Jessica Chávez, the cutting and finishing manager at TuboCaribe, Tenaris’s production center in Colombia, emphasizes her love for learning as the driving force in her life. This passion has consistently influenced her career choices, even when it meant making difficult decisions.
“I studied industrial engineering and began working in the construction and naval sectors, then moved into insurance at a national level, and later transitioned into logistics and transportation,” she reflects. These diverse experiences have enabled her to develop a broad range of skills.
One of the most challenging decisions Chávez faced was leaving her comfort zone to pursue operations engineering in graduate school in Bogotá. “I quit my job, which concerned many who thought I was abandoning a secure position, and moved away from my home in Cartagena, giving up my economic stability. But I was following my passion; I knew I wanted to manage operations and needed to develop new skills to continue growing,” she shares.
Chávez joined Tenaris in 2018 as a shift supervisor at the couplings plant, where she oversaw cutting, threading, and finishing tools. “It was a fantastic opportunity to work at a truly multinational company and leader in its sector. Here, I could learn from diverse people worldwide who share a commitment to quality, safety, and discipline,” she emphasizes.
As the finishing tools shift leader, Chávez became the first female supervisor in a traditionally male-dominated area and focused on recruiting more talented women. In 2021, she was promoted to production planning and mill scheduling analyst, and in 2022, she became the finishing tools manager before assuming her current role as cutting and finishing manager.
The pandemic presented one of her greatest challenges. “I was the sole supervisor, responsible for keeping the area operational from Monday through Saturday, while being at the mill only three days a week. The challenge was to help the company navigate the crisis, maintain operations to avoid impacting our customers, and figure out how to transform the area post-crisis,” she explains.
Chávez relied on diversity, integrating different generations, skills, and backgrounds to strengthen her teams. Her efforts yielded results: “When I started, there were no women in the area. Today, 30% of the workforce here are women,” she notes with pride.
She enjoys walking the shop floor, understanding the operations, and engaging with the crew. “Successful teamwork is about learning and seizing every opportunity to gain knowledge and skills,” she believes.
For Chávez, effective planning, logistics, and organization are essential. “I ensure my team—comprising five supervisors and their teams, totaling 130 people—participate in various courses and campaigns, from safety to quality and diversity. My goal is to use my planning skills and passion for learning to enhance operations and help people become the best versions of themselves,” she says.
Outside of work, Chávez values time with her family and is dedicated to the education of her two nephews. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, yoga, running, and reading books on leadership.
