Maren Hansen: “Everyone should have the opportunity to choose their profession based on their capabilities and interests, not their gender.”
Working at ABB Marine & Ports has given Maren Hansen, Management Trainee at ABB Marine & Ports, the opportunity to combine her two passions – engineering and care for the environment.
Maren was born and brought up in Vennesla, a quiet Norwegian town once known for its paper mills powered by hydropower. Since her early years in education, the unequal distribution of resources in the society was something that concerned her.
“Global warming affects everyone, including those who are not the main contributors to the climate change,” Maren says. This, she adds, has steered her towards working in the energy and environment sectors.
Maren’s interest toward science and mathematics encouraged her to take up engineering in college, where she graduated in electrical power engineering. She took part in exchange programs at universi-ties in Italy and India, and says that traveling to these countries taught her respect and a deep sense of gratitude for having the chance to experience other cultures. These experiences exposed her to new environmental realities that reinforced her passion for applying her knowledge to build a safer and greener future.
Once back in Norway, Maren has applied for ABB’s Management Trainee program and got hired. It has been two years since she has joined ABB, with six months as part of ABB Marine & Ports team.
Maren says that ABB’s contribution to sustainable development was an inspiration to her when she has gotten the opportunity to work on projects related to energy storage systems. “Recently, together with my colleagues, I have worked on a study on how an energy storage system could help increase the overall power efficiency of icebreakers and improve the environmental footprint of a vessel,” Maren says. The findings showed this system can significantly reduce fuel consumption, with emissions cut as a result.
Maren was also part of a team that analyzed the requirements for operating ships with an advanced and tightly integrated system for power generation, which helps optimize engine loading and reduce running hours and fuel costs.
“I believe we are at the beginning of a huge transformation in moving towards zero-emission technologies in shipping,” Maren says. “We need to attract more experts working on sustainable solutions as the further development of these technologies requires specialists.”
“Based on my experience, I would encourage more young women to pursue engineering, which offers many opportunities in various sectors can lead to interesting, rewarding careers. If you are passionate about making the world a better place, then engineering will give you the opportunity to achieve your goals.”
Rosangela Campos: “I believe taking risks helps us to learn and grow on our career path.”
Rosangela Campos, Senior Project Manager at ABB Marine & Ports, has been with ABB for over 29 years, right from the beginning of her journey as an engineer back in her native São Paulo, Brazil. She is currently based in Ulsteinvik, Norway.
“From early on, I was always trying to understand the why and how of everything,” she says, adding that her curiosity passion for mathematics encouraged her to take up engineering as a career.
In her fourth year of studying engineering, she joined the trainee program at ABB SACE, the company’s center of excellence for production of high voltage switchgear. Following the trainee program, Rosangela joined the company’s switchboard factory, where she has worked for five years.
Over the next 15 years, Rosangela worked in various roles at ABB Brazil. By 2005, she was a project manager for ABB’s oil and gas business, working with customers such as Petrobas.
Around that time, Norway’s marine industry was thriving, which created opportunities for new project managers. “I tested my luck and applied for the project manager at ABB Marine & Ports, and got selected.” This exciting new opportunity led Rosangela to move from Brazil to Norway.
“I took the risk, and in July 2006, I traveled halfway across the world with my little girl and my husband, who left his job to join me, and landed in Norway – a country I will make my home for the rest of my life,” she says. “Moving to a new role in a new country was tough but my passion for engineering and determination to succeed helped me navigate the obstacles that life often threw at me.”
As a project manager at ABB Marine & Ports, Rosangela was often in contact with engineers on customer’s side, going through every detail of the project – and her background in engineering proved to be invaluable. “In my current role as a project manager, I enjoy the complexities that come with every project. It pushes me to think out of the box and build long-lasting relationships with our clients,” Rosangela says.
She says that it has been encouraging to see more and more women taking up engineering as a career in the past decade. “We still have a long way to go,” she adds. Rosangela believes that it all starts with education: universities and schools could play an important role in inspiring young women to choose a career in engineering by raising awareness about the profession.
