BRALO’s Global Marketing Manager Estela Noriega started in journalism before she came to head up the rivet specialist's marketing department. Torque quizzes her on career highlights and for her take on how fastener companies can take a step forward...
How did you get into the industry in the first place?
I was working as a journalist in a local newspaper in Madrid, but it closed. So, then I applied for a job offer with the communication department of a multinational company. After several interviews, I was asked to join the communication department of Hilti Spain, where I started my career in the industry.
Here, my knowledge and responsibilities as a marketing and sales professional developed over 15 years in different roles. Especially important over those years was the support of two women; Ms Laura Álvarez, ex-Marketing Director of Hilti Spain, and Ms Bettina Boison, retired Senior Vice President Global E-Business at Hilti AG.
What kind of work does your department do?
As Global Head of Marketing at BRALO, our team manages a great variety of projects and coordinates the marketing activities in the 10 countries where the company is established. Our principal areas of work include brand awareness, product marketing, trade segmented activities, market trends and on and offline communication.
What does your day-to-day job involve?
I must say that no day is the same as the next. My day-to-day involves planning marketing projects with the team and coordinating with the sales force to plan and execute trade fairs around the globe, of which we went to more than 10 in 2019. I also visit the teams in other countries to align our initiatives, audit the brand image, launch new products, carry out market analysis, and understand the trends in the different industries where BRALO sells its products, such as: automotive, home appliances, renewable energies, building construction and distribution, among others.
As a company, BRALO has great technical knowledge of applications through its R&D department which works together with our customers to develop the right solution for every application. My job is also to make sure our customers know about our background and how we can help them to get the fastening solutions they need.
What are the best things about working in the industry?
For me, the best thing is the contact with customers. Learning about their applications in their different industries gives me a picture of what the future will bring, and a provides constant glance into ongoing innovations. Also, to be part of something tangible, where you see the value you bring to the market, impacting safety or environmental processes, gives me sense to the work I do.
Do you have any advice for other women thinking of stepping into the industry?
Everyone has to make their own path. But for women in general, and not only in this industry, my advice is to take the chances when they are offered, and not to doubt our capacity or ability because we might not have the experience or all the competencies detailed in a job offer, but to look for confidence in ourselves instead. Let’s try and learn during the journey, if the opportunity is one you’ve been wishing for.
What would you say to anyone that is put off by a male-dominated culture perception?
It is not just a perception; it is an inherited reality. Highly responsible positions, such as management committees or boards of directors, have a limited number of positions that no one will voluntarily assign so that female talent obtains its proper representation.
However, companies and society are increasingly aware that giving up that talent impoverishes us all, so I would say it is time for companies to take that step forward to train, commit and take responsibility.
Can you pick out any particular career highlights or milestones so far?
One career highlight was being chosen to lead an international working group with a novel concept in 2012, as the one-to-one marketing was a great challenge. I felt great satisfaction in turn to see that our project was chosen to be implemented into the organisation and that we were able to implement it in five countries in just a month and a half.
Other highlights at BRALO include being able to change some working processes to increase productivity, to launch a new website in eight languages, and to try to understand markets as diverse as the Turkish, Mexican and Portuguese, among others. But personally, the best highlight for me is to see the people in my team developing into great professionals.
Final thoughts?
You cannot be a good professional without being a good person. It is necessary to listen, reach agreements, work honestly and strive to make things a little better every day, while always respecting colleagues and competitors. The way women lead must enrich our companies and our society.
Torque regularly celebrates women and female achievement within the fastener, tool and construction industries. Keep an eye out for the next issue of Torque Magazine, which will feature an interview with Dr Julia Pickelmann of fischer's Chemical Development Department.
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