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Interview with Renata Carneiro:
Making decisions means taking risks

In 2019, Renata took a bold step: she quit a leadership position at a Brazilian sugar cane factory and emigrated to Canada. Today, she is the Head of Quality Assurance and Operational Excellence at Trench Canada and is responsible for a team of eight direct and fourteen indirect employees. In this interview, Renata talks about the experiences she has had along the way, shares her views on leadership, and the importance of allyship in the workplace.

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Renata, you lead the Operational Excellence, Quality Assurance, and Aftersales team at our Instrument Transformers Factory in Canada. What does that involve?

My team and I are responsible for ensuring that all day-to-day production processes at our plant are as efficient, safe, reliable, and customer focused as possible. This includes, for example, deciding on equipment investments, which processes we can automate and improve with digitalization or lean tools, and how we organize the individual process steps in the plant. It also includes the compliance and continuous optimization of our quality assurance program so that we can always deliver excellent products to our customers. My team is also responsible for After Sales – in other words, all questions and requests from customers that may arise after their purchase.

What do you like best about your job?

There are no boring days. I can learn something new every day. I can develop myself and my team and prepare us for new challenges. That’s exactly what I like about working in this area at Trench. Since I’ve been working here, no two days have been the same. That’s something very positive for me.

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In this interview series, we highlight the inspiring women shaping our company, proving that career paths in technical fields are open to everyone. 

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There are no boring days. Since I started working at Trench, no two days have been the same.

You are Brazilian and now live in Toronto. What made you decide to move abroad?

I always wanted to work abroad and experience other cultures. While studying mechanical engineering in Brazil, I seized the opportunity to do an student exchange program in Wales. That probably sparked the idea in me to work in another country for the long term.

However, I spent the first few years of my career in Brazil, working in a sugar cane factory with 6,000 employees, among other places – a very long-established industry, but not very international. The search for a better quality of life also contributed to my decision to emigrate. In 2019, I took the plunge: I quit my job and moved to Canada.

That was a brave move. What did you learn from that time?

There are no decisions that are 100% certain – sorry, there just aren’t! In most cases, you have to make decisions despite your doubts. My advice: plan properly and then take the risk.

My move to Canada was preceded by a year of preparation. But at a certain point, I had to put my plan into action: quit my job without having a new one lined up, without the security that your home country offers you, such as contacts, language, and familiar processes. At the time, I went to lots of networking events to find out more and build up a network. That’s how I got into Trench, initially in a  lean specialist position, and was able to pursue my career path here. I think you can apply that to everyday working life too. Every now and then, you have to take risks when making decisions. For me, it paid off.

In most cases, you have to make decisions despite your doubts. Plan properly and then take the risk.

What did you learn from your job at the sugar factory?

I learned a lot there in terms of technical and soft skills. The company covered the entire value chain – from harvesting to the finished sugar product. Among other things, I was responsible for setting up the entire maintenance and reliability department. I also gained my first management experience there in the operation team in which I was responsible for the steam generation area that was the heart of the plant It was a fast-paced, very conservative and male dominated industry. For me as a young woman and recent graduated engineer, it was quite challenging and contributed a lot for my professional development.

What advice would you give to young talents aspiring to a career in technical professions?

Find allies. You may go faster on your own, but you won’t go far. It’s especially important for women to have male colleagues who understand the challenges we face. This is also important for day-to-day work in operational excellence. There is no key performance indicator for which you are solely responsible. You depend on other teams, such as production, if you want to implement improvements.

I am very grateful that we have a culture at Trench that emphasizes cooperation and mutual support – from production to management. Even when there are heated discussions, the end goal is always to get the best for the customer. With this goal in mind, everyone pulls together.

To young talents: Find allies. You may go faster on your own, but you won't go far.

How do you see your role as a team leader?

For me, good leadership means investing time in developing the team. Finding new employees is not easy in our specialized field: sometimes you don’t find the perfect candidate, but someone with the right skills and attitude. That’s why it’s crucial to put energy and priorities into developing people. In addition, the team improves when everyone understands how their work relates to the business goals.

Good leaders have made a big difference in my career so far. I want to make a difference for my team too. That’s why I ask myself every day how I can develop as a leader.

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