Supply Chain QHSE Director shares leadership lessons

In 1990, Luis Mozzoni was about to graduate as a mechanical engineer, when an opportunity came up to join Tenaris as part of a Young Professionals program in Argentina. He accepted and continued studying, adding an industrial engineering degree to his resumé, while joining the company’s hot rolling technology team. “I immediately took on important responsibilities. Tenaris offers challenging projects from day one,” he recalls.

After his first stint as a young professional, Mozzoni spent time in many different areas. “I went through process control, technical queries, commercial,” he lists, and characterizes this last experience as great fun. “Being an engineer, I saw myself as a technical profile, but I found out I loved selling, and I ended up traveling throughout Latin America, selling directly to customers.” Mozzoni later transitioned to supply chain and advanced into his current role as a global director managing supply chain operations, ensuring the team complies with Tenaris’s safety and quality standards. “I have been through some 15 different areas at Tenaris. But the thing is, you do not always grow upwards, sometimes it’s about moving sideways, which enables you to gain lots of knowledge.”

It was in the midst of all those experiences that Mozzoni achieved what he calls one of his greatest career milestones. “I lived in Veracruz, Mexico, for two-and-a-half years, from September 2009 to March 2012, developing the OCTG accessories project, monitored directly by Paolo Rocca, Tenaris CEO,” he explains. “In my perspective, it was the project of my life at the professional level, and it gave me a lot of satisfaction.” Mozzoni defines his time based abroad as his “great life lesson,” based on the fact that, in addition to the raft of professional challenges, he had to deal with personal ones in the meantime. “By the time I had to go, I had a new, blended family to look after, which raised all kinds of issues. However, we pulled it off and to this day, the whole family appreciates how we lived that experience; it was truly amazing. I would advise other leaders not to pigeonhole themselves in their comfort zone. Seek to grow and change, grow sideways, not necessarily upwards. Try to leave your personal and professional legacy behind,” he counsels.

Mozzoni assures that being in charge of a team, even if it’s a small one, is a watershed moment for any leader. “Whether it is one person or many, you are responsible for that employee in all aspects. As a lesson, or advice, I would say that the value of this experience should be fully appreciated.”

As a last piece of advice to future industrial leaders, Mozzoni highlights the value of recognition. “I believe that we should recognize our people by speaking out and congratulating them personally when they do something right, something that should be imitated by others. From my point of view, that part is fundamental, as it’s what motivates you the most personally and professionally,” he says. Mozzoni knows it’s not just professional ties and experiences that have led him to have a rewarding career. “What really made the difference for me in Tenaris were not just the professional challenges, but the personal ones as well, as they helped to forge who I am today through my work at Tenaris.”

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