Nicolás Pagliaccio is 37 years old and is from Río Negro. He studied industrial engineering at the Universidad Nacional del Sur in Bahia Blanca, and has been working with Techint Engineering & Construction on different projects for the last ten years.

Nicolás began his career at Tesur in Buenos Aires and was involved at the start of the Fortin de Piedra project as a Site manager in the area of fiber-optics systems and installations. He’s been working in the Neuquen offices for the last four years, first in the Planning and Control area, and then as Head of Budgets for the entire Neuquen Basin, a position which he currently holds.

Passionate about soccer and a fan of Boca Juniors football team, Nicolás at one point considered studying sports journalism. However, he has no regrets about his decision to opt for industrial engineering because, although he’s not too comfortable with purely technical subjects, he’s found the right mix to serve him as a balance for his daily tasks. "In industrial engineering, you have the technical side of things, but also quite a bit of management, including personnel management, which opens your mind and helps you see beyond all the day-today stuff. I thoroughly recommend working at Techint E&C for any recent graduate, because they give you all the tools you need to develop, and then you can do an apprenticeship, which is not something that many companies offer on their young professionals program,” he points out.

Being part of things at the outset of activities in the Neuquen Basin was a pivotal moment in his professional career. “At first, Fortin de Piedra wasn’t much to speak of, but little by little it became a vast, monumental work, thanks to all of us working there. Being able to watch it grow, to see how the project was carried out, was something really special, an amazing experience,” he recalls.

The father of two children aged 3 and 7, Nicolás plans to stay in Neuquen, at least for the next few years, to ensure his family is stable and his kids can enjoy their childhood without any interruptions. But he’s also a fervent believer in the potential of the industry there, as Vaca Muerta continues to fuel high expectations for its development. “I always wanted to return to Alto Valle ever since I graduated and thanks to Fortin de Piedra, I made it! The province requires companies to employ locals, it’s really important for them. And I’m from the area and I like to work here, as I can be close to my family.”

Nicolás was also involved in building the Techint Group’s new offices in Neuquen. He recounts that, “I was working on the facilities from day one, and I was there when they were completed! It was a great feeling to see the results of everybody’s efforts! It fills me with pride to see that where once there was nothing at all, there’s now an office equipped with state-of-the-art technology.” In addition, he highlights the positive work climate inside and outside the offices, as they organize weekly soccer practices and matches, complemented by the local "Don Pedro" tournaments, where teams compete in different categories.