Vicente Valencia

VILENTIA

Unfiltered advice about PPP and Infrastructure. 
PPP Training and Coaching
SPV Management and Advice
Strategy, Bids, Market Lead Proposals and much more.

Founder

Homizy

Love the challenges, the design and changing spaces and cities for the better. 

We give a second opportunity to old buildings and houses creating unique homes.

Co-Founder and Investor

Camarounds

Confounder and investor. 
If you can get a cab in 3 min with your mobile phone, why should be different for a plumber, electrician or cleaner. 
Camarounds is leading this community helping thousands of customers in Panama.

Co-Founder

VIP LIFE PANAMA

Leading VipLifePanama to become one of the biggest in the Santiago region in Panama

Cofounder and Board Member

NX2 Northern Express Group

The Pūhoi to Warkworth project is a PPP (Private Public Partnership) between the Government and a private consortium, the Northern Express Group (NX2). While the NX2 will be responsible for financing, designing, building, maintaining and operating the motorway for up to 25 years, the motorway will remain a public asset.

The new Pūhoi to Warkworth project will extend the four-lane Northern Motorway (SH1) 18.5km from the Johnstone’s Hill Tunnels to just north of Warkworth. It is the first stage of the Ara Tūhono – Pūhoi to Wellsford Road of National Significance. It will be open for traffic by late 2021. Ara Tūhono means a connecting pathway (Ara meaning pathway/passage and Ara Tūhono means connecting or linking one part to another).

Chief Executive Officer

A30 Express

A30 Express (former Nouvelle Autoroute 30 s.e.n.c) is the private partner responsible for the Highway 30 completion and operation, in accordance with a public-private partnership (PPP) agreement signed on September 25, 2008 by Nouvelle Autoroute 30, s.e.n.c. and Ministère des Transports du Québec. This agreement ensures the design, construction, financing, operation, maintenance and repair of the PPP completion project of the A30 and some complementary road sections as well as the operation of a toll plaza over a 30 year period. 

In total, A30 Express manages almost 2.0bn$ in assets which encompass approximately 75 km of highway, including two major structures over the St Laurent River and the Sea Way, the S. Marcil Bridge (1.8km) and the M. Parent Bridge (2.8km).

Board Member

A30 Express (former Nouvelle Autoroute 30 s.e.n.c) is the private partner responsible for the Highway 30 completion and operation, in accordance with a public-private partnership (PPP) agreement signed on September 25, 2008 by Nouvelle Autoroute 30, s.e.n.c. and Ministère des Transports du Québec. This agreement ensures the design, construction, financing, operation, maintenance and repair of the PPP completion project of the A30 and some complementary road sections as well as the operation of a toll plaza over a 30 year period. 

In total, A30 Express manages almost 2.0bn$ in assets which encompass approximately 75 km of highway, including two major structures over the St Laurent River and the Sea Way, the S. Marcil Bridge (1.8km) and the M. Parent Bridge (2.8km). 

Vicente Valencia holds the roles of CEO, Project Director and Private Partner Representative for A30 Express.

Responsible for all activities related to operations, maintenance and rehabilitation of the infrastructure 
Managing annual budget circa 10M$
Introducing new maintenance and asset management techniques in Quebec
Responsible for the design, installation and operations of the Electronic Toll System and Intelligent Traffic System (circa 20M$)
Finished on time and under budget the first classic toll system in more than 20 years in Quebec, a challenge from the point of view of technology, time-frame and pre-existing conditions
Evaluation of construction solutions from a financial model point of view
Responsible for the supervision of the civil infrastructure related directly to operations activities
Responsible for rehabilitation works on major infrastructures (+10M$)

Chief Operations Officer

LINK427

Wellap

In few simple steps, Wellap guides the consumers in an intuitive and fun way to purchase the product that meets best their needs without any external influence or pressure. Our application search in the whole internet the best deal that perfectly suits the need of the customer. 
We are a start-up adding value not just on-line distributors and their customers, we are now working in physical point of sales to change the way people choose products and make purchases. 

I have been mentoring and couching of key staff, as well as overseeing the changes in the business model and new strategies. I have contributed to the investor negotiations and board reorganization.

EADIC

Postgraduate studies related to PPP Projects, Finance, and International Management:
Postgraduate course at Alcalá University (UAH): “International Project Management” (Gestión de Proyectos Internacionales)
"Efficient Management of International Projects" (Gestión eficaz de proyectos de ámbito internacional)
“Internationalization of Engineering and Construction Firms” (Internacionalización de empresas de Ingeniería y Construcción)

Lecturer

MCPubliDesign

General guidance about all services related to design, marketing products and printing in all formats, corporate and general public.
Successfully purchased, reorganized, and sold the company
Oversaw increase in sales of 350% in 3 years
Successfully negotiated credit facilities with lenders
Lead new investors and business development negotiations
Mentoring and couching of key staff

Chairman

🤔 Risk-Averse Renegade 💪 | Helping others take the leap of faith | Entrepreneur & Investor | Personal Growth, Business. 🐭 Join the free rat race 🐭

If you need PPP Advice or Training that you WON'T get from the World Bank go to: https://vicentevalencia.com.

I love infrastructure delivery and I have good reasons for that. 

I still remember my third day working in PPPs, around 20 years ago. 

I was put on a Board meeting, and my boss told the rest of the board members that "I was the new PPP advisor". 

Not bad for the third day. 

I didn't know what a PPP was, nor even a what a Board was, or shareholders, or construction contracts, or back-to-backs... and there I was. 

Now, after having tendered, managed, delivered, refinanced, sold, a few PPPs in Europe, North America and New Zealand, as a COO, CEO and Board Member, I can tell you many more stories... some of them, "terror stories": extra costs, claims, delays, incompetence, bad clients, terrible contractors, evil designers, etc. 

But I can also tell you many great stories about people. 

Happy people enjoying a new and fantastic piece of infrastructure. 

These assets have transformed for the better lives, cities and even countries. 

I’ll never forget the 15 December 2012, when I opened as the COO, the A30 Project in Montreal. 

I put my beautiful and very patient Spanish wife on a toll both to enjoy. 

Many nights working at night and she supported me all the way long, and I wanted her to live the experience. 

During a break to have diner – it was a long day – she told me that users thanked her saying “Gracias”. 
I’ll never forget the joy and happiness of thousands of people that wanted to cross the bridges that we built.
 
This is the power of great infrastructure, properly delivered. 

This is why, I love that business. 

I also have two secret passions: Real Estate Investing, and a popular newsletter. Everyday, I send a free tip about business, project management, investment, motivation and personal growth. All this comes with Spanish spice. Subscribe, join other +2k free minds and enjoy.

Behind the glamour of billion-dollar infrastructure projects lies a harsh reality: not all succeed... They failed or they were short in delivering what they promised. 

Here you are: 

🚧 15 PPP Projects That Failed and Why 🚧

From political turmoil to flawed traffic forecasts, explore the cautionary tales of PPPs from Spain, Australia, the USA, and beyond.

💡 Swipe through to discover the lessons these failures teach us about risk management, accurate forecasting, and the importance of well-structured contracts.

Lots of learnings for governments, bidders, contractors, lenders and advisors.


#InfrastructureFailures #PPPProjects #ProjectManagement #PPP #NewZealand #LessonsLearned #PublicPrivatePartnerships #RiskManagement #GlobalProjects #ConstructionInsights #PPPChallenges #SmartContracts #pipeline

PPP Executioner | Helping PPP Professionals, Agencies and Equity Providers to market and deliver better PPP Projects | Join the PPP MOVEMENT for Infra tips and stories. Click in My Newsletter

15 PPP Projects that did not deliver

Most PPP projects don’t fail because of construction issues.
Or financing.
Or KPIs.

They fail because people ignore the basics.
The fundamentals.

The principles nobody teaches you in those “PPP certifications.”
The laws I’ve learned after 20 years sitting on all four sides of the table:
government, contractor, equity, and operator.

So here they are.
The 15 Commandments of the PPP Movement.
The no-BS rules that separate a bankable project…
from a headline on the front page of the newspaper.

Swipe.

Learn them.

Break them at your own risk.

#PPP #Infrastructure #PublicPrivatePartnerships #MegaProjects #ProjectFinance #Governance #PublicSector #RiskManagement #InfrastructureInvestment #Construction

The 15 Commandments of the PPP Movement

🚧 The Top 10 PPP Projects to Watch in 2025 🚧

Love to be back from holidays... and what would be a better start than this post?

Remember. 

Infrastructure shapes the future, and Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) are at the heart of delivering the most transformative projects worldwide.

In this carousel, I’ve highlighted 10 major PPP projects that stand out in 2025:

🌍 Spanning continents from Africa to Asia, Europe, and the Americas
💰 Representing billions in investment and innovation
⏳ Promising milestones, big challenges, and lessons for the industry

Whether you’re tracking aviation, transport, or urban development, these projects are setting benchmarks for collaboration between governments and the private sector.

🛠️ Curious which projects made the list? Swipe through to discover the top 10 and why they matter! 

And for my friends in #NewZealand... No. The Northern Corridor is not there yet... I'm looking forward to hearing some news!!!

✨ Did I miss any other? Share your thoughts in the comments—what’s the #PPP project you’re keeping an eye on this year?

#InfrastructureDevelopment
#PPPProjects
#PublicPrivatePartnership
#SmartInvestments
#GlobalInfrastructure
#RealEstateTrends
#UrbanDevelopment
#ProjectFinance
#ConstructionInnovation
#SustainableInfrastructure
#EconomicGrowth
#TransportInnovation
#MegaProjects
#InfrastructureInsights
#GlobalGrowth

Top 10 PPP Projects to Monitor this 2025

AMAZING FRIDAY. 
I still heard today someone thinking that PPPs are about “privatising the public.”

Wrong. Simply wrong... and not just because some people still don't understand PPPs as delivery method. 

PPPs are about accountability.
About delivering on time and on budget.
About getting real outcomes, not excuses.

When a project is 3 years late, 40% over budget, and falling apart after 5 years...
What’s the alternative?
Keep doing it the old way?

The truth?
Some public agencies, consultants, contractors, subbies fear PPPs not because they fail…

But because they expose failure. They break status quo. 

Think about it!

#PPP #Infrastructure #PublicPrivatePartnership #Construction #ProjectManagement #Accountability #BigProjects #PPPNZ #InfraStrategy

Most governments say they want world-class infrastructure.
But then they panic when world-class people show up.
The Ministry of Transport of Quebec didn’t.
They opened the door.
To foreigners.
To competition.
To courage.
The result?
A-30 Expressway. In my modest opinion, one of the most successful PPPs in North America.
Delivered on time. 
On budget. 
With pride.
I was there.
And I still remember the chaos, the cold, and that night before opening when we almost forgot to put live the tolling system.
Today's article is about courage.
Not the PowerPoint kind. 
The real one.

#Leadership #PPP #Infrastructure #Courage #ProjectManagement #PublicPrivatePartnerships #Canada #Construction

View newsletter: PPP & Real Estate stories

Most governments say they want world-class infrastructure. But few have the guts to bring in world-class people. But the Ministry of Transport of Queb

Open article: Dark and Cold by Vicente Valencia • 2 min read

Why do PPPs fail?
Not because of “complexity.”
Not because of “market conditions.”
And definitely not because “it was unforeseeable.”

The real reasons repeat.... 
Over. And over. And over.

Risk pushed to the wrong side.
KPIs that punish instead of perform.
Bureaucrats negotiating with Excel instead of brains.
Everyone says lessons were learned.

But somehow, the next project looks suspiciously familiar.
Here are the 20 real reasons PPPs fail.

#PPP #Infrastructure #PublicPrivatePartnership #ProjectFinance #Construction #Procurement #Leadership #RiskManagement #PPPProjects #LessonsLearned

In a recent interview, an expensive consultant… those that charge you for their offices in the middle of Manhattan and all the MBA fees of the Ivy Lea

Open article: The causes of PPP failure by Vicente Valencia • 3 min read

I like saying that many PPPs don’t fail in construction.
In fact, they tend to fail much earlier.
In meeting rooms full of PowerPoints, optimism, and zero understanding of risk.

In this case, the government tried to transfer every single risk to the private partner… and killed the project before it was even born.

A great case study from Kenya:
A highway that should have been a PPP,
but died in the “market sounding” phase…
and then cost twice as much when delivered traditionally... plus time and reputation lost.

Take a look. 
It’s a story about what happens everywhere when people confuse risk transfer with avoiding responsibility.

And don't get me wrong. 
This project at the end was successful. But this is not what the article is about. 

By the way, have you seen a PPP collapse because the risk matrix was a suicide note?
Comment below. 

#PublicPrivatePartnerships #Infrastructure #PPP #ProjectFinance #RiskTransfer #Construction #Procurement #ValueForMoney #RiskManagement #AfricaInfrastructure #Kenya #Transport #PPPFails #LessonsLearned #Megaprojects #Leadership #Government #Engineering #Policy #InfrastructureDevelopment

“We want a PPP… but we don’t want to take any risk.” That scream comes from the public and private sectors alike… And every time I hear that, I alread

Open article: Let's transfer all the risks by Vicente Valencia • 3 min read

Everyone talks about “value for money.”
Nobody talks about scope for money.

Because when the scope is a guess, the only certainty is that someone’s getting rich fixing it later.

Sydney’s light rail PPP proved it.

The contract had grey areas. 

The ground didn't. It had many other things. 

What Happens When the Scope Is a Guess... enjoy. 

#PPP #Infrastructure #PPPHorrorStories #PublicPrivatePartnership #Procurement #InfrastructureFinance #PPPs #Australia #PFI #ValueForMoney #InfrastructureLessons #VicenteValencia

Early brief: “Deliver a shiny new light rail through Sydney’s CBD. Easy. Everyone loves trams.” Translation: scope unclear, assumptions heroic, risks 

Open article: What Happens When the Scope Is a Guess by Vicente Valencia • 2 min read

Most contracts fail before they’re signed.
Not because of bad lawyers. To keep those nice offices with views they get the best guys. 
No. 
They fail because they forget about alignment and partnership. 
There are clauses that change everything. 

Today, I propose you this one. And it can change lots of things. 
How partners behave, how risks are shared, how money moves.
I’ve seen it turn adversaries into allies…
and billion-dollar disasters into success stories.
If your contract doesn’t have it, you’re already losing.

Read the full post. Then tell me:
What’s the one clause you’ll never sign without?

#Infrastructure #PPP #PublicPrivatePartnership #RiskManagement #ProjectManagement #Procurement #DealMaking   #InfrastructureInvestment #LegalDesign #ProjectFinance #AssetManagement #VicenteValencia

PPP Executioner | Helping PPP Professionals, Agencies and Equity Providers to market and deliver better PPP Projects | Real Estate Investor | Join 2k Subscribers for this Infra tips and stories

Most projects fail for boring reasons. Not for lack of brains. Not for lack of money. For lack of aligned incentives. Boring, because they repeat over

Open article: A clause you must have in your contract by Vicente Valencia • 2 min read

Would you use a whip to make it happen?
4,500 years ago they built the Great Pyramid.
No consultants. 
No “alignment sessions.”
Just vision, purpose, and execution.
Today we drown in frameworks, governance, and fear.
We lead with consensus instead of conviction.
We manage meetings, not missions.
This article is not about cruelty, but clarity. 
The kind that built wonders.
👉 Read it here.
#Leadership #PPP #Infrastructure #ProjectManagement #Mindset #Construction #PublicPrivatePartnerships

Behind my computer I have a painting from Egypt. And this makes me remember how those guys used to work. They built the Great Pyramid of Giza 4,500 ye

Open article: Would you use a whip to make it happen? by Vicente Valencia • 2 min read

How to make the other party to understand. 
This is one of the key problems that more often I receive on my desk. 
I always start by one question. 
“Have you talked to them?”. 
“Many times”.
“And…?”
“They don’t understand”
“Then, you have not dig enough” 
 
Yeah. 
This is a typical frustration. 
“How the other side can’t understand this”. 
 
Look. 
There are no miracles. 
But there are lawyers. 
They have the incredible capacity of grabbing people’s attention… specially through letters. 
They can also point out that your “crystal clearness” is not such. 
 
One of the advantages of using lawyers is that you must make the effort to explain to an alien what’s going on. 
 
But I leave that for another day. 
For today, think about that project where the other party does not understand. 
Then, click below. 
https://lnkd.in/gXuiU6Ux

PPP Executioner | Helping PPP Professionals, Agencies and Equity Providers to market and deliver better PPP Projects | Join the PPP MOVEMENT for Infra tips and stories

I loved this interview so much! Thank you Andy!

Vicente Valencia breaks it down: PPPs aren’t a magic fix, they’re a delivery model.

But when you’re dealing with large, complex infrastructure, the model works. That’s why countries building massive networks use PPPs consistently. We just need to use the right model for the right project and use it properly.

📌 From: Yarns with Andy – Episode 62
📌 Timestamp: 00:03:31

🔗 Watch full episode here: https://lnkd.in/gWpCjeem
🔗 Follow us: https://lnkd.in/gtrDfhHm

#PPPNZ #InfrastructureNZ #ConstructionIndustry #NationBuilding #DeliveryModels #BuildBetter #YarnsWithAndy

The New York Times (1920)
“A rocket will never leave the Earth’s atmosphere.”
— The New York Times, editorial.

49 years later… 

“The Times regrets the error.”
— The New York Times, July 17, 1969 (the day after Apollo 11 launched)

1952 – Lee de Forest, a legendary and respected engineer, (Father of Radio)
“Man will never reach the Moon… Mortals must live and die on Earth.”

1956 – Sir Richard Woolley, Britain’s top astronomer.
“Space travel is utter bilge.”
— Sir Richard Woolley, Astronomer Royal, 1956

Twelve years after calling it “bilge”, Apollo 8 orbited the Moon and Apollo 11 landed on it.

1957 – Lee de Forest again (Associated Press)
(Yes, he doubled down… and was wrong twice.)

“They will never reach the Moon.”
— Lee de Forest, AP interview, 1957

This was an actual newspaper headline in 1957, by the way. 

1957 – Former Astronomer Royal, Sir Harold Spencer Jones
“Generations will pass before man ever lands on the Moon… and even then he won’t return.”
— Sir Harold Spencer Jones, 1957

Twelve years later:
Humans go, land, walk, take samples, take photos, return home, do interviews, and sign autographs.

1958 – Commander George Van Pelt (U.S. Navy). Director of missiles programme. 

“We are far closer to creating a robot that can think than to sending a man to the Moon.”
— U.S. Navy Commander G. Van Pelt, 1958

1958 – John Rinehart, Director, National Bureau of Standards. The top materials expert in the United States

“We are a long, long way from manned spaceflight.
Not in my lifetime, nor yours.”
— John Rinehart, 1958
 
1959 – Dr. Thomas Gold (cornell), Physicists and Astrophysicists. One of the most famous astrophysicists in the world at the time. 

“The Moon is covered in a deep layer of dust.
Any spacecraft would sink instantly.”
— Thomas Gold, 1959
 
NASA had to model the risk that the lunar module might ‘sink’ into the surface.
 The real outcome: the Moon had only 1–2 centimeters of firm dust

1961 – British Interplanetary Society internal memo

“A manned lunar landing before 1970 is a dream.
We simply do not possess the materials, computing power or propulsion technology.”
— British Interplanetary Society, 1961
 
1964 – The Royal Aeronautical Society (UK)

“Even if America reaches the Moon, returning safely will be beyond current engineering capability.”
— RAeS panel, 1964
 
1967 – After the Apollo 1 fire (pessimistic engineering groups)

“Human beings will not reach the Moon in this decade. The risks and engineering complexity have now surpassed what is achievable.”
— Multiple aerospace safety committees, 1967

1968 – French science magazine Science et Avenir

“There is less than a 10% chance the Apollo program will land a man on the Moon before 1975.”
— Science et Avenir, 1968
 
#Leadership #Engineering #Innovation #Mindset #ThinkBigger
 #MakeItHappen #Strategy #LeadershipDevelopment  #ProjectManagement #ComplexProjects

One of the most read posts of the year... the reason? It's so common... and so true!

Want to kill a PPP project slowly and painfully?

Just let the agency treat the design review like a control exercise.

Instead of validating risks, they turn it into a line-by-line approval process.

Instead of trusting the performance specs, they try to redesign the asset through comments.

And instead of letting the Independent Engineer lead, they flood the process with consultants who were never briefed on how PPPs actually work.

The result?
Confusion about who’s responsible.
Endless design iterations.
Delays. Claims. Resentment.
And a clear message to the private partner: we don’t trust you.

Let’s be clear: in a PPP, the public sector is not buying drawings.
It’s buying a service.
Delivered by an asset.
Maintained over 25-30 years.

The mindset has to shift.
From “we must approve everything”
To:
“We’ve transferred risk. Let’s manage outcomes.”

Until that happens, many PPPs will keep falling into the same trap:

Pretending it’s a traditional contract, while expecting extraordinary results.

#PPP  #PublicPrivatePartnership  #Infrastructure  #ProjectDelivery  #DesignReview  #RiskAllocation  #IndependentEngineer  #ConstructionContracts  #InfrastructureLeadership  #MindsetShift

Weir Minerals

In my role as Operations Coordinator, I support both global and local teams through three main areas:

Global Training Coordinator – Organize and manage global training programs, making sure sessions are well planned and run smoothly.

Office Coordinator (Malmö) – Handle daily office operations, administration, and support to keep the Malmö office running effectively.

Internal Communication – Share company updates and manage internal communication to keep teams connected and informed.

This role allows me to combine coordination, communication, and organization to support Weir’s people and operations.

Operations Coordinator

SentianAI

I joined Sentian AI through the Jobbsprånget program, where I supported operations, training, and office management. During my 4-month internship, I:

Coordinated 2 global online trainings and planned 2 upcoming in-person global trainings, ensuring smooth scheduling and participant experience.

Created the first SOP for online trainings, building a standard process that improved efficiency and consistency for future sessions.

Supported operations and administration, including invoice management, onboarding of new employees, laptop ordering, and facility assistance.

Through this internship, I gained hands-on experience in global coordination, process improvement, and operational support while contributing to both local and global teams.

Office and Operations Coordinator

Øresund Startup News

Startup Ambassador

Self Employed

- I help people start or get better at project management jobs.
- I give advice on how to make a good plan for your career.
- I teach important skills you need for managing projects.
- I help you practice for job interviews.
- I connect you with other professionals in project management.

Career Coach

Dell Technologies

Engineering Functional Plans, Engineering Schedule, PRD responses, Core Team slides , Email communication to the Extended Team distribution list ,  Newsletter communications,  Phase Exit readiness Checklists/Deliverables

- Coordinate & manage the requirements, dependencies & deliverables, ensuring the scope change is aligned with the different stakeholder’s schedules & plans.
- Own & manage the end to end Project schedule
- Weekly progress review meetings to report the progress identify & mitigate the risks, issue resolutions.
- Weekly presentations to the different stakeholders of the project at the Core Teams.
- Create & manage the document repository (SharePoint) to ensure they contain relevant and applicable documentation for the applicable readers 
- Part Lifecycle Management (PLCM) – Creation, End of Life, Maintenance. [AGILE Tool]
- Block Core Team schedule/process/other updates communications to the Engineering teams 
- Project updates, representation of Engineering in the Block Core Team Meetings

Project Manager

SP Software Private Ltd

*Deployed to Dell Technologies as Project Manager*

Information Technology Project Coordinator

Muraai Information Technologies Pvt Ltd

- Prepare weekly status report summarizing the tasks done along with effort utilization
- Getting the requirements from the client for Payments Module - Advance Payment, Domestic Payment, SEZ Payment, Statutory Payment, Foreign Payment.
- Communicate to internal project teams regarding the requirements of clients
- Conducting daily standup calls and taking the task updating.
- Coordinate project schedule and ensure timely updates of all key milestone and partner with PM on related calls.
- Work with PMO team on resource planning and allocation according to projects pipeline
- Communicate to Project Managers issues or concerns related to project schedule and tasks
- Create and maintain project documentations like Project charter, BRD/FSD, TDD, Project Proposal, Project Closure.
- Ensure customer satisfaction through post project brief with clients.
- Coordinate and support onboarding of new Key Project Team Members and system access.
- Prepare correspondence, including meeting minutes, for project team and/or customer.
- Sprint and Scrum management in JIRA

Project Assistant

EatLocal

-Participated in the development and grooming of Project Backlog Stories (Requirements) with business and technology partners.
- Project management - Project planning , project coordination , project estimation, project documentation and project team management.
- Assisted in entering and updating Issues (Epics, Stories, and Tasks) onto JIRA Agile application.
- Participated in Daily Scrum Stand Up
- Created Epics and User stories
- Business and Data Analysis
- Data management & Quality Assurance 
- Social media marketing - Customer engagement, content development, community engagement, community management, content strategy.
- Market Research

Executive , Project Management Office

Consulting , Content creation , manual testing

Project Management Trainee

IBS Software

- Found out the project profitability from the data given.
- Analyzed the project proﬁtability and did a historical analysis through which the projects which lay under 50% gross margin were found out.
- Recommended ways to improve the proﬁtability by reading the contracts of corresponding project clients and stating clauses from the same.
- Learnt about contract management and key cost center of an IT service company.
- G suite exploration - Gmail , Google Analytics

Summer Intern

UST Global

- Involved in manual testing for Insurance Domain.
- Continuous interaction with Business Users and the client to test according to their requirements.
- Created, Updated and Reviewed of Test cases and Test Scenarios as per the Business Requirement Document.
- Manipulated database for testing using SQL Server.
- Done functional and regression testing. 
- Cross Browser Testing and Mobile App testing
- Used Quality Center to store all testing results, created Test Cases, and Reporting.
- Defect tracked and bugs reported using Bugzilla and JIRA.

Software Developer

Project Manager | Project Management Career Coach | Helping early-career professionals (0-5 years) transition into project management roles in the IT industry.

I never planned to work in mining.
I never planned to shift from project management to communications either.
But careers aren’t always linear and mine is proof.

After years in IT and project management, I made the leap into a completely new industry and role, handling internal communications, global training, and office operations.

Now, I document this journey to help professionals see what it really looks like to:
🌍 Transition industries & roles without starting from scratch
🧠 Build adaptability and communication skills that stand out
💡 Reimagine success when you’re starting over in your 30s

On my profile you’ll find:
🔹 Stories & lessons from inside a global mining company
🔹 Corporate career and life lessons
🔹 Honest reflections on career transitions and identity shifts

If you’ve ever thought about starting fresh, moving industries, or re-entering the workforce in a new role, my content is built for you.

👉 Follow me here on LinkedIn for my weekly posts & livestreams, and join the community I’m building for professionals navigating change together.

Mary Tresa Gabriel

A VERY important reminder for anyone restarting their career in a new country:

Taking a lower role is not failure.
Switching industries is not the end of your career.

But if you refuse to adapt, you’ll actually limit your opportunities 
or end up waiting months for a job that fits your old title.

I get it, some of you might land the exact same role abroad.
You’re the minority, and that’s amazing.

For everyone else:

Don’t be ashamed.
Don’t compare.

Remember:
You didn’t downgrade your worth, you upgraded your resilience.
You took the first step that most people are too scared to take.
And trust me, your skills didn’t vanish just because your title changed.

Your new beginning just needs time to reveal who you’re becoming. 😊

Make sure to follow me for more lessons on career transitions, non-tech roles, and restarting your career abroad.

PS. Do you really think career growth still happens in one neat ladder?
📷 This was what I wrote after graduating my PGDM in 2019 and 6 years later I’m proudly living a non-linear career.

LinkedIn Guide to Creating
Get Hired by LinkedIn News

Operations Coordinator at Weir | Documenting my career transition | Project Management Professional (PMP) | Work Abroad, Culture, Corporate life & Career Coach

Building relationships at work means talking only to people higher in the hierarchy.
Trying to impress “two levels up” or chasing relationships only based on titles.

Build human relationships with anyone. Any level. Any team. Any background.

What I realised after joining Weir Minerals :

It’s not about hierarchy.
It’s not about the “right” department.
It’s not even about years of experience.

It’s about people.
About genuine connection.
About trust.

You might think:

“But shouldn’t I network only with seniors?”
“Isn’t relationship-building about climbing the ladder?”

Nope.

In this non-linear career era, you never know who will be the next person to help you, guide you, or open a door.

Every time I tried to think traditionally “connect upward, connect selectively” work proved me wrong.

The most meaningful support came from unexpected places.

Lesson: 
Genuine relationships > hierarchical relationships.
Always.

P.S. Who at your workplace has supported you in a way you didn’t expect?

LinkedIn Guide to Creating
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Most people think “networking” means scrolling and connecting on LinkedIn.
In Sweden, it means showing up, offline.

The smartest job seekers here don’t wait to be discovered.
They research locally, reach out personally, and build relationships one coffee chat at a time.

It’s not about big brands; it’s about nearby doors that actually open.

Here’s the truth: the Swedish job market rewards proximity and persistence.
The more visible you are in your local circle, the faster you get noticed.

Part 3 tomorrow: Does speaking Swedish really make or break your chances here?

Unpopular opinion: I actually like working from the office 😌

For me, work isn’t just about deadlines or meetings, it’s about people. The random chats, the small laughs, the “hey, need help?” moments. That’s what makes it feel alive. And honestly, that’s what I’ve loved the most in every office I’ve worked at those real, human connections.

When you have that, showing up doesn’t feel like just another workday, it feels like being part of something that matters.

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I’m a proud corporate softie.
There, I said it 🤭 hehe

People often say that to be successful, you need to be a badass at work
serious, tough, loud with boundaries, and a little intimidating.

Here’s what people forget about softies:

“Soft people can’t hold teams together.”
▶️ we create warmth and psychological safety so teams don’t fall apart.

“Soft people can’t be taken seriously.”
▶️ we just don’t need to intimidate anyone to earn respect.

“Soft people don’t know boundaries.”
▶️ we set them gently, consistently, and without drama.

“Soft people aren’t leaders.”
▶️ we lead through connection, not fear.

“Soft people get walked over.”
▶️ we just prioritize humanity over hierarchy.

We'll be the one who remembers your birthday, checks in when you look stressed, and smiles at everyone in the hallway, while still delivering every task on time 🫰 

Share this with the corporate softie in your life, they deserve a little love today 🫶

Most people think learning Swedish is a ticket to getting a job here.
But it’s really more like a key, it opens some doors, not all.

Here’s the truth:
International companies care more about your skills than your accent.
Local-facing roles care more about your language than your resume.

So instead of asking “Do I need Swedish?” ask “For which roles does it matter?”

Because in Sweden, it’s not about how fluent you are it’s about how relevant you are.

Comment “Sweden” if you’d like me to break down the kind of roles that actually need Swedish vs. the ones that don’t.

I’ve single-handedly delivered multiple million-dollar IT projects on time without compromising quality.
But the moment I switched from SDLC to the mining process, even simple tasks started making me feel like a complete beginner.

This explains why our confidence can drop overnight, even when our skills haven’t gone anywhere.
But because our environment changes faster than our identity, something unexpected happens:

We start doubting ourselves for tasks that have nothing to do with our actual capability.

You can excel at complex systems and still freeze at unfamiliar ones, not because you’re inexperienced, but because the game is different.

So, how do we rebuild confidence when we suddenly become beginners in a new industry or new country?

By separating our skills from our environment.

Here are 4 steps to help you get started:

1. Learn one new word, tool, or concept from your new industry every day.
(eg: I always get confused between comminution and communication, two completely different things.)

2. Map something from your past experience to your new industry so you don’t feel lost.
(eg: I compare mining processes to SDLC so my brain has something familiar to hold on to.)

3. Keep a career journal and write one daily sentence about what you learned or felt.
(eg: Today I realised I tried to learn the whole pump system without knowing the basics.)

4. Ask one clarifying question a day instead of overthinking things alone.
(eg: ‘Can you show me an example?’ instead of stressing for hours.)

Take the next 30 days to practice this identity shift, and you’ll rebuild the confidence you thought you lost,  this time, with even deeper self-awareness.

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