In celebration of International Women’s Day (8), Samsung Newsroom Brazil brings to its interviews section an exclusive conversation with executives from different areas of the company
Carolina Corrales, Erika Grande, Cristine Henriques, Milene Gomes and Thamirys Zeviani, from Samsung Brazil
Samsung Newsroom Brazil brings, in celebration of International Women’s Day, an exclusive interview with five company executives to talk regarding the female presence in the technology industry and their experiences in leadership positions in this environment. In this conversation, you will meet the Marketing Channels Manager, Erika Grande de Souza; the Senior Manager of Public Relations, Brand Experience and Events, Carolina Corrales; the Senior Manager of Marketing Channels, Cristine Gomes Henriques; the Retail Marketing Director of the Consumer Electronics Division, Milene Gomes; and the Marketing Manager at the Consumer Electronics Division, Thamirys Zeviani.
Newsroom: More and more women are occupying leadership positions in the most diverse industries, including technology, and they contribute daily to the advancement of innovations in this and other areas. As a professional working in a market as large as technology, in a global company with such impact as Samsung, how do you see the role of women in these environments?
Carolina: Equal opportunities must be a daily agenda for all companies, regardless of the sector in which they operate. There is no longer room for an opposite condition to this one. A diverse environment contributes to the development of society as a whole.
Christina: I see it as a successful path, both as consumers and as, and above all, professionals. As consumers and women involved in technology, we observe women who seek innovation and design as much or even more than men. As a company, we are always attentive and also focused on the female audience, who are looking for features that make their lives easier and their daily lives as a whole.
As professionals, I see the presence of women growing in the technology market, despite still being a predominantly male area. As the technology market grows rapidly, the participation of women also grows in presence, in the most diverse positions and areas of activity. I see a constant effort for women to be recognized and equal, and I am confident that we are on a promising path.
Erika: Reflecting on social issues, the presence of women in the labor market is a relatively recent reality. Another point to be raised is the issue of representativeness. When few women are present in a market, the others can be led to believe that they do not belong there, or that there is no place for them. The positive part is that changes in this professional scenario are already happening, and the trend is for women to occupy more and more space in the market as a whole, including the technology sector.
The miles: I see that the presence of women in some areas may still be insufficient, in my point of view, but I have observed promising growth. Nowadays it is more common to see women standing out in the most diverse markets, including technology, as it happens here at Samsung Brasil, and it is inspiring to watch and be part of this moment.
Thamirys: In the professional field, I see an upward movement in the careers of female professionals, which contributes to the female audience having more and more relevant roles in the most diverse areas of activity.
Newsroom: In matters of female leadership, Samsung stands out for having more and more women in positions and important positions. How is this reflected within the company and in the team’s day-to-day?
Carolina: This year completes 10 years at Samsung Brazil. Since the beginning, my career in the company has always been built on a solid foundation of respect and trust. I have space to express my points of view, I am free to debate and participate in important decisions for the business, and my work has always been recognized. I know that this is still not a reality in all companies and that is why it is extremely important to have more and more positive examples that can drive this change of scenery. In everything I do, I always try to somehow change the context in which I am inserted and help women to be aware of their rights and, above all, aware of their strength.
Christina: I, for one, am surrounded by female leaders and that is very inspiring. This positioning certainly positively impacts the entire reputation of the company. I am pleased to answer that I have been with the company for 5 years and my experience has always been one of equality and respect. I have never received any kind of resistance when presenting my work and my ideas, I have always been recognized for this and I am very happy that, as a company, we are working to develop a culture of diversity here at Samsung. Furthermore, I believe that the presence of women in leadership is very important to attract and retain talent. This position of respecting, listening to and recognizing professionals attracts even more employees who wish to develop their careers here.
Erika: Female leadership is essential to establishing gender equality within companies and to reflecting that equality in society. It is not new that female professionals have the same technical and behavioral capacity as men to deal well with the demands of an executive position. Furthermore, I believe that the skills that form the profile of female leadership are essential for the dynamic period the corporate market is going through, influenced by digital transformation and the future of work. All the construction of a more egalitarian, diverse and inclusive professional environment has the ability to generate results that go far beyond the financial aspect.
The miles: I believe that diversity is important in any environment. It enriches and enhances everyone, whether professionally or personally. In addition, being open to cognitive diversity, which is directly linked to new ideas and perspectives, makes all the difference in the success of our company, since our services, our technology and our products are for everyone. Having this plurality allows us to be increasingly competitive in the market.
Thamirys: Samsung is a market leader and it is a duty to think regarding and put diversity into practice, as well as being an example of it in the market. Having women in the company’s leadership shows how much Samsung challenges the status quo, putting itself ahead of the times. This is a feature that is part of the company’s DNA.
Newsroom: In your opinion, how does diversity – gender, race, ethnicity and age range – benefit companies and teams in their routine processes?
Carolina: The Brazilian population is made up of 51.1% women. The presence of women in leadership positions is and should be more and more a reality. In general, the empowering effect of people feeling represented within their contexts is a fundamental pillar of development, not only for the companies themselves but also in our training as professionals.
Christina: There are many advantages of working with a mixed and diverse team. The company gains in innovation, in creativity to develop solutions, in a more collaborative and, certainly, more productive environment. A company with greater gender diversity promotes excellent exchanges of experiences, experiences and points of view with more valued and confident professionals, in addition to, obviously, being able to apply the lessons learned from these exchanges and experiences in its processes.
Erika: I believe that when we have egalitarian teams, we empower and encourage more and more people to feel part of this environment. We talk specifically regarding the female audience, when we observe other women occupying new positions, leadership positions and places where they were not seen before, we begin to see that there is this space to be occupied and that we can be part of them. That is why it is so important that there be representation in all areas of the company.
The miles: I understood over time that people with different profiles make work even more interesting, and that also brought me closer to the team. I’ve always been a professional focused on results, without forgetting to consider the human side, but following I became a mother, I was able to better understand the priorities of each one and realized the grandeur of this diversity and how complete my team is.
Thamirys: Having soft skills like resilience and emotional intelligence. These characteristics are very important in the corporate day-to-day, especially in leadership positions, and allow for a more diverse field of vision. With this, we generate more and different ideas for solutions. When everyone comes together around a purpose, the combination of each perspective and personality is very valuable for companies, and makes the paths more collaborative. That’s what happens here at Samsung.
Newsroom: What would you say to women entering or wanting to work in the technology industry?
Carolina: Have confidence. Persist. Resist. Don’t allow them to fit you into labels. Study. Be you and never doubt your potential or allow it to be doubted. Your greatest strength is your knowledge of your ability, as this propels you to overcome all challenges.
Christina: I would say that, for any area, the important thing is to always seek knowledge, study, qualification and keep up to date on the main themes and innovations that arise in the industry, especially in technology. It’s a medium where everything happens very fast, and keeping up with these changes is also a differentiator. Also, I would say to be authentic, confident, women who take a stand, who share and defend their opinions and experiences. Finally, it is worth emphasizing that the technology market is very dynamic, so it is necessary to be resilient and adapt all the time to negotiate and manage priorities. We have to find a healthy balance between work and personal life.
Erika: Believe in your potential and encourage other women to do the same. Study, work and for the merit that is due to you, conquer your space. Sometimes we ourselves doubt what we are capable of, so it is important to trust what we do and our positions. This mentality can and should be developed wherever we occupy. I also think it’s important to help establish supportive environments for other women whenever possible. And in spaces still mostly composed of men, the paradigm that ‘it’s not a place for women’ must give way to reference models of female professionals. In that sense, it’s always good to observe and learn from other women who are making a difference.
The miles: My advice to women is not to be intimidated by anything or anyone. Women have all the skills and the same intellectual quality as any man to compete in absolutely all areas of activity. This has been proven day following day, with more and more female professionals generating above-average results, bringing more and more positive impacts in the most diverse industries.
Thamirys: The famous ‘Imposter Syndrome’ often places us in a scenario of doubt as to what we are capable of doing. To deal with this, I would say that we need to work a lot on ourselves to make sure we have the necessary potential. Understanding our value is crucial to occupying any space. In addition, the feminine has many facets, including that of motherhood, which teaches us a lot regarding our capacity. In this sense, even vulnerability can be used as a tool for personal and professional learning and growth.
The Samsung Newsroom Interview is a section of interviews with leaders, executives and executives who work within Samsung, with the aim of introducing them and bringing them closer to consumers, as well as giving them space to opine on matters related to the technology market, career and even their personal lives. Click here and access all the interviews already published.
