Antonio’s research and global impact in modern management has been recognized by Thinkers50 with the prestigious award “Ideas into Practice” and is ranked #17 in the global gurus Top 30 list. He is part of Marshall Goldsmith 100 coaches.
Antonio Nieto-Rodríguez is recognized as one of the world’s leading experts in organizational transformation, strategy execution, and the management of large-scale projects. He is the only Spaniard included among the 50 most important management thinkers according to Thinkers50, and he is also the Spanish author with the most articles published in Harvard Business Review.
In January 2026, he published his second book with Harvard Business Review Press, “Powered by Projects: Leading Your Organization in the Transformation Age”, which redefines how organizations should operate in the era of continuous transformation.
Antonio Nieto-Rodríguez is also the author of the bestseller HBR Project Management Handbook, considered the definitive guide for successfully launching, leading, and sponsoring projects. According to him, we now live in the Project Economy, a new era in which the ability to execute projects is the most valuable competence for any leader.
He is the creator of the Project Canvas, a visual tool adopted globally to simplify, humanize, and communicate projects clearly, aligning strategy, purpose, and execution. His work focuses on helping organizations lead transformational change, prioritize and implement strategic initiatives, and build high-performing teams while fostering cultures that value execution, collaboration, and excellence.
He served as Global President of the Project Management Institute (PMI), the world’s largest project management organization, and is currently a visiting professor at IE Business School, Solvay, Hult Business School, Vlerick, École des Ponts, and Skolkovo.
For more than two decades, Antonio has delivered over 400 keynote speeches in more than 35 countries, consistently rated as one of the most inspiring and highly regarded speakers. He has participated in forums such as TEDx, Gartner Summit, Thinkers50 Europe, the European Business Summit, and the EU Cohesion Policy Conference alongside President Donald Tusk.
Previously, he was Director of the Program Management Office at GlaxoSmithKline Vaccines, Head of Project Portfolio Management at BNP Paribas, and Head of Post-Merger Integration at Fortis Bank, where he led the acquisition of ABN AMRO, the largest in financial sector history. He began his career at PricewaterhouseCoopers, where he established himself as a global leader in project management and organizational change.
Trained as an economist, Antonio Nieto-Rodríguez holds an MBA from London Business School and the International Directors Programme from INSEAD, and he speaks four languages fluently.
