with native vegetation to act as natural levees against the rising Red River. “Every bit of excavated material is reused,” he notes. The scale is staggering: 19 bridges, two aqueducts, and complex drainage systems, all built in a climate of extreme seasonal peaks.

“The winter of 2023 was brutal… temperatures dropped to -32°C. You have to be incredibly prepared,” he explains. “How do you mitigate that risk? By working around the clock, 24/7, to stop the ground from freezing solid.” That same year, they faced a major flood, but they were ready when the water hit. Fargo-Moorhead is a titanic undertaking and the latest chapter in a career that has seen Pablo Fernández Rodero circle the globe.

They say every great journey begins with a single step. Pablo’s was taken in Ablitas, a village in Navarre of just 2,657 inhabitants. It was here he grew up and soon saw what construction work really meant. “I am lucky for the education my father instilled in me; he was self-employed—a real fighter. He’s retired now, but he dedicated his whole life to earthworks. He always worked with a bulldozer or an excavator. He taught me to work from dawn till dusk; that’s been my guiding principle ever since.”

The channel Pablo is building today involves its own reforestation efforts, though on a scale he would not have dreamed of during those summer jobs.

After completing his first degree, Pablo continued his education by studying for a higher degree in Civil Engineering. What happened once he finished his studies?

Claudio Magris, the Italian scholar, dedicated one of his greatest works to the Danube, portraying the river as the axis around which the geography and history of Central Europe revolve. There is a compelling poetry in the fact that Pablo’s first major project was a bridge over that very river.

It was a project in Bulgaria just after he had finished his studies, when he encountered a job offer from a construction firm. “The chance came up to move to Bulgaria... a position that did not require a university degree, but it was the doorway to the dream I had always envisioned.”

At 24, he and his partner, Patricia, took the plunge and moved to Eastern Europe. He is quick to point out that Patricia also left everything behind in Spain to support his first international post. The goal was to build a bridge joining Romania and Bulgaria, known as the Danube Bridge II. Within six months, his work ethic and a well-timed vacancy saw him promoted to production and cost control engineer. “It was a beautiful project—an extradosed bridge which at the time was the second widest of its kind in the world.”

Two years later, when the bridge was not yet open, he received an offer to work in Algeria with better conditions, although they lived on “a base under military guard” to protect them from potential terrorist attacks. When the situation became too volatile, he was moved to Qatar. “We went from living under constant security threats to the height of luxury as expats in Qatar, bumping into Laudrup in the lift. Mind you, he lived in the penthouse—it was a different world to our flat.”

In just a few years, he had gone from Ablitas to a Qatari skyscraper with Michael Laudrup—then the manager of a local football team—as a neighbour. “It was a massive contrast. But as I always say, you have to remember where you came from. I’m proud of my roots, and I am incredibly lucky to have a family that keeps me grounded.” And then came another change of course.

Keen to keep growing, Pablo joined ACCIONA just as the company’s international portfolio was exploding. “ACCIONA was taking off completely in terms of its international track record and volume of work, and I was offered the chance to join as a production manager on a project in Denmark.” Did he need to sleep on it? “I had no doubts. ACCIONA’s reputation in infrastructure—not just energy, which we all knew well—was incredibly promising.” In January 2017, he swapped the desert of Qatar for the lush landscape of Denmark, the very country where Michael Laudrup was born.

The change of scenery was accompanied by another new arrival shortly after he landed, this time a personal one. “My wife phoned and I said, ‘I am in a meeting, I will call you back,’ but she replied, ‘No, do not hang up—the baby is coming, my waters have broken.’” Pablo had to ask her to repeat what he had just heard, and his wife confirmed it. “The project director saw my face change colour.” Immediately, Pablo began a frantic race to travel back to Spain to reach the birth. “It was 18:26—I remember it like it was yesterday. The last flight from Copenhagen was at 20:20. I reached the gate with three minutes to spare, and by 3:00 am, I was in the hospital in Tudela [Navarre] for the birth.”

Pablo’s family grew in Denmark with the birth of his son, just as he grew professionally, starting out as production manager and eventually becoming project manager. “It was very enriching to close the final phase of the project with the client and participate in the inauguration. I had the honour of greeting Mary Elizabeth Donaldson, then the Princess of Denmark, who came to open the bridge that today bears her name: the Crown Princess Mary’s Bridge.” The project was ACCIONA’s first in the country and was “delivered ahead of schedule,” he recounts with pride.

And it was not just a matter of personal pride; the work was endorsed by the Potencia 2019 award, which that year also went, in a double victory, to another of ACCIONA’s major infrastructures: the Site C dam in Canada. “I had the honour of collecting it at the Santiago Bernabéu [stadium in Madrid] on the night of the gala. I’m grateful to ACCIONA not just for the chance to participate in the event, but for the professional growth I experienced.” He adds: “In my nearly three years in Denmark with ACCIONA, I grew more professionally than in my entire career up to that point.”

After shaking hands with the Danish princess and collecting the award for the project, another opportunity arose. Here, he offers a reflection on the paths of professional growth. “I was offered the chance to go to New Zealand for the Pūhoi to Warkworth project as Project Control Manager. Professionally, it was by no means a step back; it was a move sideways, as I was also diversifying, professionally speaking.”

Here, on the four-lane motorway—the largest infrastructure project built in New Zealand to date—he had the opportunity to cut his teeth on cost control and planning. “It’s something I have since valued a lot and it has allowed me to have a vision of project management that includes cost control, scheduling, and risk.” It also allowed him to broaden the spectrum of his projects: “Until then, my experience had been mostly in bridges, and here I could work on a road within a P3 project.”

The professional enrichment went hand-in-hand with the personal experience. “It’s a spectacular country; if I had to choose one from all the countries I have been to so far, I would choose New Zealand.” For any specific reason? “Mainly for two reasons: one, the commitment to culture and the environment. And two, the character of the people.”

He proceeds to break this down, starting from the latter: “The Kiwis make your adaptation to the country feel very natural. They are very pleasant and friendly. And then there is the environmental awareness they instil in schools. My son Pablo, who is named after me, was happy to have chickens at school, and there was a cook who made them omelettes or biscuits with the eggs.”

He shares an anecdote about cultural adaptation. “My son Pablo would come home from nursery making strange noises and touching his face. I told my wife the boy was doing very odd things, but then the Christmas festival arrived, where it was tradition for the children to perform a haka, and then we understood everything,” he says with a laugh.

He concludes: “That was the first time we had to raise our hands and put the personal first, to say we could not carry on like that, and we had to leave the Philippines.” ACCIONA, he says, provided the facilities to find a new destination. First in Madrid, and then, in January 2023, in the USA with the Fargo project. Because there are times when, even for a fighter like Pablo, one must know when to stop. And that is easier when someone supports you on the other side, whether in family life or at work.

“I would like to highlight that both my direct managers and Human Resources attended to me at all times and gave me every facility to relocate. I am very grateful to ACCIONA for their way of managing personnel and the commitment they have to employees,” he underlines.

Taking care of a company’s team also involves attending to the needs of their families, a point Pablo emphasises. “My commitment as an expat would be zero without the support of my family, and Human Resources knows that, obviously. They are aware of my situation and the support my wife gives me. It’s something I am incredibly proud of and I would love to highlight it in this article one way or another, because I would not be the same person today, nor would I be holding this interview.”

When asked what motivates him in his current role, he answers directly: “On one hand, there is the commitment to sustainability and innovation, which is the company's hallmark. If you are an ACCIONA employee, you have that commitment to sustainability and innovation by default. You cannot conceive of working at ACCIONA without those commitments in your way of doing things, that’s clear.”

Pablo reflects on the idea of sustainability as a company’s cornerstone: “I think that is where ACCIONA differs from other companies. For example, we use HVO fuels to reduce emissions, but going a step back, sustainability is sought right from the tender stage. If it’s not sustainable, the project does not go ahead. For instance, a road that reduces distances also reduces emissions.” He also touches on sustainability from a social angle: “It’s also about protecting the community; the Fargo project was built to save lives.” A goal, he concludes, that will be reached in March 2027, when the work is finally completed.

How exactly does the master's degree work? “ACCIONA facilitates the IMPA and the Technical University provides it. There are twenty ACCIONA employees and it takes place every two years; just being selected was a matter of pride. It’s training that allows you to manage all types of ACCIONA projects in infrastructure, energy, or water, as well as using communication and business development tools.”

How has life changed for that engineer who grew up in Ablitas after all this time? “The difference is huge. Professionally speaking, the experiences across five continents have been very fulfilling and have undoubtedly facilitated my professional growth. My son has been able to live in four countries and that has opened many doors for him, thanks in part to ACCIONA.” And that he learns the culture and lifestyle of all the countries you live in, we add. “Of course, I could not have given him that opportunity without this lifestyle. It requires many sacrifices, but it also offers results to match.”

Does he plan to return to Spain soon? “No, not for the time being, although we make sure our son Pablo goes back once or twice a year, so he keeps his roots in our culture, sees what it’s like to live in Spain, and knows where we come from.” When asked about his hobbies, the answer is clear: “My main hobby is my family, spending time with them after work and during holidays. I’m also lucky that my wife and I love to travel.”

In the final moments of the interview, he tells us about all the places he has visited: Las Vegas, the Grand Canyon, Los Angeles, Yellowstone... “We live in a constant journey, that’s for sure. And ACCIONA makes that possible.” Because on this journey called life, Pablo has found a vehicle that has taken him and his family to all those far-flung places he dreamed of as a child.