Starting Over in Canada: Ernesto Llorens on Leadership, Project Controls and Having Fun

In this episode of the Humans of Project Controls Podcast, Michael Lepage sits down with Ernesto Llorens, Head of the Project Management Office at the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC).Ernesto shares his journey from Venezuela to Canada, what it was like to rebuild his career from scratch, and the lessons he learned about leadership, communication, vulnerability, and the human side of project controls. With more than 35 years of experience across engineering, procurement, construction, mining, metals, and infrastructure, Ernesto brings a rare perspective on what really drives success in project environments.This conversation goes beyond technical project controls topics like scheduling and cost management. It explores why human skills - not just technical skills - are essential for project managers, schedulers, planners, estimators, and project controls professionals. Ernesto talks about mentorship, conflict resolution, emotional intelligence, career growth, newcomer success in Canada, and why communication failures can derail even the biggest capital projects.If you work in project controls, project management, Primavera P6, construction scheduling, EPC projects, infrastructure, or leadership, this episode will give you practical and personal insight into building a meaningful career.Subscribe for more conversations on project controls careers, scheduling, leadership, construction project management, and the people behind the profession.