{"id":231794,"date":"2020-02-22T06:00:00","date_gmt":"2020-02-22T04:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/germistoncitynews.co.za\/231794\/making-her-way-in-a-male-dominated-sector\/"},"modified":"2020-02-21T20:32:28","modified_gmt":"2020-02-21T18:32:28","slug":"making-her-way-in-a-male-dominated-sector","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/develop.citizen.co.za\/germiston-city-news\/news-headlines\/2020\/02\/22\/making-her-way-in-a-male-dominated-sector\/","title":{"rendered":"Making her way in a male-dominated sector"},"content":{"rendered":"

The engineering and manufacturing industry has, traditionally, been a male-dominated sector.<\/p>\n

However, the world is evolving to break stereotypes in all business environments.<\/p>

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A shining example of this paradigm shift is Estie van Zyl, the first female plant manager in the Saint-Gobain Sub-Saharan African delegation.<\/p>\n

Her journey within the manufacturing sector started some 13 years ago and, being an industrial engineer by trade, her success was almost guaranteed.<\/p>

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But why, it must be asked, did van Zyl choose a career in this particular industry?<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat drew me to manufacturing was the visible safety awareness and culture at Gyproc and the opportunity to start the journey of discovery in world-class manufacturing practices (WCM).<\/p>\n

\u201cFor me, these areas were really exciting, and I wanted to develop my skills and understanding of the theory and practicalities involved in this sector,\u201d van Zyl said.<\/p>\n

The experience has been an exciting one, to say the least.<\/p>\n

In her years in the manufacturing environment, she has garnered experience and expertise across the board from engineering, and production, to WCM and planning.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhatever capacities I find myself operating in I try gain as much experience as possible.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen occupied in the planning department I worked closely with a SAP consultant and realised without proper understanding of all aspects of a system or process you get stuck on issues that should be easily resolved,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cBy using a holistic approach to my duties, I was able to bring the WCM programme at the Donn Products Factory in Germiston to a bronze status, making this the first plant in South Africa to achieve this award.<\/p>\n

\u201cEssentially, I have learnt if all departments work as a team towards a common goal, coupled with strong leadership and an overall understanding of each component, anything is possible.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen moving into the production arena, which was my first opportunity to lead a team, I became aware of the value of the people you are working with.<\/p>\n

\u201cRespect them, value their opinions, and they will be productive.<\/p>\n

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\u201cLastly, being part of the engineering environment, I was able to bridge some of the technical gaps that I had, which gave me the opportunity to change the mindsets of people who were very set in their ways.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo matter where you find yourself, there is always something to learn.\u201d<\/p>\n

In her current role, van Zyl said she makes a point of learning as much as possible from her superiors.<\/p>\n

\u201cLearning and picking up experience is critical.<\/p>\n

\u201cOnce you stop learning, you stop growing.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt has been a challenging, yet very exciting journey where every day delivers a new challenge,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhile self-improvement is vitally important for personal growth and professional success, I believe a strong focus should still be maintained on people and their skills development.<\/p>\n

\u201cWithout a competent team no business, or in my case, plant can be successful.<\/p>\n

\u201cPersonally, I have changed from an unsure young woman, on my first day at Gyproc, to a strong, confident leader who is respectful of others no matter what skill level they are on.\u201d<\/p>\n

Van Zyl has a clear vision of the role the plant needs to play within the organisation at large.<\/p>\n

\u201cI believe that we, as a highly passionate and fully engaged team, will continue to manufacture sustainable and cost-efficient products of excellent quality to satisfy all our customers’ needs.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe will indeed be an indispensable cog within the company as a whole that will contribute to the profitable growth of the business,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cOn a personal note, I believe in maintaining a healthy work-life balance and even though I am married, with three boys, this is possible.<\/p>\n

\u201cI see my role in the company as not only benefiting Saint-Gobain, but also enhancing my family life.<\/p>\n

\u201cI make sure that I focus on the priorities that are in the moment and spend quality time with my family during weekends.\u201d<\/p>\n

Going forward, van Zyl will not be resting on her laurels and plans to take advantage of all opportunities that come her way.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have a number of goals I am working toward, some immediate, some more long-term.<\/p>\n

\u201cI plan to complete my GCC in engineering and then go for my MBL and, with this behind me, ensure I gain the required experience, in different plants in order to excel at management at the highest level possible,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI also want to pay it forward,\u201d van Zyl said.<\/p>\n

\u201cBeing people-oriented and fostering employee development is a real passion of mine and, when you are a manager, you are in a great position to focus on the development and growth of your employees.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople must enjoy coming to work, must be challenged, must be inspired, and then productivity and efficiency will invariably increase.\u201d<\/p>\n

Van Zyl had a few pearls of wisdom for other aspiring women in engineering fields.<\/p>\n

\u201cSet the trends.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you are a leader, be one.<\/p>\n

\u201cConstantly strive for more so you won\u2019t become complacent,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cLearn from every situation, even your failures.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat is how you grow.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou must also remember, it\u2019s all about having the right skills, standards and personality.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is important to break the stigma that women are not made for engineering.<\/p>\n

\u201cBe curious, be persistent and ask lots of questions.<\/p>\n

\u201cFind good mentors.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s okay to make mistakes; use them as learning opportunities.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Hav<\/strong>e a story?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Contact the newsroom by emailing: Melissa Hart (Editor)germistoncitynews@caxton.co.za<\/a><\/strong>or Leigh Hodgson (News Editor)leighh@caxton.co.za.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

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