Meet Tatiana Abreu, general manager of the Sul Fluminense steel plants, Brazil. She’s been at ArcelorMittal for 22 years.

Tell us a bit about your background and your role.

I’m a production engineer and have been working at ArcelorMittal for 22 years. I started my career here as an intern, at that time there were no women working on the shopfloor or in leadership positions in my plant. Over the years I have been able to work – and manage teams – across many different areas including production planning and control, logistics, quality, purchasing and the rolling mill. In 2020 I became the general manager of two steel plants, Barra Mansa and Resende, overseeing 900 employees. I am the first female manager of a steel plant in Latin America in over 100 years, something I am very proud of. This year I accepted a new challenge: to become Director of ESG, Innovation, IT and Business transformation. ArcelorMittal is a great company to work for. People are empowered when they work here and there is a great sense of unity in everything we do.

What inspires you?

I love what I do and use my passion to inspire others. I support and empower my teams so they can do their best, always encouraging them to strive for excellence.

What is your approach to overcoming challenges?

There are some important behaviours that I believe can help to overcome challenges. Clarity: you need to know exactly where you want to go. Discipline: the path you need to take will not always be easy and there may be difficulties. That's why discipline is so important to help you get there. Confidence: believe in yourself and turn your challenges into your motivations. Resilience: we need to be able to adapt to adversity and never give up.  Teamwork: forge alliances and work as a team to achieve the best results.

How important do you think it is to have female leaders like you?

Having female leaders sets an important example to young women, to show them that they can achieve whatever they want. It also helps to foster a more inclusive culture. I believe in leading by example; we should encourage openness so that our teams feel secure to share and learn from each other’s successes and failures. I have had leaders during my career that showed me the power of inspiring others, this is something I’ve tried to bring to the plants that I manage.

How would you describe the culture at ArcelorMittal?

At ArcelorMittal you feel part of a united global community where everyone is passionate about making a positive difference and where you are rewarded for results. Our team here is dynamic and highly motivated; everyone takes pride in their work and the impact it has.

What difference can ArcelorMittal make for women who work in the steel industry? What responsibility does it have towards diversity and inclusivity?

The steel industry is on a journey of transformation. I have received lots of positive messages from women at ArcelorMittal, as well as other companies in Brazil and beyond, telling me how good it is to see female representation in our industry. So, I think I have an important responsibility to be a good role model to others, and this is something I am very proud of. At ArcelorMittal we place people and teams at the front and centre of our decision-making. The health and safety of our teams are always our priority. We are making investments to improve our ESG performance, are continuing to innovate new technologies and solutions and are focussed on leading the decarbonisation of the steel industry. I believe that our industry, particularly ArcelorMittal, has opportunities for many different types of people. Diversity and inclusion will make our company stronger; we need to increase the number of women working for us, continue to work hard and ensure we maintain a safe working environment for everyone.

What impact would you like to have in the world?

My goal aligns with our company’s purpose ‘Smarter steels for people and planet’. I want to help build a better world with the products we make and inspire others to follow in my footsteps. Everything is possible when you believe in where you want to go and when you combine discipline with hard work. My inspiration is to get other women to join the steel industry as leaders, like me. My advice to young people is to believe in yourself; turn challenges into your motivations and follow your dream. You can do whatever you want. I believe that my example opens the door for other women to join the industry and ArcelorMittal.