Fabián Pelaye: “You have to keep up the good work, be humble and carry on!"
Published 30.5.2023
In times of volatile relationships, being part of the same company throughout your entire working life is by no means a minor milestone—and keeping up the same level of commitment, passion and dedication, even less! Meet Fabián Pelaye, who has notched up 40 years in Techint Engineering & Construction.
Fabián Pelaye is about to begin a new stage in his life, in tandem with the recent launch of the SADDN Codelco project, where he is in charge of the Logistics, General Services and Warehouse Department. At the same time, this year he celebrated four decades with the company, and he says that his “essence and passion have never faltered throughout!" In this interview, Fabián talks about his early days as a messenger boy, his career in Procurement, some of the company’s most emblematic projects, and what he can expect to see with SADDN.
When did you join Techint?
On February 1, 1983, I was just 18 and I started out as a messenger boy. Then I went to work in Procurement. When I’d been working with the company for 25 years, they sent me to Colombia as Head of Procurement, and I ended up staying there for ten years. I went there with my wife and my two children, and while I was there, my third son was born, Agustín, who we named after Agustín Rocca, founder of Techint Group.
When we returned from Colombia in 1999, my family settled in Buenos Aires, and I began to move around on my own. I was twice posted to Brazil (in the Samarco and RLAM projects), then to the Camisea project in Peru, and in 2012, I was appointed Supply Manager for the Andean Area. Now, since April this year, I’ve been living in the city of Tocopilla, near Antofagasta, Chile, working on the SADDN project.
What was it like to grow in the company?
You have to keep going, be humble and move on. All the rest is extra, as long as you show you’re interested in and passionate about whatever it is you’re doing.
Of all the projects in which you’ve participated, which one has been the most challenging for you and which one gave you the most satisfaction?
The most challenging one was Camisea. I remember that we started out with just one house and ended up with 37 crew camps. We organized the project into three main fronts: jungle, mountains and coast. Now, the project that’s given me the greatest satisfaction was Ballena Barrancabermeja, in Colombia: this was a 550-km gas pipeline for a North American company. The work was completed in less time than expected, and it was a privilege to be part of a truly fantastic and mature work team.
What does it mean to you to work at Techint E&C?
For me, it’s all about passion and finding joy. I always try to do my job in an orderly, transparent and speedy way, as this is what has always differentiated us from other companies. The people who come to work at Techint learn what it’s like, they get excited and say ‘I worked on such-and-such a project’, for instance. Roberto Rocca, son of Agustín Rocca and co-founder of Techint Group, always said, ‘Pride in our projects is what stays with us forever.'”