“When I learned about Barbara’s work, she was the Human Resources manager of Tritec Motors, a joint venture between BMW and DaimlerChrysler for the production of engines in the state of Paraná. Barbara and the then logistics and buying general manager, Mathias Hofmann, decided that I was able to be manager of one of the logistics areas, even though I had never worked in this area before. Until then, I had never worked outside engineering – I had been a control engineer and afterwards an engineering supervisor of manufacturing. Since I assumed that position, Barbara began to work, even though that had never been formally agreed, as my coach. That was one of the periods of bigger development in my career. After 4 years as manager of material handling, and afterwards as manager of production control and planning, when Mathias returned to BMW, I assumed the position of logistics and buying general manager. I believe that Barbara´s coaching was a fundamental tool for this accomplishment and for my development as a manager, as she always instigated me to focus, encouraged me not to accept the obvious and easy, and to go after more challenging goals. She used to always say that she would like to see me getting to my limit one day. I don’t know if she did see that, but it was this search that made me grow as I had never grown before. One of the most successful projects of which I took part in my career, at the time as manager of the project, was tutored by Barbara who, not even being a logistics woman, was able to “extort” from the project team a reduction of 37% of the company’s warehouse of raw material. How? Well, you better ask her by writing to barbara.palmero@octoplus.com.br”
Rodrigo Acras
Logistics Manager
Renault Brazil