For Vale, diversity and inclusion are fundamental to building a transparent and respectful work environment, valuing our people and their plurality. For this reason, the company is committed to double its female representation over the next 10 years and to continuously increasing the presence of women in senior leadership positions around the world. It is no wonder that, here, women have conquered their spaces in the most varied areas.
After we get to know stories from women in our operations, and in our administrative offices, today we pay tribute to the stories of leaders who, through hard work and competence, help us create an inclusive environment for everyone and show that a woman's place is at Vale, wherever she wants!
Aline Lorraine
Position: Monitoring and Control Coordinator
Time in the company: 8 years
Location: Pará – Brasil
Engineer Aline Lorraine started her career as an intern at Alegria Mine, in Minas Gerais. Over the past eight years, she changed positions until she reached leadership level. For Aline, attaining a leadership role offered the possibility of being able to take care of people so that they take care of our processes.
Aline currently leads a team of operational technicians who manage the mine equipment fleets and the plant's operational control, in addition to helping to manage product shipments and ensuring the flow of information and interface between production chain areas.
Undeniably, women who break out of the obvious roles break paradigms. It is very cool to be inspired by other women who have achieved great accomplishments, but it is even more cool to be able to watch the success of women in clearly challenging and unlikely contexts. It is necessary to position yourself so that others can see that it is possible, so that they feel safe to follow that same path if that is their will. I can affirm with certainty that today we see an appreciation of women within the company and it has been very pleasant to be part of that moment.
Cintia Alvernáz
Position: Treatment Plant Supervisor
Time in the company: 15 years
Location: Minas Gerais - Brazil
A member of Vale since 2006, Cintia Alvernáz is a great example of career growth. She started her career as an intern in ore treatment/plant management and, today, 15 years later, she is responsible for managing the team that takes care of the Minas Gerais Treatment Plant.
I had the privilege of arriving at Vale at a time when the seed of including women in mining already had been planted. Many co-workers had already started building this story here at the company. Today I see that women have already managed to show that women are competent and that they can occupy all hierarchical levels within our organization. I see the company evolving technologically, leaving mining industry beliefs that physical strength is a prerequisite in the past and, thus, making our areas increasingly inclusive for women, especially in the operational and field areas,” says Cintia, who is expecting twins Anabel and Mariana.
Febriany Eddy
Position: Deputy CEO at Vale in Indonesia (PTVI)
Time in the company: 13,5 anos
Location: Indonesia
At Vale in Indonesia, Febriany Eddy currently holds a very important position, inspiring men and women to grow professionally. But at the beginning of her career, being in an environment that was once considered male was a great challenge.
At the beginning of my career at Vale, I assumed that, in order to be successful in this male dominated industry and company, I needed to behave, think and speak ‘like a man.’ Now, as I look back, some of my assumptions were not entirely true. We often place unnecessary restrictions on ourselves. The higher we are in the organization, the greater our responsibility to help others succeed. As a leader, I realize the influence I have on our organization. There are many others who count on us to make the change and create a more inclusive and balanced environment in which everyone can excel. Diversity, equality and inclusion are no longer choices, but necessities.
Fernanda Soares
Position: Serra Sul Plant Operation Manager
Time in the company: 21 years
Location: Serra Sul / Canaã dos Carajás - Brazil
Engineer Fernanda Soares has held various positions at the company for more than two decades, from intern to manager. Today she is responsible for a team of 192 of our own employees and 321 third party employees operating the Serra Sul plants, in Pará, Brazil. Reconciling career and family, Fernanda is one of the greatest examples of female strength at Vale.
For me, a leader’s role is to break taboos. It is to encourage the group to contribute by drawing the best from each person. I really believe that the mix of characteristics of each person makes the process more harmonious and productive. I don't believe in female or male professionalism, but I believe in competence and attitude. If you want something, search and dedicate yourself. Your gender cannot be the limiting factor.
Patti Pegues
Position: Mine Planning Manager, North Atlantic Base Metals Operations
Time in the company: 17 years
Location: Sudbury, Canada
With a 17-year career at Vale, engineer Patti Pegues can take a close look at the advances the sector has achieved in including women in operations. As an operator, Patti encountered resistance because she was a woman. Today, as a leader, she works to help Vale be better and more inclusive.
I choose mining every day, although there is a lot of room for improvement for women. There have been many advances in mining since I joined. Each mine now has facilities suitable for women and we are making them even bigger so that there are more women in the mines. We discuss inclusion and train people to identify their prejudices and avoid them. At the beginning of my career, I was always the only woman in the room and now this is rarely the case. Interestingly, the more women who join mining, the more motivated and inspired I become to fight for our space in the workplace.
