Rosangela Campos 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.
“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.