Women and Cemex: Three case stories

Though the mining and construction industries may employ more men than women, Cemex US has seen a growing number of women enjoy rewarding careers.

Executive Vice President of Human Resources and Communications for Cemex US, Guillermo Matinez, said: “As a company that values our people as our main competitive advantage, a focus on always hiring the best must naturally extend to hiring women as well as men. This is in line with our vision for the future.”

Lindsay Sparks, Sales Manager, Houston Ready Mix

After graduating from Texas A&M with both a bachelors and masters degree in Agribusiness, Sparks spent two years in the food industry and then began Cemex’s Professional in Development Programme where she conducted market analysis for the Ready Mix Commercial Group.

Sparks spent 8 months as a business analyst before a territory manager position opened up in Ready Mix sales. Commenting on the position she said: “That first role at CEMEX set me up to succeed in later positions within the company. It gave me a tremendous foundation for understanding the ready mix market.”

She added: “It’s really important for women to know that it’s possible in this company and industry to have a family and a career. I feel like our culture allows me to speak to anyone at any level in the organisation.”

Monica Manolas, Vice President of Human Resources, BSO/Florida Region

Manolas has held her current position since 2012, having begun work as a chemist at the Miami cement plant, then a part of Rinker, following the completion of her chemistry degree at the University of Miami. Over the next seven years, she worked her way up to Quality Control Manager, then Production Manager, while managing to earn both a masters in Industrial and Systems Engineering and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Florida.

She actively recruits at colleges, universities and vocational schools, and her message to women is clear: “What makes Cemex different is we place a value on people more than anyone else. When we bring you in, we care about you as an individual and treat you as a family member. We’re always going to be fair and, yes, it’s about what you can do for the company, but also it’s about what the company can do for you.”

Laura Lee, Vice President of Procurement, Cemex US

Lee graduated with a degree in International Development from the University of North Carolina, and after moving to Madrid she joined Cemex as a development manager.

“When I joined the Spanish operation, I found women working in accounting, HR and administration,” she said. “At that time on the project team there were quite a few women as well. It wasn’t 50-50 women-to-men, but very easily 30-70. It was a great team with lots of energy and high performance. We were working 24/7.”

In 2002, Lee transitioned from the Continuous Improvement Project to a sales manager role and held this job until 2004 when she returned to procurement with the Global Procurement Office, located in Houston. In 2010, she was asked to join the Cemex US Procurement Office.

Lee added: “The future is in your hands, and your level of determination is the key.”

Edited from press release by Angharad Lock

Read the article online at: https://www.worldcement.com/the-americas/03092015/women-and-cemex-three-case-stories-486/