-0,32%Employee Testimonial Sofie
In September 2002, after finishing a master in metallurgy, Sofie joined Aperam at its Genk site (Belgium) as an Operational Support Engineer. Her joining aligned with the start-up of a huge revamping project that doubled the plant’s capacity. She worked on the Argon Oxygen Decarburisation process, later becoming the line manager of the AOD/VOD area where she oversaw 75 people.
Afterwards, Sofie added the responsibility of Process & Product Quality, later becoming the Head of Continuous Caster for five years. By 2015, she switched to the Cold Rolling Plant in the role of Operational Support – where she worked on such people management aspects as safety and evaluation interviews. In 2017, after having worked 12 years in the steel plant, during which time she also become the mother of two children, Sofie moved to Head of Customer Services. “It has been a good experience to learn how to deal with our skills and constraints, aiming to provide the best response to customer expectations.”
Most recently, starting February 1st 2018, she accepted the challenge of becoming the Steel Plant Manager and member of the Site Management Committee. Sofie says “despite it being considered a ‘man’s world’, I see it as a place where I feel welcomed and I am very motivated to build, together with this strong team, a safe and sustainable steel plant that is always ahead of competition.”
“I believe that Aperam understands how beneficial it is to adapt to this evolving world, giving new generations the opportunity to utilise their energy and new ideas and combine it with all the experience accumulated over these years,” she adds. “To me, this is the best formula for maintaining our position as a leader in our area.”