Laura Triana’s career has been one of continued growth within Tenaris. She started in Colombia as a Global Trainee, the program for professionals who recently graduated university, when she was 22. After that, and during the last ten years, she has held roles across many areas such as: supply chain, industrial planning, commercial planning, and marketing, with some international stints in Argentina and Romania. A year and a half ago, she moved to Ecuador to assume the role of senior supply chain manager for Venezuela, Ecuador, and Peru, and was recently promoted to lead the Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) team for the Andean region.
“I was thrilled by this challenge and decided to face it with the will to keep learning along the way and generating changes and improvements for the company,” said Triana, who assures her varied and multi-disciplinary experiences have made her who she is now. “My work in supply chain exposed me to HSE issues, and from planning and marketing, I have learned a lot about communication, teamwork and organization, which have given me the strength to take on this new, challenging position.”
Health and safety are core values at Tenaris, and Triana knows they are a big responsibility. “They represent not only a working commitment, but also a personal one. Safety must be bigger than any company; it must be a lifestyle, a daily behavior,” she explains, and she reinforces that “self-care and being aware of others are key. We must work with discipline and consistency to avoid all incidents and accidents,” she says, and highlights how important it was for her to be mentored by Senior people in Safety, making a deep induction and technical preparation for her role.
Triana has shaped her own leadership style, fostering participation, inclusion and commitment to diversity, “In my time at Tenaris, I’ve been very lucky to find open-minded people. But, when it’s my turn to show an open mind, I try to avoid any biases and promote spaces for conversation.” She is not afraid to make changes, and she is a strong believer in the power of constant learning. “Learning is what allows me to grow. So, as I learn, I also try to teach and transmit some of my learnings to others. I am motivated to generate change wherever I go.”
“What matters is what you do and how you do it. We have come a long way in the Andean region, not only at the managerial level, but also in operations, where there are a lot more women now. We must keep on advancing in this direction,” remarks Triana. She encourages other women at Tenaris, and in the industrial world, to believe in themselves. “Work hard to develop technical, communication and leadership skills. Be aware and connected with what is going on in the industry and try to recognize the talent of your peers, offering opportunities for growth, promoting their talent, and giving them opportunities to grow.” Triana also mentions it’s important to harness patience, establish clear goals and have a willingness to keep learning.
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