Home Closing the morning activities of April 8th, at the IV World Plastic Connection Summit®, Novotel Center Norte, in São Paulo, hosted the roundtable “Women in Leadership”, organized by Neivia Justa. At the invitation of Think Plastic Brazil, a portfolio of solutions for the plastic-converted products sector in the process of internationalization for target markets, carried out through a partnership between ApexBrasil (Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency) and INP (Brazilian Plastics Institute), she brought together a team of renowned executives to discuss the role of women in corporate and sustainable transformation.
The meeting highlighted the urgency of incorporating the pillars of diversity, equity and ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) into business strategies beyond mere rhetoric, presenting successful cases where female leaders promote more diverse teams. The mediator, Neivia Justa, is a member of Vital Voices Visionaries, a Top Voice on LinkedIn and a global influencer. She is also a specialist in diversity and corporate communications, and the creator of the movements #OndeEstãoAsMulheres and #AquiEstãoAsMulheres, which address, respectively, the absence of women in the workplace and value the initiatives led by them.
The selection of names chosen by Neivia includes Ana Cristina Paiva, Regional Sales Manager for ExxonMobil Chemicals in Latin America, who highlighted the importance of opportunities in the development of leadership. “We continue to reinvent ourselves in this support for different points of view that come about through diversity.” Bruna Folster, Executive Vice President of Sales at Eco Ventures Brazil, discussed her journey in the international market and the impact of her own trajectory on future generations. “In this sense of diversity, we don’t see many people with autism occupying leadership positions, but I see many parents approaching me, happy, because they see in me a possibility for their children,” she highlights.
Ianda Lopes, Uber’s Legal Director, spoke about the impact of leadership on the lives of black people. “The turning point in my career was when I hired a black lawyer and some time later she told me that she came home saying that she didn’t know if she would be accepted for the position, but that she was happy to know that I existed, a black woman occupying a leadership position. From that moment on, I began to get even more involved in the development of new black leaders,” she said, moving the audience.
“I wasn’t aware of diversity from an educational or training perspective, but I worked in places that welcomed me. I’ve always had a lot of privileges, but I started to develop an awareness of diversity from that, looking at others and the differences,” reinforced Karen Sandhof, a senior executive with experience in large corporations, such as Natura and Johnson & Johnson, in technology and operations, sharing her journey in the job market.
During the debate, the leaders shared their trajectories, challenges and the transformations promoted in their organizations to make the environment more inclusive, reaping the positive impacts of diversity in decision-making, innovation and business competitiveness.
About Think Plastic Brazil
Think Plastic Brazil started its activities with 38 companies and, over the last 20 years, has expanded its participation to more than 250 companies. During this period, the Portfolio promoted 4,773 participations of companies in the industry in 240 projects specifically for Trade Promotion, resulting in 64,366 meetings. The economic impact was significant, with more than US$1.247 billion in business generated and a total investment of US$12.338 million, achieving an impressive ROI of US$101.04 for every dollar invested.
For those interested in buying from Brazil and contacting Brazilian companies associated with Think Plastic Brazil directly, please contact cristina.sacramento@thinkplasticbrazil.com and daniela.ornelas@thinkplasticbrazil.com via email or visit the website (https://thinkplasticbrazil.com/en/home-en/). Think Plastic Brazil is a non-profit, non-commissioned organization that can facilitate your direct contact with Brazilian producers.
About INP
Founded in 1989, the Brazilian Plastic Institute – INP arises amid the process of globalization and the need to make the plastic market more competitive internationally. Its strength and representativeness are the results of the union of the Brazilian Processed Plastic and Recycling Industry (ABIPLAST), the Brazilian Association of the Chemical Industry (ABIQUIM), and the Union of Synthetic Resin Industries in the State of São Paulo (SIRESP).
As a sectoral technological body, the INP’s is to be the focal point for the entire plastics production chain in Brazil. To this end, the body maintains an extensive workforce qualification program, promotes access to the most modern technologies, especially for small and medium-sized companies, and develops Technical Standards so that products with better quality be manufactured.
About ApexBrasil
The Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (ApexBrasil) promotes Brazilian products and services abroad and attracts foreign investments to strategic industries of the Brazilian economy. To reach its goals, ApexBrasil carries out diversified trade promotion actions aimed at promoting exports and valuing Brazilian products and services abroad, such as prospective and trade missions, business roundtables, support for the participation of Brazilian companies in major international fairs, and visits by foreign buyers and influencers to learn about the Brazilian productive structure, among other business platforms that are also focused on strengthening “Brazil” as a brand.
The agency also acts in a coordinated manner with public and private actors to attract foreign direct investment (FDI) to Brazil, focusing on strategic sectors for the development of the competitiveness of Brazilian companies and the country.
