It was just five years ago when Abraham Lara launched his career at Techint Engineering & Construction, as a Young Professional on the program organized by the company, an experience heightened by the challenge of a plant shutdown for extraordinary repairs (REX in Spanish) at TenarisTamsa. Today, he’s one of the leaders at the Dos Bocas Refinery project.

Abraham Lara, Pipeline Manager at the Amine Regeneration Unit of the Dos Bocas Refinery, began planning his career some time back, in his home state of Veracruz. Four years after graduating as an Industrial Engineer from the National Technological Institute of Mexico, Veracruz, he applied to be a pipe master for a Techint E&C project at TenarisTamsa.

Thanks to his prior experience working at another company—and excellent references—after only six months, he was offered a position as a Supervisor in Veracruz and a short time later took the tests to join the Young Professionals program (YP).

“The biggest challenge I had to face as a YP was the plant shutdown for extraordinary repairs at TenarisTamsa. This was a three-month REX because several of the factories in the complex shut down—the Steelworks as well as Pipe Mills 2 and 3. It was quite a challenge for me as I was just joining the company, and the intervention times were shorter than for other projects, so it was all very challenging,” Abraham comments.

The outbreak of COVID-19 coincided with the rotation period he was supposed to have as a YP. However, in the midst of the uncertainty gripping markets around the world, he was assigned to the Engineering area in Mexico City. “This was a year of intense learning, I had gained a lot of experience in the field, but seeing the work that goes on behind each project in the engineering area makes you understand a lot of things from another perspective,” he shares.

After graduating as a young professional, Abraham emphasizes that, “the most valuable thing about the program is that the company trains you from scratch, through a range of different courses. In addition, more experienced colleagues give you all the security and confidence you need to guide you on your path and show you why you deserve to be in the company.”

Currently, Abraham is the Pipeline Manager at the Amine Regeneration Unit of the Dos Bocas Refinery in Tabasco, and is in charge of coordinating personnel and ensuring that they have the equipment and tools to work in line with the plan established.

“This project has taught me many things that I’d never had to manage before. Right now, my job is to supervise people’s performance and the most challenging thing has been to ensure we comply with the delivery schedule established,” he explains.

Driven by commitment

Abraham’s principal motivation is his enthusiasm and passion for what he does. “When I arrived in Dos Bocas, it was one big dirt flat, but today we have assembled almost 1,800 tons of pipe. What we’ve achieved over the last year and a half with our people is incredibly motivating. When I arrive at the site every day and see what we have built, it fills me with satisfaction and pride,” he states.

Another source of major satisfaction has been that his family has come with him on this mission. “I’m married and have a 6-month-old son, and with the support of the company, I was able to bring them with me to Tabasco. That's a major plus point and one which I value very deeply, as they’ve not only given me the opportunity to develop a project but also ensured I can watch my son grow up and be part of his life every day,” he says.

One of Abraham's medium-term goals is to become the Site Manager of a Techint E&C project, whether in his country or abroad. “Being assigned a project in another region is quite a challenge, but it’s also an opportunity to make yourself known elsewhere. I’ve been involved in projects in different states in Mexico and it has been a truly enriching experience. For me, it would be a dream come true to be assigned to work in another country, it would definitely expand my horizons and provide lots of new learning opportunities,” he confesses.