Filipa encourages women to work in production

As a production manager at Volvo Buses Filipa Hoppenbrouwers is responsible for a production site which includes just over 100 people.
Filipa Hoppenbrouwers

“Basically, I like everything about my job. I like working with people and continuous improvement. Every day is different: It’s never boring and always challenging”, she says.

She is the first woman to hold a production management position within the Volvo Group in Brazil.

“To encourage more women to work in production management, I think one important factor is to show how plants have changed. Today it’s a clean, ergonomic environment and people are polite”, she says.

Filipa is Portuguese and she worked in Belgium and in Sweden at the Volvo Group before moving to Brazil.

“I always try to demonstrate respect for others through my actions. I also can’t think of a single time in my career when I didn’t feel respected. Diversity is important in a management setting. People with different backgrounds bring different opinions and perspectives.If you consider more points of view, the outcome can only improve.When it comes to my tips for someone taking on a management role, I would say: ‘First of all, believe in yourself.’ That’s the first step to making everyone believe in you as well.

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