People Spotlight: Meet Patricia Ribó Sörensen
Our People Spotlight series gives you an inside look at our technical experts around the world. This week, we are highlighting an aviation lead from our Buildings + Places business in our Europe and India region and providing an insight into their inspiration and work.
Based in Madrid, Patricia Ribó Sörensen balances her role as a mother of two with her impressive career. She began as an architect at various design firms and consultancies before joining AECOM 11 years ago as a design manager. She has since advanced to become head of aviation in Spain, and more recently, she has taken on the aviation lead role for our Europe and India region.
Tell us about what inspired you to join the industry.
I began my career as an architect. For as long as I can remember, I had always wanted to design and build things. At a young age, I started playing with Lego, creating bustling towns with lots of activity, organised around services — I guess a bit like an airport. I looked at airports as mini cities.
As for the aviation industry, I very much fell into it by accident. When I started my career, I worked for a civil engineering firm in Madrid. I began as an architect, working on every type of project that gave me the opportunity to learn. A lot of our clients were in aviation, and I spent a lot of time designing airports. I quickly learned that airport design is fascinating, because, like cities, they encapsulate the essence of a bustling microcosm.
The same thing happened when I started at AECOM in 2013. I joined as a design manager and worked on a mix of everything from airports to train stations. I was then given the opportunity to lead our aviation team in Madrid, contributing to the success of two major terminals. From there, my role expanded to Europe and India aviation lead.
We have teams across the world, and my role is to be the connector of our people, clients and expertise. We have specialist teams in pockets around the world, such as the baggage handling team in the U.S., architecture teams in the UK and Spain, an airport signage team in Singapore and an acoustics team in Australia. My job is to make sure our clients are getting the best of AECOM, no matter the location.
In addition to these responsibilities, I am also the Heathrow Airport client account lead. Again, in this role, I am the connector. Someone in the team once referred to me as a conductor in an orchestra. I direct various disciplines at the right time, in the right order, towards the client’s requirements. I am the face of AECOM to our client and the client to our internal team at AECOM, responsible for making sure our teams are achieving the best possible outcomes. I love being thrown into new challenges, and one of the reasons I was perfect for this role was because I’m not local to Heathrow. I’m Spanish and have to think globally on a day-to-day basis, therefore bringing a unique international perspective to our work.
As for the aviation industry, I very much fell into it by accident. When I started my career, I worked for a civil engineering firm in Madrid. I began as an architect, working on every type of project that gave me the opportunity to learn. A lot of our clients were in aviation, and I spent a lot of time designing airports. I quickly learned that airport design is fascinating, because, like cities, they encapsulate the essence of a bustling microcosm.”
What is your favorite AECOM project that you’ve worked on and why?
A current project and one of my favorites is the Heathrow Terminal 2 Baggage system, a transformational project that allowed Heathrow Airport to switch off the 30-year old Terminal 1 baggage system that previously supported Terminal 2. The new system now provides a more reliable service, handling over 31,000 bags daily. Most importantly, the Terminal 2 Baggage system allowed the airport to demolish Terminal 1 — which closed to passengers in 2015 — and move forward with extending Terminal 2 to its full size and increase the airport’s capacity to serve more passengers.
I have a strong sense of belonging on this project team and within the client team. I’m so glad I took on the account management role, and to be able to work with a world-class client like Heathrow makes me really happy.
It’s a very exciting time to be a part of the Heathrow team, particularly with the new two runway masterplan, and Terminal 2 expansion plans that our Terminal 2 baggage programme is a key facilitator of. I am thoroughly enjoying being a part of this world class airport and team.”
AECOM and its legacy companies have supported Heathrow Airport for decades now, including the design of Terminal 4 and some of the British Airways maintenance hangars. In 2018, we secured the role of lead designer on Heathrow’s Future Terminal 2 (T2) programme. Unfortunately, two years later, when COVID-19 hit, the aviation industry suffered heavily and work at Heathrow was effectively shut down. Post-pandemic, our teams engaged with Heathrow to work around challenges and ultimately deliver solutions for the Terminal 2 Baggage system. Their teams found our approach collaborative, enjoyable and a breath of fresh air. Currently, we have around 80 AECOM employees embedded in the Heathrow team in our technical lead, PMO and programme advisory roles.
We are now a part of the Heathrow Joint Leadership Group and Ecosystem of Designers, where as a team, we will be improving the delivery of their ‘H7’ regulatory period and helping establish what H8, the next control period looks like. This secures AECOM as a strategic partner, delivering programme and advisory services whilst finding digital and ESG solutions to help them build for the future. Our H7 involvement solidifies our place in the Heathrow team for at least the next decade as programme advisor and technical lead. It’s a very exciting time to be a part of the Heathrow team, particularly with the new two runway masterplan, and Terminal 2 expansion plans that our Terminal 2 baggage programme is a key facilitator of. I am thoroughly enjoying being a part of this world class airport and team.
Tell us a story of how your work positively impacted the community.
Our team has worked closely with Heathrow on writing their sustainability management plan for the Terminal 2 baggage system, where we’re helping them achieve the goals of Heathrow 2.0 — Heathrow Airport’s ESG strategy which includes their goals to achieve net zero by 2050, improve the day-to-day lives of communities living near the airport and support businesses across the UK by boosting exports, creating jobs and generating economic growth. It is their plan for sustainable growth, while continuing to break passenger service records and improving life for both their colleagues and communities.
Our team has worked closely with Heathrow on writing their sustainability management plan for the Terminal 2 baggage system which includes their goals to achieve net zero by 2050, improve the day-to-day lives of communities living near the airport and support businesses across the UK by boosting exports, creating jobs and generating economic growth.”
Share a piece of career advice.
Be brave and embrace new challenges. Throughout my career, I’ve faced self-doubt, but my most rewarding work has come from diving into the unknown and giving it my all. Success may not come immediately, but with perseverance and teamwork, you’ll achieve great things. Rely on your colleagues. We’re all on the journey together and to take on the big jobs, we need to lean on each other.
