In Their Own Words

TenarisUniversity is the way that Tenaris assures that experience from senior management is shared in a structured way among younger employees. It has a blended knowledge model that includes classroom courses, e-learning and different activities that make sure that participants put into practice what they have learned in theoretical classes. TenarisUniversity is very important for young professionals joining Tenaris. The opportunity that Tenaris offers to its employees regarding training is a distinctive feature of our company; employees prefer to work in companies that give priority to training.

TenarisUniversity is a strong way to maintain the excellence of our staff in terms of knowledge and as individuals. It is also a key factor for differentiation with our competitors.

The Management Development Program (MDP) effectively combines practical work with business theory. It is ideal for employees who have recently been promoted to coordinate people. The Program allows you to interact with Tenaris directors from different areas and through them gain a deeper understanding of the company’s culture, of the logic behind its organization and of the future expectations for Tenaris. My training took place in Argentina, where I met my colleagues and obtained a better understanding of our situation within the countries where Tenaris operates. The Program successfully mixed people from various cultures thereby building a comprehensive network within the company.

The Management Development Program had a short but intense agenda where I was taken out of my habitual office and required to work with people from different cultures within a completely foreign environment. Though I had previously managed a team of 12 employees at TuboCaribe, I had never received formal training. When TuboCaribe became part of Tenaris in 2006, I was offered the chance to learn about leadership, which is something I was never taught in school. My team was assigned hypothetical cases that successfully simulated real life situations and helped me understand my strengths and weaknesses. It is not often that a company helps you grow professionally and personally at the same time.

While the company’s key ideas and concepts are developed by Tenaris directors, they have to travel down the line. As a manager, it is my responsibility to assimilate ideas and to pass them on to my team. We have to work to transmit an aligned way of working. In this sense, I think the Management Development Program is an excellent asset.

Coming from an economic and theoretical background, I had never had the chance to come into contact with plant processes. During my first month at the TenarisUniversity Induction Camp they gave a unique vision of working at the company. We were given in-depth information about processes and procedures so we were really able to understand what Tenaris products are about.

The TenarisUniversity Induction Camp prepared me for Tenaris's dynamic working style and helped me to grow professionally. During one month, people from all around the world live and work together. The activities planned helped us to define strategies in order to build a team and work efficiently. We had to make compromises to reach middle ground and solve a specific problem. This is what Tenaris is like all over the world.

This was the finest example of a training course that I have ever experienced. Thank you so much for the opportunity and the privilege to share it with you. The formation of Action Teams, consisting of six or seven participants with a variety of backgrounds and different levels of experience, in order to conduct operations-related case studies and resolve realistic plant problems, provides a marvelous training environment, not only for the exchange of knowledge, but also for the development of inter-personal communication skills and other leadership abilities. Finally, thank you for making me a Senior Fellow of TenarisUniversity Industrial School. This is something that will always remind me of our good times together and an honor I will always appreciate.