Luana Oliveira, Head of Indirect and Outsourcing at Flora, is our second guest expert for the ME Women in Supply Chain Special. She said that she is from São Paulo, the daughter of migrants from the Northeast, and is fascinated by getting to know new countries and new cultures. Luana started early in the business world and, in 2023, will complete 20 years of career, with experience mainly in retail and industry.
Learn about the career of Luana Oliveira, Head of Indirect and Outsourcing at Flora
Luana Oliveira holds a degree in Business Administration from Mackenzie University and a postgraduate degree in Retail and Consumer Market from FIA. She was in charge of the Supply department of Grupo Pão de Açúcar and Grupo Petrópolis. Today, she is part of the leadership team at Flora, a leading company in the hygiene and cleaning sector with brands admired by Brazilians.
Check out the interview questions and answers:
1. How did you become interested in working in the Purchasing and Supply Chain sector? What was your professional trajectory like leading up to the position you hold today?
I entered the area through an internship opportunity. I had come from an experience “on the other side of the table”, in the Commercial area. I tried other areas, such as Planning and Quality, but found my place when I got the opportunity in Purchasing. I started in the Marketing area, where I better understood how to generate value for the business, and then I took over the MRO area. The scenario was one of mergers and acquisitions and speed, and the search for partnerships was essential. After that, I moved on to the Services and Technology area, which added challenges and a lot of knowledge. Today, as Head of Indirect and Outsourcing at Flora, in addition to experiencing everything I bring in my baggage, I contribute to the Products and Brands area, which makes this journey even more interesting.
2. Throughout your career, have you encountered situations in which you had to deal with prejudice for being a woman in a predominantly male sector? How do you act to overcome these gender barriers in your current context?
Without a doubt. I see the corporate environment evolving, but there is still a considerable way to go before it becomes a space with gender equality. It is important to draw attention to this gender stereotype that assumes women are fragile and often leads to doubts about our capabilities. Attributing the minutes of meetings to women in mixed meetings, making sexist comments and jokes, and showing surprise when seeing women leading strategic issues are some of the more subtle forms of this type of prejudice. This is also more evident in cases of moral harassment, such as taking away women's autonomy without justification, silencing their opinions, ignoring their presence or leadership, and in cases of sexual harassment that are equally serious. To overcome these barriers, I speak out and expose the issue because I believe that awareness can promote this evolution. Furthermore, I believe that taking action is important. In all the companies I have worked for, I have always taken a stand and refused to be subjected to situations like these, which helps to break down these barriers, as well as encouraging and supporting the women around me to do the same.
3. What characteristics of female leadership do you believe can bring positive impacts to the Supply Chain sector?
Regardless of the area, I believe that traits of female leadership, such as empathy and their inclusive style applied in the way they guide, engage, encourage, challenge and recognize their teams, drive teams in a different way. For Supply, I would add that being multitasking and organized, given the plural context of the sector, creative and with relationship skills, given the diversity of interfaces, and, finally, the willingness to take risks and assertiveness, given the representation of the area in the business, certainly translate into positive results and impacts.
4. Do you have any female leadership role models that you have looked up to throughout your career? Do you see yourself as a role model for other female professionals in the Supply Chain?
I look up to Luiza Helena Trajano and I also admire Cristina Junqueira's journey. More broadly and beyond borders, I respect and look up to women like Michelle Obama, Oprah Winfrey, Angela Merkel, and so many others who are equally strong, pioneering, disruptive, and wonderful, and who encourage us to see our value, our strength, and our ability to achieve exceptional things. But there is a long list of other equally incredible women.
I think it is important to also point out some women who are not well-known to the general public, but who made a huge difference in my career. Fortunately, I was – and am – surrounded by great women in the organizations I have worked for, leaders and employees who have taught me and continue to teach me a lot every day. In addition, I have two great examples of women at home, my mother and my sister. My mother is, for me, the most extraordinary woman I know and, without a doubt, the one I admire the most. She taught me a lot about resilience, work, ethics, perseverance and was my greatest supporter throughout my journey. My sister, who is equally formidable, has always been my great companion and advisor in the challenges of life and my career. I say this because I think it is very important that we, women, know how to look around, recognize and absorb this strength that surrounds us. Identifying and valuing these great “anonymous” heroines who accompany us makes all the difference.
I always try to adopt a stance that values the women who are close to me, encouraging them to study, to strive to achieve their dreams and not allow anyone to define where they should be.
5. ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) practices have increasingly taken center stage in strategic discussions within companies. One of the central points in this debate is the need to attract more diversity to all levels of the organization. In your opinion, what are the benefits of building diverse teams and what actions can be taken to cultivate it?
For me, a diverse team is synonymous with a more complete team. The more diverse the experiences, experiences and perspectives, the more creative and innovative the environment will be, and this will certainly translate into better deliveries and results. The way to encourage this diversity is to provide opportunities for the environment to become more diverse and to make leadership aware of their role in this process.
6. A survey conducted by Robert Half Consulting indicates that 76% of Supply Chain professionals believe that the future of the sector is related to increased access to new technologies and more interconnected purchasing areas, making the entire chain more efficient. In this scenario, what practices and new technologies have you adopted in your routine to adapt to this future?
Today, we have access to a multitude of technologies that help us search, research and consolidate databases and information. Without a doubt, the way forward is to use these technologies to optimize our day-to-day activities, seek to automate routines and processes (RPA is here and is already a reality) to free up teams for more strategic and relationship-based work. Reducing operational activities and providing an environment with more purpose, learning and creation is a way to retain talent and, consequently, bring more efficiency and competitiveness to the chain.
7. Uncertain scenarios and instability in purchasing volumes were some of the main challenges brought about by the pandemic. The Supply Chain sector had to adapt to the new challenges arising from this global scenario, and as a result, purchasing professionals had to develop new skills to remain relevant in this market. In your opinion, what are the essential skills for the purchasing professional of the future?
Understanding the global economy, holistic vision of the chain and strategic action, as well as the use of technology, data and indicators as an ally in the study of trends and planning. In addition, relationships and active listening with suppliers and customers, ethics and social and environmental responsibility and positioning oneself as an agent of value generation for the business.
8. A Women in Supply Chain survey conducted by Gartner found that in 2022, women accounted for 19% of C-level positions in supply chain organizations. Although this represents progress towards gender equity in the workplace, we know that many sectors, including Supply Chain, still require structural changes for this equity to be possible. What changes do you believe the Supply Chain sector needs to undergo in order to achieve greater diversity and equity?
The first step is to recognize this need and provide opportunities for women to occupy these spaces. I see many women occupying top-level management positions, such as coordination and supervision, and a movement in management positions. We need to leverage this group and accelerate so that they advance and start occupying the next level of the pyramid.
9. Finally, what advice would you give to other professionals who want to build a long-term career in the Supply Chain sector?
The journey is incredible, full of opportunities and very satisfying. Try to study and prepare yourself a lot, keeping up to date will always be essential and don't be afraid to take risks. It is not an exclusively male environment, here women have a place and a voice and the more space we occupy, the more strength and opportunities we will have. A woman's place is wherever she wants it to be!
See you next time! 😉
