We get excited about inspiring careers. That’s why we talked to Romina P., a professional who started working with us 7 years ago and today holds a leadership position in the area of technology in manufacturing. Romina P. tells us what her trajectory was like, what were the challenges and opportunities she encountered, and how she keeps up to date in such a dynamic and competitive sector. Check out the main excerpts of our conversation below.
Romina, tell us about your role at Kimberly-Clark.
Romina: I joined at Kimberly-Clark over 7 years ago as an enterprise/business architect for Latin America, and since then, I have gone through several transitions in technology roles. I have had the unique opportunity to learn about different technologies and different capabilities in the areas of sales, manufacturing, transportation, and supply. All experiences have given me a good end-to-end appreciation and view of the company.
What does it take to grow in a career at Kimberly-Clark?
Romina: I had to learn about all the new technologies and capabilities, and that is something I need to thank Kimberly-Clark for – because it’s a company that has called me into the right experiences to continue that path. I have a lot of professional curiosity, so I am always looking for new challenges.
If you have a goal of learning something new or doing something in a better way, if you put all your efforts into accomplishing that goal, you will eventually reach it sooner or later.
I’ve been lucky this way. I get to work on some amazing projects with virtual reality and artificial intelligence – and because I embrace a growth mindset, I truly believe, with some self-confidence, you can do whatever you aspire to do. To have self-confidence is the key, not only for career, but also for life. This is something I live by and try to teach my kids and others.
Tell us how you build trust within your team and your leaders.
Romina: First, I believe what you need to build trust is confidence. This is the base of trust. Confidence is empathy as well. If you are talking with a member of your team and they are reluctant to share, then they need to feel confident that you are not going to disclose their information to other people.
Secondly, when you say you are going to do something, or solve something for your team, you need to follow through with that task. Managing with trust and empathy are very important. People are not always in a good mood. We are all human and we have personal problems that can affect our work. This requires the team and managers to engage in empathic ways as much as possible.
What advice would you give to qualified talent looking to work at K-C?
Romina: That there is always an opportunity at Kimberly-Clark. If talented people are looking for a new challenge and looking for a company where they can provide their expertise, but also work with new technologies that are at the top in the market, then Kimberly-Clark is an ideal opportunity.
Our company invests in technological advances because they believe it’s a large component of our success. We are always researching and adopting the new sciences, so I would say that if you want to join us, do not hesitate.
I personally find working here fulfilling. I love technology and manufacturing and I love implementing new software and applications in the mills. But I would say mostly it’s the people that inspire me to wake up and start my day.
The interaction I have with people from all over the world is exciting. I get to learn about their cultures and their holidays – it’s not always just about work. You really get to know your colleagues and you build great relationships that can help you further along on your career path.