Female leadership and the power of agroexample

Taking advantage of the spotlight that the month of March brings to conversations about the female presence in different spaces, I would like to propose one last reflection. During this period in which we celebrate International Women's Day, my contribution is about a topic that is widely discussed in the corporate world: the female presence in leadership positions in agriculture. 

According to Panorama Mulheres 2023, a study carried out by Talenses Group in partnership with Insper, their participation in these positions grew from 2019 to 2022 in Brazil. The study points out that women now make up, for example, 13% to 17% of the country's CEOs. 

The female presence has undoubtedly been growing, but there is still a lot to achieve in this territory traditionally occupied by men. My professional experience brings a lot of this, including. Since graduating in Food Engineering, I made the decision to direct my career towards Industry and decided that it was important to act to transform this mostly male environment. Therefore, in addition to the duties related to my position, I also work on fronts to promote diversity, equity and inclusion – such as affinity networks, global projects and committees – which are aligned with my personal purpose of discussing the female presence in organizations and influence change. 

Women can often suffer from the famous impostor syndrome, wondering whether they are good enough to take on a certain role or position and building within themselves the perception of insufficiency. The truth is, most of the time, they are actually ready for the responsibility. Knowing how to deal with this self-sabotage and recognize the signs is essential to combat it and allow career growth. There is no practical recipe for ending impostor syndrome, but knowing and sharing stories of other women who have dealt with it and, even so, managed to claim their space is important to take the first step in this self-analysis. 

And how do I deal with it? I start by engaging with HR, the gateway to companies, and also with leadership. I challenge other managers to look for candidates with a profile that matches the vacancies for interviews; This opens doors for other women, who doubt themselves, to challenge themselves in this process.

Another point that I am always attentive to is the search for improvements in facilities. This may seem basic, but having an environment prepared to receive and welcome diverse people makes all the difference in personal development, as well as helping to retain these talents in companies. Finally, as a woman occupying a prominent position in a traditionally male environment, I also dedicate part of my time to mentor other candidates and support them in developing their careers. 

Currently, I am the leader of a Cargill Animal Nutrition plant in Santa Catarina. My technical training and skills allow me to lead a team of 100 people, which produces and delivers quality products to our customers. Among my responsibilities are ensuring compliance with safety requirements (of people, processes and the environment), managing budgets and the portfolio of investment and continuous improvement projects, among other activities necessary for managing operations at the unit. from Chapecó. 

The challenges are daily, but working in a company that has 36% of women in leadership positions in Brazil and is committed to reaching 50% by 2030, makes all the difference. Seeing in practice the willingness and commitment to establishing an inclusive approach to filling internal vacancies, seeking qualified professionals to fill them within underrepresented groups, is essential. This is linked to the strategic role that HR can and should play within companies, going beyond the selection of people and becoming allies in this search for equity. But, above all, this must be a commitment from each manager, who must challenge themselves and their peers to recognize their unconscious biases during candidate evaluations and truly focus on their skills. 

Agribusiness is a sector undergoing intense transformation and increasingly connected with other sectors of society. We have an incredible opportunity here to lead by example, recognize our managers and promote access to development for all women who desire development. I experienced this myself and I am willing to contribute to the growth of other women in agriculture!

*Per Luciana Schramm, plant manager at Cargill Animal Nutrition