Jenniffer Pernia
I started my Imerys career in Monterey, Mexico, 14 years ago, after working for one of our customers where I was responsible for production, technical projects and quality control – that’s how I got to know about Imerys.
When I was hired, I had the choice of working in production, quality or technical service. As I already had experience in the first two roles, I decided to take a new position becoming a Technical Services Manager.
Out of 14 years in the company, I have spent 12 years in operational management roles in Mexico and the US and then, two years ago, I moved into an Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) role based in Europe. That was when I expressed to management my willingness to take on new challenges and explore new regions.
Exploring new geographies
As a new hire at the time, I knew that Imerys was a global corporation, but I didn’t realize it was so supportive of career development. After nine months, I was promoted to Site Manager, in charge of supervising 50 employees and a ceramic body preparation facility producing 140,000 tons a year.
I stayed in that job for six years, before being given the opportunity to become operations manager for our kaolin operations in the US. There, I was responsible for two sites with 60 people producing 300,000 tons a year.
After three years, I was selected for a new opportunity – this time back in Mexico, in a role that integrated operations and commercial management for our Mexican operations, overseeing production, logistics, purchasing, technical service and new product development (NPD), as well as the commercial side.
I’ve been in my current EHS role for two years. I chose to accept the position because the idea of being exposed to different cultures with seven different countries between southern and central Europe interested me, along with the chance to experience the different processes and technologies of these nine sites covering raw material extraction, ceramic body preparation and kiln furniture. It has taken me out of my comfort zone, being a new area of expertise, but it has been an enriching opportunity to diversify my skills. It’s interesting and challenging, and it has exposed me to different cultures, processes and synergies with colleagues from different geographies.
Working at Imerys is interesting and challenging, and it has exposed me to different cultures, processes and synergies with colleagues from different geographies.
Support to take on new challenges
My positive experience at Imerys has involved a combination of company support, mentoring from my managers and being willing to take on different challenges. Developing talent is part of the core values of the company.
Imerys is constantly looking for potential talents and career development. There are clear development paths and you can discuss with your managers what you need to do to improve your skills, especially when you’re moving into a new role. My ambition is to continue to develop at Imerys as the company evolves.
