Aurora 50 – The Inclusion Summit

GFG’s Head of Decarbonisation Rita Monteiro presented at the recent Inclusion Summit where along with Aurora 50 (a DEI Impact agency) – achieved a remarkable milestone: setting a new Guinness World Record for the most pledges received for gender equality in the workplace in a 24-hour period. 

Rita participated in the Inclusion Summit – Impact Stage and talked about advancing a shared goal of creating a more inclusive and equitable environment for all. The SPOKE team caught up with Rita and discussed her view on progressing DEI and what Inclusion really means.

1.      Can you recall a defining or pivotal moment in your career that helped you as a leader?

I do, both of them happen in the previous company I worked for, and I feel a third one is on the horizon in my current one.

• There are two key moments, both in my previous company – Taking a leadership role in a country where I neither spoke the language nor was an expert in the operation. I had the task of reversing a 10% productivity deficit by year-end with only 2.5 months to go. I had to trust my instincts, let go of some control, have a fierce focus on the basics, learn to quickly detect the strengths and gaps within a new team, and define clear steps. Those were some intense months.

• The second was self-initiating a sustainability leadership role in Japan.  I arrived in Japan to work in Supply Chain optimization, but detected a critical gap in the Sustainability field, so built a proposal to be presented to the local senior leadership, who embraced it. My knowledge was very basic, so I had to learn quickly, this time leveraging a combination of technical knowledge from the local team, with sustainability knowledge from my colleagues in the Headquarters. Then I had to influence senior stakeholders to adjust the business direction in relation to energy procurement, sustainable transportation, suppliers engagement, and community building. It was a very hands-on experience that laid the groundwork for my sustainability journey, and allowed me to connect knowledge of operations and Supply Chain while learning new fields. These lessons are still the foundation of much of my work.

2.      What advice have your mentors given you throughout your career? Were they women?

My mentors, a mix of men and women, have emphasized the importance of self-compassion and the power of understanding in stakeholder engagement. They helped me navigate uncertainty with more confidence. Two female mentors advised me to become an expert in a specific topic, and learn enough to have a semi-technical understanding in adjacent areas which can greatly enhance discussions and decisions. They helped me understand that earning trust requires an interesting mix of simplification, technical knowledge and execution capacity built on a common language or familiarity with distinct stakeholders. Sustainability is about connecting areas that more frequent that not, operate in a silo.

3.      What does it take to be a leader in the energy industry? What qualities do women bring?

Vision, ability to make decisions and influence stakeholders, adapt quickly, technical expertise, I guess this is true to many different industries. Women often bring a unique perspective, emphasizing collaboration, empathy, and sustainability, which can drive innovative solutions in this dynamic industry. While Energy is a male dominant sector, I find that data driven, laser-sharp execution, empathy and strategy, have a way of materializing leadership positions, earn trust, and remove noise and unconscious bias.

Percentage of women in renewable energy – 32%, only 28% STEM

4.      What opportunities do you see for women in the energy industry?

The proliferation of energy related fields is very exciting. It is at the core of all business strategy and is shaping future societies and much needed change, and a very rapid and continuous learning and development field. The distinct fields offer a wide pool of specialization and opportunities, whether more R&D/Engineering specific, energy policy, energy financing, or technology innovation. It offers opportunities at different levels of ambitions and aspirations. Depending on the personal preference, I truly believe the opportunities to enter and transform are endless. It offers also a great highway to define progress that carefully considers and measures trade-offs and synergies.

5.      What are the challenges the industry should address? What can be improved and how?

Improvements can be made by diversifying leadership,  and fostering a culture that embraces innovation and change. There is still an unbalance representation of female leadership, essential to be a lighthouse to rising stars.

In addition, a focus in safety and upskills and cross-skilling needs to be high in priority to enable female talent to rise to the top, and set the foundation for more equity and inclusion. This cannot come at the expense of sacrificing work life balance though. There is still a very big gap when it comes to childcare, and providing more balance of rights with men and women can be a great help. This is not exclusive to energy.

It is also important to form a system perspective that considers different variables, people related and therefore business related.

Access to training considered the most impactful enabler for women empowerment in energy, according to IRENA.

• 6.      What advice would you give women aspiring to be leaders in the energy industry? 

I feel that few areas offer such a good opportunity to align purpose, passion and holistic change. I find this a great motivator that is also applicable in the industry I work at. So be courageous and seek knowledge passionately and consistently, seek also knowledge in areas that are not necessarily directly related to your job, but gain tools that can be applicable in this very rapidly changing work environment.

Use your natural empathy to your advantage—it’s a powerful tool for influencing others and accelerating progress.

In an industry that’s transforming rapidly, your boldness and expertise will not only be welcome but will also be a catalyst for change.