What does your career path look like at Sibelco?
I started working in the laboratory at our Rio Maior site in Portugal, in 2002. Two years later, I was invited to manage the production department – which included quarry, production and maintenance management. In 2009, maintenance management was replaced by packing and loading management, which brought some new learning opportunities. My last role change was in 2020, when I accepted the Operations Services Manager position.
What’s the most important career lesson you learned?
The most important lesson I learned, is that teamwork is fundamental. I’m grateful and proud of my career. Women can take on whatever role they like, our skills, knowledge and capabilities can change the world.
What was the biggest challenge you dealt with, when you look back at your career?
I was asked to manage our production department without any management experience, and with limited business skill. Furthermore, when I studied for my master’s degree, I was also working full time, which highly impacted my family time – especially the time with my son. Later, in 2015, I replaced our Rio Maior Site Manager for a six month period. The last months were also challenging, since I’m now taking on both Operational Services and Sustainability roles, which require a different approach and challenge me to come out of my comfort zone.
What advice would you give yourself if you were just starting your career today?
For me, the path is always forward. It is important to look at the past to learn from mistakes, but the most important thing is to be happy, open to learning new things and feeling proud about the work you do.
